As this is my first week back at work after 7 months of maternity leave, I feel I am justified in making my first blog baby-related.  Before we had our little girl, my husband and I did the traditional parents-to-be shopping marathon.  Cot, clothes, and the minefield that is buggies.  We opted for a “travel-system” with which a car seat was included.  All very well, apart from the fact that the wheel attachment and carrycot wouldn’t fit in the boot of our little Renault Clio.  

So my husband (who despite being in his 30’s is very much still a wannabe boy-racer) suggested a new car rather than a different buggy...any excuse, and the saga of the people-carrier began.  I wanted one; he said he would rather be shot than to own one.  I said it would last us for years, future children and would be efficient on long journeys visiting family.  He said he would rather be shot than own one.  We ended up with a Ford Escort: “Honestly they are excellent, my first car was a Mark 3 Escort I got for £100...” he said. 

What won it for the Escort wasn’t his memory of lowered suspension and being 17 again, but that it does in fact have a massive boot space.  According to my mummy-friend who did opt for the people carrier, my husband is right, the Escort does cram a lot more of the compulsorily baby junk in the back than a Renault Scenic.

And it appears he is not alone in his scathing opinions of people-carriers, 5 out of the bottom 10 cars of 219 cars surveyed by Which? Car magazine this month are MPVs.  The Scenic (1997 – 2003) joins fellow Renault , the Espace (2003), the Citroen Xsara (1997-2004), the VW Sharan (1995-) and the Chrysler Voyager (1997-2001) in the lowest ranking. French models in general got a hammering in the survey - 6 of the bottom 10 are from across the channel.

So I will share this news with a now smug husband who will always love his Escort.  The fact that it guzzles fuel and a trip to the supermarket is now almost as expensive as buying a completely new buggy is another story altogether...

 

On a recent holiday in Malta, I was amazed to find that their entire public transport system is run on old and I do mean old - British buses.

Not surprising I guess given the history of the island (it only gained independence in 1964) that it retains so much of its British heritage, but unusual to find so many old vehicles in full working order.

These beautifully kept buses, from British Leyland, Bedford and Dennis were trundling all over the island, looking as smart as they did when they were first built.  Cleaned and polished, no graffiti or litter and always on time something London Transport could well do with taking notes on it seems to me.

Okay so the hills were a bit of a challenge and I guess the noise pollution would have had some protestors up in arms, but to me that rather added to the overall charm.

Having been raised living and breathing British Leyland (parents, family friends, factory visits, Leyland weekends who could forget them! Grand Prix with the Williams team you name it) it was great to see the old vehicles running around, I was having a ball.

So much to the horror and humiliation of my poor husband one morning I dragged him off to the bus station and took some pictures, while he did his best to hide and pretend he wasn't with me.........so here they are, for all you bus fanatics out there (and you know I know who you are) these are for you!

I’m always amazed by the number of owners clubs, magazines and loyalty some brands generate. 

I was once a proud member of the 2CV owners club and loved reading the hints, tips and travels of fellow members in the monthly magazine. 

Such passions can quickly grow from a hobby to taking over your entire life, or in the case of one Volkswagen fan from Eastbourne, your body. Not just a little logo or Beetle tattoo discreetly tucked away on an arm, he has a back full of Volkswagen-related tattoos.  That’s not just keen, that’s devotion.  And no, he’s not crazy (at least I didn’t think so when I met him), but what he describes as an addict.  He is even planning to give his unborn daughter the initials V and W.  You can see him ‘in the flesh’ at www.myspace.com/funkmasterred.

I have total sympathy for such obsessive behaviour.  While I’d never go for the painful option of a tattoo, I can certainly understand the passion and enthusiasm as many people have hobbies and interests which often remain a big focus for our entire lives.  Football, antiques, pets or caravanning, everyone loves something.  It’s healthy to have a hobby, isn’t it?

As someone who, sadly, tends to measure his life in motor shows, the recent visit to the Chongqing Motor Show in south west China was not a highspot. Indeed, it was a pretty pathetic event, with just a handful of exhibitors, mostly dealer-run stands and – being China – mega amplified music all the time. Overall, an atmosphere unlikely to tempt many buyers, one would have thought, unless they really are attracted by tacky gimmicks.

So I was very interested, on the same day, to visit the nearby empire – and I use the word advisedly – of the Chongqing China National Automotive Industry Southwest Group (despite its ponderous name, a 100% privately owned company). This is a car supermarket which has as its slogan ‘The Motor Show which never closes’.

And what a Show! With 41 new car brands (as far as I could work out the only glaring omissions were Audi and Toyota), 2,000 employees, 3,000 cars in stock at any one time and a 2007 turnover of about 3 billion RNB (over £220 million). This is a serious operation which is some way in advance of Western developments.

Its not only new (and used) cars which are on sale. The giant site, high on a hill between the city centre and airport in Chongqing, also offers parts, finance insurance, spares, accident repairs, servicing and even has a driver training centre complete with test track. Compared with average retailers in China this was an entirely different experience and levels of professionalism looked high. A real model for the future of car retailing and one which I frankly had not expected to find in China. 

But in one respect its very similar to operations much closer to home. President Xie Yong bemoaned to me the fact that car manufacturers did not help their dealers enough. Some things never change!