Lorry (Truck) Drivers

I was just talking to a lorry driver who goes between Picton and Christchurch, NZ. That is nearly 350 kms (just over 200 miles). North Island drivers deliver their load to the ferry in Wellington, it crosses the strait and another driver takes it south. In this way the driver stays on his home island and time isn't wasted on a ferry.

If you have ever driven in New Zealand you will know the

Openness & Efficiency / Summary : 2014

This the fifth and final instalment on this subject. (for West Europe click here, for East Europe click here, for Americas click here, for Rest of the World click here). So why was it raised? Well because there seems a trend to less openness and that is the main point of the list below (the efficiency was just part of the points awarded). Why should something that is popular among people be

Openness & Efficiency / The Rest Of : 2014

How about trumpeting car sales data in China? 
Imports too would be nice


The fourth instalment of how to judge openness and efficiency covers all areas outside of Europe and the Americas. The result is rather sad. So what do we make of the nations in this vast region of humanity?

There are some notable omissions here. China is the biggest market and while you can sniff around and find

Openness & Efficiency / Americas : 2014

Sao Paulo Traffic


With West Europe averaging 16.8 and East Europe a miserable 6.2, it was America's turn. I didn't add the Caribbean Islands as there is no data from there that I know of, so I stuck to the mainland.

To give an insight into the region, written contact with the US or Canada usually produces a reply, but anything south of that and you enter an email black hole. Writing in

Triumph Motorcycles

I have never owned or learned to ride a motorbike. My father did and had several scrapes with cars. One day, a lady pulled out in front of him and he hit her front tyre. He sailed over the bonnet and landed on his head on the road. Helmets are lifesavers. Mum put her foot down and said no more bike riding for dad. That was the end of that. There is a side to me that would like to ride and

LDV's Demise

Recently a company in Malaysia were talking of buying LDV vans but they have pulled out. It now seems they will wait until it goes belly up and buy it cheaply through a receiver. Then they probably will move the operation to Asia. LDV seem to make a good product but it is a pity they couldn't have better distribution network, perhaps in tandem with a car maker. The volumes they make are not

LDV

LDV make vans. They were originally part of BLMC, and ended up a specialist van maker all on it’s lonesome. Then current owner Russian Oleg Deripaska, who also owns GAZ, Russia’s second largest car producer, bought it and things looked rosy. The financial situation has since soured and LDV has been badly hit by recession in Britain, which is where it sells nearly all its vans. LDV suspending

My First Post

Hello to any who find this blog. It is #1 and I hope it will edify those who find cars and the associated industry of interest. I have no connection with the car industry, these will be jottings of a spirited amateur. Please feel free to leave comments.