Australian Car Guide

The [front page] carries current 4WD articles. The 4wdnews index and archive is [here (click)].

30 March 2001, don't you get some strange email, e.g.:

Brand New Gas Turbine 40MW KVA 49.95. This turbine is ready to be shipped and is sitting on the Dock in 25 large crates. Please let me know ASAP as this turbine has generated great interest around the world. As you know it takes about 4 to 5 years to make one of these turbines. This one can be shipped within two weeks. The price on this turbine is US15.5 Million any safe major port (C&F) Please let us know if the NEW turbine is of interest to you - R.S.

Just a bit too big and powerful for the average car or 4x4.

29 March 2001: Mitsubishi Motors Australia has been quick to try to damp down the fuss caused by comments in Tokyo that its Australian car factory has until mid year to convince head office that it can become profitable. However with Mitsubishi Japan facing losses after the quality control [scandal] and DaimlerChrysler having problems of its own, it is clear that Adelaide is not going to have an easy ride, although some of the tough talk may be attempts to extract favours from the Federal (election soon) and South Australian governments. The weak Australian dollar may be one thing on Adelaide's side.

24-25 March 2001: Ballarat 4WD Adventure Weekend (Show) [more...].

24-25 March 2001: ``Kathmandu'', Melbourne, is having a sale of bush walking and camping gear, 24 & 25 March, Malvern Town Hall -- boots, clothing, ruck sacks, etc..

24 March 2001: ``Last Mail from Birdsville - the Story of [Tom Kruse]'', on Channel Seven's ``World Around Us'', Saturday, 24/3, 6.30pm.

23 March 2001: The foot and mouth crisis in the UK and Europe continues to worsen. Professor David King, the British government's scientific adviser, says that the number of cases currently standing at 500+ farms could rise to 4000 farms by mid year. With recent cases in France and the Netherlands the prospects for Europe are serious. Travellers to Europe and the UK can anticipate restrictions on movements in the countryside and perhaps the cancellation of some large events.
The British Government's [countryside] web site has news under [/footandmouth/].

22 March 2001   by email:

Trailready brand beadlock wheels (right), "modification retains the factory bead surface while keeping the crucial balance weight as low as possible. Features include a fully mig welded bolt flange, 3/16" 6061 T6 aluminium clamp, and 18 flush mounted, zinc plated 5/16" bolts. Currently available in all sizes and backspacings. Colors are anodized blue, red and clear." - Danny.

20 March 2001, not sure what to make of this: "Volkswagen Secures AFL Match Ball Sponsorship", that's right, the Australian Rules football will now have the VW logo on it: The "three year sponsorship will see the Volkswagen logo appear on the official balls used at AFL matches during the Premiership Season, Finals Series and the Pre-Season Competition." VW has had a big presence at recent motor shows and is making a strong push into Australia.

March 2001, prices around town ($au exc' orc): Daihatsu Terios from $18,790, GM Holden Frontera S 5-door $34,490, Jeep Wrangler $31,775, Cherokee Classic from $36,990, Grand Cherokee from $52,250, Grand Cherokee V8 Ltd $59,990, Kia Sportage from 2×$12,995 (=$26K), Land Rover Discovery $45,463 & Freelander V6 auto $37,950 and up, Mazda Tribute 4x4 V6 $39,390 & 2-litre from $29,990, Mitsubishi Pajero GLS $45,990, Nissan Patrol ST ZD30 turbo' d' $48,790, Toyota 100 series RV auto petrol $46,780.
There are some discounts out there, particularly for the larger petrol engined 4x4s, given the slump in the economy, and the price of fuel. But if the $au stays low, the price of imports will rise. Note that the Jeep Cherokee is being phased out this year in favour of the new Liberty.

19 March 2001: The price of crude oil rose on the strength of Opec's decision to reduce oil production by 1 million barrels per day from 1st April.

March 2001 LandRover recalls: Range Rovers re faulty radiator hoses which could blow causing rapid loss of coolant VINS MA300000 - WA410481 June 94 to August 1998.
Discovery Series II V8 August 1998 to April 2000 XA200611 to YA277051 and XA900000 to XA907212, and Range Rover September 1998 to May 2000 XA410482 to XA443347, engine idler pulley might break.
Freelander December 1997 to July 2000 child restraint anchor fittings may have been incorrectly installed - Ron Beckett, see [Choice] magazine recalls.

