Stephen Walker - Editor road testing a Land Rover Freelander Location: Near Mt Sugarloaf, NSW |
Friends, Why are on-road costs charged for off-road vehicles? Perhaps at an idle time, I'll consider this very deep question. In the meantime, it's time to look back at the week. You'll notice there's plenty of news. We're pleased to reveal some details of the next Astra convertible, which is still 2 years away from production. News on Ford's new Territory wagon will appear periodically over the next few weeks. The road test this week, reveals just how satisfying some vehicles are to drive. The Freelander is different to most, if not all, compact size AWD's/4x4's. The road test reveals why we enjoyed it so much. Warm regards, |
|
|
 |
 |  |
The new Ford Territory will be arriving in showrooms on 1st June 2004. That's just a few weeks away. With sales of 4WD's booming, the car market continues to expand. It's almost certain this year will see yet another record year for the Australian vehicle market. Has Ford predicted the market correctly in producing a big 7-seater wagon, one available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive? It's difficult to see otherwise! Stay with us over coming weeks as we reveal more and more about this new Australian designed and Australian built car. |
This coupe was based on the popular Beetle. It was built by Karmann Ghia, the specialist coach builders. The Karmann-Ghia was built from 1955 right through to 1974. Almost unaltered for almost 20 years. A great achievement. Two-thirds of the production were exported to the USA.
Stephen Walker |
Volkswagen Karmann Ghia |
|
 The Lotus Elise 111R .... more |
PICK OF THE WEEK After reading the news of this week, which story did you appreciate the most? The relocation of the Lotus showroom in Melbourne pleases me. The reason being, to successfully compete in today's environment you need to have the best presentation possible. Lotus cars are expensive, they've got some competition coming and to remain competitive, they need to demonstrate that they are in the picture. The new premises shows that! Stephen Walker |
Australia's Holden Monaro is now available in England. It's marketed under the name Vauxhall Monaro. It's a niche market product and not meant for big sales volumes, just as you would imagine. By the way, have you ever seen a vacant parking spot in London? | 
|
 Land Rover Freelander at Yengo National Park, NSW .... more |
The hype tells you that the Freelander is a great compact sized 4WD. Driving it confirms that notion ..... decisively! Stephen Walker |
They can subscribe to our newsletter from this link: SUBSCRIBE You can unsubscribe from the link above, too. Your privacy: We do not pass on your personal particulars, unless you have authorised us to do so. |
ROLLS-ROYCE Tuesday, 4th May 2004, marked the centenary of the historic first meeting between the Honourable Charles Rolls and Henry Royce at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, UK, which led to the formation of the world famous Rolls-Royce business, one of the greatest and best known brand names. The celebrations were jointly hosted by Rolls-Royce plc, the world-leading company in gas turbines for civil aerospace, defence, marine and energy systems; and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, (now owned by the BMW Group). Since inception, the Rolls-Royce name has been synonymous with integrity, reliability and innovation. Beginning as a motor car manufacturer, it developed its engineering capabilities to include engines for air and marine propulsion, as well as for energy applications. The company’s far-sighted memorandum of association in 1906 referred to its aim to provide engines and vehicles ‘for use on land, or water, or in the air'. One hundred years on, the two companies have achieved the dream of their founding fathers, with their futures firmly built on the foundation of a century of innovation. To celebrate the event, a fly-past of an historic Avro Lancaster (from RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight), powered by Rolls-Royce engines, provided an aerial salute over the centre of Manchester, where Rolls and Royce first met. A collection of classic Rolls-Royce motor cars joined the celebrations, as part of the Centenary World Tour – which began in New Zealand in January this year. A Rolls-Royce Centenary Phantom was displayed – one of just 35 examples of this special version of the new Phantom produced to mark the occasion. Sir John Rose, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, said: "For 100 years we have powered the world’s most advanced machines on land, at sea, and in the air, creating value for our customers over the lifetime of every engine. Today, gas turbine technology lies at the heart of the company; our engines are now so powerful that just one 10 centimetre turbine blade is capable of delivering the same power as a Formula 1 racing car." In its centenary year, Rolls-Royce has invested in its future by opening a new £85m factory in Scotland and has just announced a further £100m investment in new facilities around the UK. It has also been chosen by Boeing as one of two suppliers for its 7E7 Dreamliner, an aircraft that will come into operation in 2008. "It’s important to look forward as well as to reflect on the past", continued Sir John. "Rolls-Royce will continue to break new ground and has gained strong positions on a new generation of programmes in each of our four businesses, which we know will shape the future of the company for at least the next 50 years." Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Tony Gott, added: "This year we are celebrating not only a Centenary but also the first anniversary of a new era for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The new Rolls-Royce Phantom has been greeted with worldwide acclaim over the last year and here today we have one of just 35 examples of the special Centenary version." "The Engineering excellence upon which the Company was founded remains at the centre of all of our plans for the future. At the Geneva Motor Show in March we unveiled a one-off experimental motor car named 100EX – a four-seater, two door, luxury convertible. This special motor car demonstrates the dedication, commitment and ingenuity of our engineering and design teams to secure a long and prosperous future for our Company." |
1904 Rolls Royce 10HP 2-cylinder 
A cavalcade of Rolls Royce cars participating in the 2004 Federal Rally 
2004 Rolls Royce Centenary Phantom ..... more |
Click the logo for our home page Did you miss the newsletter from last week? It's here. |