Evening Gazette

Sportback Is Audi's Style Statement

A BLAST from the past has helped Audi turn on the style for its 100th birthday. The A5 Sportback, launched only days after the German car maker celebrated its centenary, has borrowed some of its good looks from the iconic Audi 100 Coupe of the early 1970s.

Bravo for Fiat's Super Sale ; Drivelines

FIAT and Alfa-Romeo's biggest sale of the year was held at BCA Measham with 200 cars sold worth pounds 1.5m. The special auction attracted 50 buyers with a further 35 online. A dozen Fiat 500s were sold averaging 107.3% above book price. The sale of 100 Grande Puntos averaged 102% above book price, as did 16 Bravo models. Alfa Romeo GTs achieved 115% of the book price and Alfa 147 and 159 models averaged 106%.

Suzuki Scrap Success ; Drivelines

SUZUKI has taken 5,000 scrappage orders since the scheme started in May, with 3,000 now delivered. The model benefiting most from the scheme has been the Alto, accounting for more than half of all orders, followed by the Swift at 30% and the Splash with 8% of the total. The Alto is Suzuki's most cost-effective model and benefits from pounds 35 annual road tax economy of 64mpg and an insurance grouping of 1E, or 2E for the top specification SZ4 with manual or automatic transmission. It is also...

Vantastic ; Drivelines

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Extra Goodies for Vw Touran ; Drivelines

SATELLITE navigation is coming as standard on the latest version of the Volkswagen Touran MPV. The Touran Match also features VW's automatic parking system, iPod connectivity and a multifunction steering wheel.

Prices for Peugeot 3008 ; Drivelines

PEUGEOT'S rival to the popular Nissan Qashqai will be priced from pounds 15,995 when it goes on sale in November. The Peugeot 3008 is one of the new breed of crossover vehicles which offer the same facilities as family hatchbacks, compact MPVs and SUVs all in one.

Simon Bailes's Road Safety Message for Ridewell ; Talk of the Trade

SIMON Bailes Peugeot, which has a dealership in Stockton is one of the sponsors of this year's Ridewell event at Preston Park, Eaglescliffe. The company provided two Peugeot 308s for Cleveland Police Road Policing Unit to pre-promote the event. Large crowds are expected to attend Ridewell on Sunday. It has grown to be one of the North's largest bike shows and is ultimately aimed at reducing road casualties. The brainchild of Cleveland Police's Road Policing Unit in partnership with Stockton C...

Cars You Won't Buy ; Right Car, Right Price

IN the used car market popular means lots of supply, which makes for cheap prices and great deals. There are others out there which aren"t as readily available but also on the cheap side -and there"s good reason for that. If you look closely, you will notice that despite the lack of brand appeal, the absence of quality and the difficulty re-selling, they are not really that much of a bargain. But, in the interests of variety and for some light entertainment, here are three oddballs to consider:

Italian Job ; Drivelines

BSM and Fiat have announced a partnership that will see Fiat as the new fleet provider for the British School of Motoring, which is the UK's largest driving school. Fiat will provide BSM with 14,000 cars over the next four years, mainly the Fiat 500 and Grande Punto model.

Citroen's Cubist Picasso

WHATEVER happens in America sooner or later finds its way over here. Just ask Gordon Brown. The same cannot be said of Japan. Apart from an obsession with Wii-ing and portable music. Japanese culture has not really exported. For instance they are almost nuptially passionate about seafood while, to the best of my knowledge, very few people in Britain have ever married a fish.

Biggest Showroom in the Region - and It's On the Web

BUSINESS is booming at Britain's biggest showroom, located right here in the North-east. It is the virtual showroom that has now attracted 30 dealerships representing 21 franchises, all under one roof.

Drivers - Don'dice with Drink

MILLIONS of motorists could risk losing their licences this summer if they are encouraged to drink-drive by the number of cheap breathalyser kits flooding the market. Police say that the alco- testers are mass-produced to the lowest standards to make them as cheap as possible and cannot be relied upon. Millions of motorists buy them from shops and garages in the mistaken belief that they will indicate when they are approaching the drink-drive limit.

Summer Booze Cruise Dangers

MORE than half of the estimated British booze cruisers could be driving illegally this summer and will risk much more in fines than they save on acquiring cheaper alcohol. Research conducted by esure car insurance shows that as many as three and a half million motorists are unfamiliar with foreign speed limits, including 84% who are unaware that the speed limit on a motorway in France is 130km/h - 80mph.

Caravanners Beware ... Of Snakes

AS the holiday season gets into full swing, make sure your caravan doesn't do the same! Association of British Drivers spokesman, Paul Biggs warns that drivers must learn how to avoid a 'snaking' situation where the caravan swings from side to side. In the worst case scenario, the caravan can swing right round and hit the side of the towing vehicle causing the outfit to spin and overturn.

Lively Riley Was a Star of Its Day ; Classic Wheels

GOOD things come in small packages and this was certainly the case for the Riley One-Point-Five. This Riley, although often derided as a BMC version of the Wolseley Fifteen Hundred, was a true example of how to offer British performance saloon specification and fittings in a compact package. The One-Point-Five was not only an example of an early downsizing option but, like the Wolseley it was a pioneer of what we now know as platform engineering, using the proven floorpan of another model, th...

Thunderbirds Are Go!

I MUST be cheating as I roar down Aylesbury High Street on Triumph's Thunderbird. Where are the big beard and belly? And surely I shouldn't be a girl? You'd expect to see this 1,600cc custom beast down Daytona Beach in the US, not in English suburbia. Yet although the Thunderbird looks intimidating - check out the wide tank, acres of chrome and overall gigantic proportions - jump on board and it's a pussycat. The Thunderbird's considerable weight is well positioned in the chassis so that it d...

School Reward for Brushing Up Well

IT was smiles all round when Brambles Primary School collected an award for encouraging youngsters to brush their teeth. The east Middlesbrough school was one of 40 across Teesside taking part in a project urging youngsters to brush regularly and cut down on sugary snacks.

Dresses to Impress! ; Mystery Woman Leaves Fashion Collection Worth Hundreds of Pounds to Charity Shop

A MYSTERY Teesside woman with excellent taste in high fashion has left a remarkable legacy of stylish dresses, shoes, handbags and coats to charity. Staff at Guisborough's Age Concern shop on Church Street were amazed when a neighbour of the deceased woman, from the East Cleveland area, called at the shop to say he had a treasure trove of items in his car.

Claire Petulengro

LEO (July 24/Aug 23): Geminis are important this weekend and should be able to help you put a full stop at the end of a very important matter that has been bugging you for weeks. Call to hear who can offer the career of your dreams. To find out more 0901 6093145 VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 23): Virgos are able to give the financial back up you need, but don"t expect them to run with your ideas -they want a nice slow pace this week. Call me to hear who"s more unstable in their relationship than you had...