17-18 March 2001: Pajero Challenge (Vic, au) this weekend.

16 March 2001: Opec is expected to announce a cut in oil production to keep prices, now around US$25/barrel, up.

16 March 2001: The southern dry continues - a day of total fire ban throughout Victoria. (17th: Rain.)

15 March 2001: The Australian dollar hit a record low of 49.23 US cents before recovering slightly. This is not good news for the price of oil and imported cars.

15 March 2001: The VACC reports that almost 236,000 visitors attended the 67th Melbourne International Motor Show hich finished on Monday 12 March. This was equal to the second highest attendance ever recorded for Australia's longest running Motor Show. At the Shannon's auction, 62% of all items sold for a total exceeding $1.6 million.

14 March 2001: Cane Toads have been found in Kakadu National Park. Professor Peter Whitehead of the Northern Territory University's key centre for tropical wildlife management, predicted that native wildlife could be hit for decades to come [-Sofcom news]

13 March 2001: News and rumours of a new extreme concept engine and car at Bugatti.

March 2001: Windscreens O'Brien calls for nominations for its biennial Australian community safety initiatives. Prospective nominees can contact (02)-9929-8444. Nominations close 15 October 2001.

March 2001: 19 year old Ryan Briscoe of Sydney, has been talent spotted for Toyota's racing driver development program. He will compete in Formula Renault Eurocup and Italian Formula Renault this year with Toyota support. Brsicoe has won multiple Australian go-kart titles, the 1998 North American Formula A championship and the 1999 Italian open Formula A Super championship [-Toyota].

12 March 2001: Floods affect northern NSW from Ballina to as far south as Port Stephens, near Newcastle. The Pacific Highway has been cut near Grafton. The poo has hit the river in Smithtown and Gladstone after sewerage works flooded. More rain is forecast for northern NSW and southern Queensland.

March 2001, by email, ?Mad Max?:

RSI announces it's new Road Armor Max Clearance bumper for Dodge Ram (right). [...] the subframe includes a concealed winch mount manufactured out of 1/4" steel and a 3/16" steel outer construction. - Road Armor, 1304 80th ST SW, Everett, WA 98203; tel:(425)353-6776 - Danny Hollefreund

12 March 2001: Melbourne Motor Show closes with Shannon's auction of Classic Cars, including this 1936 Alvis Speed 20 (right).

9 March 2001, TruckTrial #87: New rules and registration form (German, other languages coming soon) Neues reglement und anmeldeformular. - grade.de.

March 2001: Ford F250 and F350 trucks for Australia in a few months.

March 2001: Figures from National Statistics, UK, show UK car production for January 2001 was 129,000, down almost 12% from January 2000.

4 March 2001: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) won the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park Lake, Melbourne. David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes Benz) was second with Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) third. Mika Hakkinen (McLaren) crashed, possibly due to a mechanical fault, while in second place early in the race. Tragically, a track marshall was killed when hit by flying debris from a crash between the cars of Ralf Schumacher (Williams BMW) and Jacques Villeneuve (BAR Honda).

March 2001: The Victorian Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs is planning a Track Access Rally for the 24 March 2001. A particular focus is on the Caledonia Track in the high country which is still closed three years after the bush-fires in the Alpine National Park [more....]. (-VAFWDC, P.O. Box 596, Nth. Balwyn, 3104, or in club D.B.)

1 March 2001: Melbourne Motor Show opens to the public at 5pm. (Concurrent with Geneva, 1-11/3.)

1 March 2001: Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, announced a reduction of 1.5c/L in petrol excise, effective from midnight. This should result in a fall in petrol prices of about 1.7c/L. The Prime Minister also announced that half yearly indexation would end. The dramatic policy reversal is seen as a move to placate voters in a general election year, with a Queensland by-election coming soon, and after bad state election results for conservative parties in W.A. and in Queensland.

28 February 2001: Britain's foot and mouth outbreak worsens by the day. Local authorities have been given emergency powers to restrict movements to try to contain the disease. Many horse racing events have been cancelled, and walking paths have been closed in national parks. It is possible that future large gatherings of people, such as at 4WD events may be cancelled. The disease, which infects cattle, sheep and pigs, can be spread by the movement of other livestock, vehicles and people.

28 February 2001: Ex T.C. Abigail is moving south in the Gulf Country, and dumping a good deal of rain.
Meanwhile, it is the end of summer (.au) and it has been a hot, dry one in Victoria with about 1/4 the average rainfall for February, and temperatures about 3°C above average.

