The Monaco GP, one of the most difficult races on the
calendar is on this weekend. If the F1 wallahs have been complaining about
difficulty in passing at some of the ‘open’ circuits, then they’ll
certainly be crying in their beer (or probably champagne) over this one.
Round the houses, alongside the harbour, where they have rescue crews in
boats for those who go for a swim (Aussie Paul Hawkins was one, and
Alberto Ascari another), through the tunnel and round the tight Tabac
corner. One mistake and you win a wall.
After the excitement of the European Grand Prix, who
will win this one? If it rains, put your money on Mrs Schumacher’s elder
boy for sure. Rubens Barichello, however, proved to everyone that he is
not the ‘rainmeister’ he thought he was and Eddie the mouth Irvine has
been showing his crashing good form again. Young Jenson Button in the BMW
Williams will have his work cut out for him at Monaco, but so far, he has
been rising to the challenge very well, despite Sir Frank Williams being
his usual “piggy” self. Expect to see Button cast off like a pair of
Sir Frank’s smelly socks by the end of the year and my tip is that he
will join Jaguar when Herbert goes.
If you would like to join me on Sunday night, come
“trackside” at Delaney’s Irish Pub, Pattaya 2 Road, in front of the
big screen. Come thirty minutes early and have dinner with me at the
Carvery, while listening to the Jazz before the race starts.
BMW officially churning ‘em out
Following the ceremonial opening of the new BMW plant
on the Eastern Seaboard by the Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai a couple of
weeks ago, we were all given a tour of the plant. For a motor
manufacturer, this was an amazing occurrence. Not the walk through tours,
which you can get any day all over the world, but the fact that we were
allowed to take photos. Try walking through FoMoCo or the General’s camp
site with a camera round your neck - especially if you are a journo - and
see what happens. You would imagine that they were protecting secrets of
national importance. People come leaping out of the woodwork, leg-rope you
and remove the offending device! So it was “Good on yer, BeeEmm” for
your very open policy.
I mentioned this to a Ford manager who was present
(spying perhaps?) and he rather churlishly suggested that BMW had nothing
to hide because all the workers needed there was a screwdriver! Nasty! The
outgoing Head Honcho of Ford Manufacturing at their Eastern Seaboard
estate, David Snyder, did have the grace to blush when I mentioned the
Ford no-camera rule to him.
I must say I was impressed by the senior BMW folk from
the Fatherland, they just gave a massive air of commitment and confidence,
and the to be expected Teutonic thoroughness was evident. There is no
doubt about the fact that the BMW presence is going to be good for the
Eastern Seaboard. GM and Ford can take down their “Detroit of the
East” signs - the Germans are here with a vengeance.
Trot out the Ozcars
Chatting with the Australian Automotive Trade
Commissioner for S.E. Asia, Tony McDonald, and he tells me there will be
another Australian Concept Car coming up to Thailand in November and this
time it will be an electric vehicle. Let you know more later.
What was of possibly more interest was the fact that he
has a couple of the new Holden Calais models up in Bangkok. Yes, the
things they flog here as Chevrolet Lumina’s after prising the Holden
badges off ‘em - though as my old mate Ellis said from GeeEmm, “We are
the manufacturer and we can put any badge we damn well like on ‘em”
and of course he is strictly correct. But for me they are home grown
Aussie cars. Unfortunately the ones here are only the V6 models - how I
would love to get my hands on one of the V8 grunters from downunder! Tony
has promised me a fang in one (but he promised that last year as well)!
Stay tuned.Farewell, David
David Snyder from FoMoCo (see above) mentioned to me
that his tour of duty is almost coming to its end here and he will very
shortly be returning to the States to assume a marketing position for Asia
Pacific. Automania will be sorry to see you go, David. You have done a
sterling job down there at the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate and got
your factory up and running at a time in Thailand’s economic history
when all those “in the know” reckoned it was the wrong time to do it.
However, you showed them who was wrong by helping
increase the market share held by Ford here and building a damn good
little pick-up to boot. My cronies in Oz, to where some of the Ford
pick-ups are exported, all say it is a well built unit. (One day, I might
actually get to ‘officially’ drive one here. Perhaps you could arrange
it, David, before you go!)
Safe trip, David Snyder, and we look forward to
welcoming you back in another capacity.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week, I asked about the firm “Autowelo” that
built six cylinder cars after WWII, but there was something quite distinct
about these 6 cylinder cars. What was it? And even more importantly - why?
This was one for the war buffs amongst the motoring
maniacs. After WWII, BMW was split in two by the partitioning of Germany
and the Eisenach factory, then in the Soviet zone continued production of
the BMW pre-war 6 cylinder cars under the name of “Autowelo”, which
later became the EMW. For those who like incredibly minute details, the
quartering on the “BMW” badge was changed from blue to red on the
EMW’s - but not till 1951. So there!
So to this week - I am looking for an originally German
make of car, made by a guy with an Italian name. The cars became very
famous, and one of them won the first Grand Prix held after WWII. What was
it?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first
correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected].
Remember that Automania now has its own web page, complete with its own
link. Look up the Pattaya Mail on line at www.pattayamail.com