28 February 2001: Hans Tholstrup set a new Australian fuel consumption record of 43.5km/litre by driving a Honda Insight more than 1700kms from Brisbane to Melbourne on 37.75 litres of fuel [-Honda].

26 February 2001: Tropical cyclone Abigail reformed, now in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

25 February 2001: 4WD Swap Meet, Swinburne TAFE College, Wantirna, Vic'.

24 February 2001: Weak tropical cyclone Abigail brought rain to the area north of Cairns, Queensland, with the Daintree River at 11m and rising.

February 2001: Land Rover has had to reduce production of the Freelander 4x4 because BMW, which recently sold land Rover to Ford, cannot produce enough diesel engines.

20 February 2001: After two cyclones, there is now flooding in the Northern Territory in the Victoria River area, S.W. of Katherine. Flood waters are expected to reach Timber Creek about the 22nd.

February 2001 by email: "Roberto Testore, Managing Director of Fiat Auto and Jean-Martin Folz, President of the Group PSA Peugeot Citroen, signed a letter of agreement on January 29 2001 affirming the intention of two of Europe's major car and commercial vehicle makers to continue the technical and industrial cooperation in the sector of the light commercial vehicles and MPVs.
"After twenty years of diversified and fruitful cooperation in the field of commercial vehicles and people movers, the two automotive groups have entered a new phase of collaboration on the development of a new light medium sized commercial vehicle to be sold by both companies. In addition, an all new joint production people mover will be seen later this year, which will confirm Fiat and the PSA Group as producers of Europe's leading vehicles in this class.[...]" [-PSA P' C'].

19 February 2001: Melbourne Citylink's Burnley (west to east) tunnel, which was only recently opened, sprang a leak in the morning and remains closed until engineers determine what measures should be taken. Traffic congestion is the inevitable result. Many alternative routes were narrowed, e.g. by the removal of clearways, when the tunnel opened.

February 2001: DaimlerChrysler is suing General Motors for violating its trademark on the Jeep radiator grille, saying GM's grille for the new SUV Hummer `H2' is too similar to the Jeep's vertical bars. You'd have to think that DC might have a tough battle because the original Hummer has a vertical-bar grille which was not challenged.

February 2001: "The Department of Transport has given official approval for mass sale of Australia's first petrol-electric hybrid car, the Honda Insight." [-Honda .au] Fuel consumption figures of 3.6L/100km city, and 2.8L/100km highway, are claimed.

18 February 2001, right: The Victorian 4WD Show, Wandin.

15 February 2001: Tropical Cyclone Vincent, now off the NW coast of Western Australia, looks set to cross the coast between Broome and Port Headland.
There having been above average monsoonal rain extending south this year, there is speculation that Lake Eyre might have water in it again later this year.
But, there are some tentative signs that El Nino might return later this year (with drought)?

15 February 2001: The bikini worn by Ursula Andress in Dr. No (1962) was sold at auction for $113,000.

February 2001: "Ford Australia is recalling about 97,000 6-cylinder Falcon, Fairlane and LTD vehicles built between October 2, 1999 and January 31, 2001, to replace a rubber throttle cable grommet. The grommet, which helps to attach the throttle cable to the engine, may become damaged through consistent hard acceleration. If it is not replaced the vehicle's accelerator may be rendered inoperative, resulting in a sudden loss of power. V8-powered vehicles are not affected.
Owners of the vehicles are being notified of the recall by mail and have been asked to contact a Ford dealer as soon as possible to arrange to have the grommet replaced, free of charge. They are also being advised to drive with caution and at moderate speeds until the work can be completed."

February 2001: Extended warranty on VW Transporters for Feb' and March.

February 2001 by email: 17 & 18 Feb' is the first bike weekend of the year at Emu Creek (NSW). We are starting this year with a bang. There will be plenty of tracks to explore, the mud drags area will be open to slid around in, a spit roast on a bun for Saturday night dinner, bacon/ sausages and egg rolls for Sunday breakfast and heaps more. Don't forget the hot showers and flush toilets, perfect for the family. After the recent floods, the creeks and dams are full so the swimming is wonderful - Neil Lennard, tel:(02)-6666-1456

February 2001: Renault and Nissan to develop a joint mid-size car platform.

February 2001: Mercedes-Benz asks owners of A-class models built between September 2000 and January 2001 to "visit their workshop." A seal used in that period may cause increased brake pedal travel at temperatures below freezing point. Mercedes-Benz will replace the master brake cylinder at no cost.

10 February 2001: Tropical cyclone Winsome in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

February 2001: Rover will be back, again, at the Melbourne Motor Show.

3 February 2001: Corgi release a real [classic] but where's Manuel? - Neil Linger.
(Link no longer valid as of 15 Feb:-( )

3 February 2001: Flooding around Lismore in NSW has cut roads.

30 January 2001: Autohit.com (26/1/'01) reports that Ford is considering a 4x4 version of the front wheel drive Ford Mondeo estate.
It would be quite easy for Ford to do this because the Jaguar X-type is based on the Mondeo and just "has to be 4x4" because no Jaguar can afford to be pure front wheel drive (yet).

January 2001: Kyodo News Service (17/1) reports that General Motors, a major shareholder in Isuzu Motors Ltd., has suggested that Isuzu's share of the SUV market is relatively small - not that GM wanted Isuzu to stop making SUVs, but . . .   Of the General's 4x4s, the better medium size ones are made by or with Isuzu, so hopefully this is not the writing on the wall.

29 January 2001, via Julio Florez: Chrysler Group will "reduce its workforce by approximately 20 percent" over the next three years, most of the reduction taking place in 2001. Chrysler Group President and Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche said: "We are taking these actions at this time, in order to accelerate improvement in Chrysler Group's financial performance. The full Chrysler turnaround plan will be presented to the public at the DaimlerChrysler Annual Press Conference on February 26, 2001."
Chrysler has not been a great success for DaimlerChrysler and has been hit harder than other US auto companies by the recent falls in US auto sales.

27 Jan' Melb': ULP 92.9c/L

26 January - Australia Day.

January 2001: Neil Linger tells us that Skoda will release a 4x4 version of its Octavia station wagon in Europe in February. A long established Czechoslovakian company, Skoda was purchased by VW in 1991. The Octavia sedan was launched in 1996.

Later, 2/2/01: The Skoda Octavia four wheel drive has been on released in continental Europe from around November 2000. I spent a brief time in one in Germany the first week in November. The build quality was excellent. I believe it's based on the VW Bora platform. VW Europe appear to be increasing the number of four wheel drive options available to the European market including the UK. - Michael Spence

And the Japan Economic Newswire of 30/12/'00 reports that Fuji Heavy, i.e. Subaru, has developed a 2-litre, flat-4 diesel engine.
The engine will doubtless drop straight into Subaru 4WDs, particularly in Europe where the price of fuel is astronomical.

24 January 2001: The Australian Federal Government has chosen a remote desert plateau north west of Woomera in South Australia (SA) as its preferred location for a low-level nuclear waste dump. Nick Minchin, the Industry Minister, said that site 52a, which is known as Evetts Field west, is inside the Woomera prohibited area and was chosen after rigorous scientific evaluation. There will be an environmental assessment of this site and of two other sites nearbye. Low grade solid waste in steel or concrete drums would be buried in trenches at the dump [-sofcom news].
Look, the only way to make a high-grade or a low-grade nuclear waste dump absolutely 100% safe, beyond all doubt, is to locate it in the basement of Parliament House Canberra - no chance of breaches and contamination then!

January 2001: Citroen prices, $au, from 1 Feb'.

50

22 January 2001: Victoria has introduced a 50km/h speed limit on residential and feeder roads (down from 60km/h) unless otherwise sign-posted. 60km/h is quite a critical speed in accident terms. Most impacts at 70km/h are not survivable, so if you are speeding in a 60km/h zone and have a smash without having time to brake the consequences are likely to be fatal. Many accidents at 50km/h are survivable, so if you are travelling at the new, lower, legal speed and get to the brakes before impact (having more time to do so), the consequences are unlikely to be fatal. 60km/h was an unusually high speed limit for residential areas: Britain has a default 30mph (48km/h) speed limit in built-up areas. The USA has a wide variety of speed limits, but you might be down to 25mph near a shopping centre.

21 January 2001: Jutta Kleinschmidt and Andreas Schulz in a Mitsubishi Pajero won the "car" section of the Paris - Dakar offroad rally.

January 2001: Most drivers know that talking, or thinking about something other than the task at hand, reduces one's attention to driving and should be suspended in difficult situations such as overtaking or negotiating difficult intersections. Researchers M. Recarte and L. Nunes in the J. Experimental Psychology (3/'00) report that performing mental tasks while driving changes the eye movements of drivers. Test subjects drove along a number of set routes and were asked to perform "verbal" or "spatial" mental tasks - respectively reciting words beginning with a given letter, or answering questions about the shapes of a give letter. This caused significant changes to the eye movements of the drivers as they looked at the road ahead, and checked mirrors, and dashboard intruments: Drivers moved their gaze less often, over a smaller field, and looked less at intruments when busy o mental task. Visual tasks had the biggest effect, possibly because they use the same mental processes required for watching the road etc.. Journal of Experimental Psychology [6(1) pp31-43] March 2000

19 Jan' Melb': ULP 91.9c/L

19 January 2001: A Friday, and boing, petrol is back up to the 90c's. Crude oil is back around US$30/barrel, and OPEC does plan to reduce production, but the rise at the pump has nothing directly to do with that.

19 January 2001: After stage 18 (of 20) in the Paris Dakar, Fabrizio Meoni (KTM) leads the bikes overall, Hiroshi Masuoka (Pajero Evo) leads the cars, and Karel Loprais (Tatra) leads the trucks.

17 Jan' Melb': ULP 82.9c/L

January 2001: News on the 2001 Melbourne Motor Show coming up in March.

January 2001: Ford showed an Escape hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), based on the Escape 4x4, at Los Angeles. Ford plans to put the HEV into production c2003. It uses a 4-cylinder engine (v. the standard V6) plus an electric motor. Manufacturers are turning to hybrids because the small petrol motor cruises efficiently and gives good range, the electric motor can assist at peak power, operate alone from a battery during low power demand, and generate electricity during (regenerative) braking. [-Neil Linger]
Daimler Chrysler (Dodge) has similar plans - see [below].

15 January 2001, What Women Want: An Australian survey of women car buyers found that 40% felt that they were treated in a "sexist and patronising manner" by car dealers. This is despite the often demonstrated fact that women have great influence when it comes to buying the "family car" (and of course also buy cars purely for themselves). A second survey about service centres and repairers "found 20 per cent of women felt service centres did not understand their requirements and 30 per cent said repairers did not explain clearly what repair or service was necessary." [-sofcom news]

15 January 2001, after stage 14 of the Paris Dakar: Last year's winner, Schlesser, is making a fight of it with a stage win and good performances in other recent stages. Cars 1 Hiroshi Masuoka, Pascal Maimon, Mitsibishi Pajero; 2 Jean Louis Schlesser, Henri Magne, Schlesser Magne; 3 Carlos Sousa, Jean-Michel Polato, Mitsubishi Pajero. Bikes 1 Fabrizio Meoni, KTM; 2 Jordi Arcarons, KTM; 3 Carlo De Gavardo, KTM. Trucks 1 Karel Loprais, Josef Kalina, Petr Hamerla, Tatra T815 8x8; 2 Yoshimada Sugawara, Seiichi Suzuki, Hino Ranger FT 4x4; 3 Gilbert Versino, Philippe Challoy, Hino Ranger 4x4.

January 2001: Volvo prices, $au.

14 January 2001: Temperatures in the mid 40's°C are forecast for Victoria. It is a day of total fire ban. [In the end, cloud kept the temperature lower in Melbourne although the 40's were reached in other parts.]

... Roy Halvorsen had a much cooler trip in Siberia last spring.

14 January 2001: Getting down to the business end, and after stage 12 the places in the "car" section of the Paris Dakar are 1st, Hiroshi Masuoka & Pascal Maimon, Mitsubishi Pajero; 2nd, Carlos Sousa & Jean-Michel Polato, Mitsubishi Pajero; 3rd, Jutta Kleinschmidt & Andreas Schulz, Mitsubishi Pajero; 4th, Jean-Louis Schlesser & Henri Magne, Schlesser Megane.

13 January 2001: Jim Murcott, Australian motoring writer and pioneer of advanced and defensive driver training, died four months after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. No more will Melbourne residents be able to read his pieces for the Leader Newspaper Group. Jim was born in 1943. He set up the Murcott Advanced Driving Centre in the early 1970s; the company continues with his wife, Jan, as CEO, Philip Bernadou as General Manager, and Dan Leslie as Sales and Marketing Manager. Jim is survived by Jan and their children Duncan and Emily to whom we extend deepest sympathy.

January 2001: Bentley to return to sports car racing.

12 Jan' Melb': ULP 89.9c/L to 90.9c/L - the jump

January 2001: North American International Auto' Show [Detroit].

January 2001 Julio Florez:

DaimlerChrysler is to bring all its components activities in the Commercial Vehicle Division under a new unit named DaimlerChrysler Powersystems, including MTU-Friedrichshafen and the recently acquired American engine manufacturer Detroit Diesel (DDC).

11, 12 January 2001: Smoke from bush fires on King Island in Bass Strait, and from other fires between Melbourne and Geelong, carried across much of Victoria.

9 Jan' Melb': ULP 81.9c/L

Atkinson & Stewart

Nicole Hackett

7 January 2001: Kia is sponsoring the Australian Formula 1 Triathlon series this year. Defending champions Miles Stewart and Nicole Hackett (right) both started the season with wins at Geelong's round today.

7 January 2001, Los Angeles Motor Show: Jaguar is to go ahead with production of the F-type sports-car, to rekindle the E-type's spirit. The F-type will be smaller and more affordable (ha!) than the XK Jag's.

7 Jan', Melb': ULP 83.9c/L stuck there for a couple of days

7 January 2001: Schlesser buggies hold the lead in the "car" section of the Paris-Dakar Rally.

January 2001: Chrysler will reduce production, by about 25% of early-2000 levels, in early 2001. Jeep will end production of the Jeep Cherokee in about mid 2001; it is to be replaced by the new Jeep Liberty.
General Motors is to close several factories temporarily as car sales fall in North America and stock builds up.
US interest rates were recently cut, perhaps hoping to forestall a recession. >Prices>

January 2001: The Dodge Powerbox (right) is a concept vehicle with a hybrid powertrain indicating what might be offered in this vein in the Dodge Durango and relatives c2003. The Powerbox show car has an electric motor which drives the front wheels and a V6 supercharged (de: kompressor - Daimler) compressed natural gas (CNG) engine which drives the rear wheels. This is said to give V8-performance, low emissions and fuel consumption of 9L/100km (25mpg US); it is a little hard to understand the fuss given that efficient (European) turbo-diesels have been acheiving that for decades.

7 January 2001: The Australian death toll for the Christmas/ New-Year period stands at 74, but New South Wales had a collective run of madness accounting for 36, nearly half the total.

5 Jan', Melb': ULP 84.9c/L

4 January 2001: After stage 3, just early days yet, Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon in a Mitubishi Pajero EVO lead Jean-Louis Schlesser and Henri Magne in a Schlesser buggy in the "car" section of the Paris - Dakar. Vladimir Tchaguine and Ilguizar Mardeev in a Kamaz lead the truck section.

4 Jan', Melb': ULP 86.9c/L

4 January 2001: Petrol prices are dropping - down to 86.9c/L for unleaded in Melbourne.

January 2001: News of the 2001 Estonian 4X4 Off-Road WinterTrial, 17 February 2001 - [more...].

2 January 2001, this email is a bit different:

DJ Brassfactor Music Presentations is currently booking for 2001. We specialize in 4x4 truck mud drag announcing and music. We have a large sound system, a deversified selection of music, and are capable of producing our own power in remote areas. We have county fair experience. If you or anyone you know would be intrested in our service please contact us. We bring your crowd to life!

- William G. Atwell, PO Box 190, Wataga IL. 61488; tel:309-375-6326

2 Jan', Melb': ULP 89.9c/L to 91.9c/L

2 January 2001: Melbourne (unleaded) petrol prices have been around 94.9c/L over the holiday break; they have started edging down now - to about 91.9c today, or 89.9c at some independent stations.

2 January 2001: A stinking hot day and a day of total fire ban across western & mid' Victoria, including Melbourne.

1 January 2001: The year started cold in the northern hemisphere with snow and freezing conditions across North America, UK and Europe.

1 Jan', Melb': ULP 94.9c/L

1 January 2001: The Paris - Dakar starts, from Paris this year, heading into Spain, then Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal.
Mitsubishi will be there in force with T2 production cars based on the current NM Pajero in short wheel-base form each fitted with a 200kW engine, 6-speed gearbox, and 470L fuel tank. Kenjiro Shinozuka (with Freddy Gallagher) Hiroshi Masuoka, and Jean Pierre Fontenay will drive for Mitsubishi in T2. Jutta Kleinschmidt and Carlos Sousa will drive Pajeros in the T3 (modified production) class.

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