Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

As car manufacturers fit more and more airbags to their vehicles, motorcycle manufacturers are lagging way behind. So far, only Honda has added an airbag to its luxury model GL 1800 GoldWing. However rider clothing manufacturers have started adding airbags to jackets to protect the rider. The latest is Italian manufacturer Dainese which is about to release the D-air Street waistcoat or jacket based on its MotoGP-tested D-air Racing suit. The system consists of a motorcycle kit (MKit) with sensors fitted to the bike and either an outer waistcoat or jacket, which host the airbags. Dainese says it will protect the rider and pillion from rib and internal organ injuries, spinal injuries when used with a back protector and limit neck movements. However, Jason Gardiner, Australian spokesman for Dainese, says the suits are too expensive to import. "We did make some inquires, but they are very expensive," he says. "The jacket alone would cost about $2000-$3000 and then the bike has to be fitted with special sensors which can only be done by a trained technician. You'd be looking at $5000, all up. "The racing suit is the same; very expensive. But it shows how the technology has come a long way and eventually it will be like everything else and it will filter down into cheaper models." The MKit is fitted to the bike and features a pair of accelerometers - one under the seat, and the other on the front forks to detect sudden reduction in speed.  There is also a fall sensor connected to a display unit on the dash, to show the rider system information. Inside the jacket are two 12-litre airbags filled with two cold automotive-type gas generators run by battery powered electronics. They have an average life of 30 hours, and a five-hour charging time. The unit switches on with the ignition and communicates with the airbags via a radio link. It is set to identify head-on collisions with a 45-degree angle impact or a slide. When triggered, the airbags deploy within 45 millieseconds. D-air Street is available as an outer waistcoat, gore-tex jacket or a textile jacket with removable sleeves for summer use. They also have a fitted back protector, and removable shoulder and elbow protection (except the waistcoat), removable thermal liners, outside pockets and adjustable waistbands.

Some of Australia's most popular family cars are proving unpopular when it comes time to trade in. However, lovers of German cars are being rewarded with the highest resale values. Analysis of the Glass's Guide to car values shows the worst trade-in resale values are for Toyota Aurion and Ford Falcon XR6, both yielding just 37 per cent of their value after three years. That drops to 27 per cent by the fifth year. However, lovers of German cars can breathe a sigh of relief with high retained values. BMW, in particular, has five models with the highest or second-highest yields in their categories: 5 and 3 Series, Z4 sports car, and X1 and X3SUVs.While you may be worried about the price of fuel and the rising costs of registration, road tolls and servicing, it's the rapidly depreciating value of your car that strikes the biggest blow to your wallet. Australia's auto clubs perform annual surveys of the running costs of vehicles, including cost of fuel, tyres, registration, service, repairs, depreciation and loan interest.They find the biggest single cost is always depreciation. Even one of the cheapest cars to run, the new three-cylinder Suzuki Alto, depreciates $27.82 a week from its list price of $11,790. A study of the trade-in values of vehicles released in the Glass's Guide shows that the best performers are made in Germany or Japan, SUVs, performance vehicles and diesel vehicles. But the top honour goes to the Ford F diesel truck which was last imported in 2007, closely followed by the LandCruiser cab chassis turbo diesels (2001-2007).Glass's Guide information services research manager Richard Plumb says both of these vehicles, at times, fetch resale values more than the recommended retail price listed in their guide. F truck prices soared beyond the new price when the vehicle was discontinued in 2007 while the Toyota six-cylinder turbo-diesel was replaced by a V8. The payload and towing capacity of these models made them very popular, particularly with farmers needing to tow horse floats or grey nomads with large caravans. "It is only now that high-torque versions of the Navara, Ranger and BT-50 are coming on to the market," he says.GERMANThese vehicles have high resale because of their stable pricing and model lines, says Plumb. "For many years the increasing new prices for these models ensured strong demand for high-quality, second-hand models," he says. "This trend has recently started to reverse with recent models from all these manufacturers coming in at prices below that of the previous model, sometimes significantly so."Examples are the recently announced BMW 535i and 535d which are about $14,000 cheaper than their direct predecessors. Mercedes-Benz C Class has also recently dropped prices while increasing specification."JAPANESECars built in Japan continue to have a strong following for their quality but the recent trend to lower-cost manufacturing sites such as Honda in Thailand and increasing price competitiveness are expected to affect their future resale values. "As with the German luxury models, newer models are coming on to the market at prices below their forbears," Plumb says. For example, the Japanese-made Honda Jazz hit Australia in 2002, costing $22,990 for the VTi with CVT. They are now made in Thailand and arrive with better equipment for $19,790.KOREANThere is a mixed story from the South Korean peninsula with Kia and Hyundai improving in resale value, while Ssangyong remains low. Plumb says resale values of Hyundai and Kia have improved significantly in the past two years "mainly due to better styling and performance which have made them more acceptable to a wider range of purchasers, whilst still retaining their competitive pricing".Ssangyong has not fared anywhere near as well because its styling remains "different". "The challenge for the Koreans is their desire to move their range, image and pricing up-market where they will be in more direct competition with Japanese and European models as well as the local product, particularly Cruze - ironic given the model's origins," says Plumb.CHINESEThe Chinese are in the position the Koreans were in 20 years ago. While some models are selling reasonably well, they are an unknown quantity in terms of durability and have fared poorly in crash testing. The lack of automatic transmissions is also a hindrance to sales of some models and limits their appeal in the second-hand market. "The general performance of most models is only just acceptable," says Plumb.SUVs These multi-purpose vehicles perform well on resale mainly because they are not a common fleet choice. This ensures the vehicles do not return to the second-hand market early in their life, leaving buyers with little choice but to opt for a new vehicle. "Whether this continues to be the case depends on the market's ability to absorb the eventual influx of these vehicles," says Plumb.DIESELUntil recently, diesel engines have been more likely to be found in SUVs but there is an increasing market for diesel passenger vehicles with some importers heavily biasing their range toward oil-burners. The extra purchase price for a diesel can be reclaimed through the life of the vehicle if taking into consideration high resale values as well as low running costs. Also, the price premium between diesel and petrol models has decreased as diesel popularity increases and as some luxury diesels with fuel economy under 7.1 litres per 100km avoid the Luxury Car Tax.FLEETThe resale values of popular family cars are often affected by the high proportion of these cars in business and government fleets. Fleet sales adversely affect resale value as a result of their rapid return to the second-hand market in large quantities. "These vehicles are generally still covered under factory warranty and available at very significant savings compared to a new vehicle," plumb says. "It is this saving that makes these popular family cars; they are rarely purchased new privately." Some car companies offset this by releasing limited-edition or extra-value models not available to fleet purchasers to attract private buyers. Plumb says this can be quite effective. "It can also go seriously wrong as with the Falcon XR6 limited editions which were not sufficiently differentiated from the standard model and dragged down resale values significantly," he says.LIGHT AND SMALL CARSThese segments are not only strong performers in new car sales, but also used sales because of the relatively low purchase price, low running costs, good safety and high equipment levels. Limited supply of used cars also ensures good prices to sellers, although as more cars come on to the market, this could change.PERFORMANCE CARSHigh-performance vehicles tend to be in short supply, do relatively low kilometres and are often well-maintained, making them highly valued on the second-hand market. "This tends to set them apart from the mainstream, however recent financial changes associated with the seemingly never-ending global financial crisis mean some very expensive models have fallen dramatically," says Plumb.HYBRIDS AND EVsLike plasma TVs, the prices of these hi-tech cars have come crashing down and will drop even further with further technological advances. The Toyota Prius hybrid has a low resale value of 44 per cent after three years and 31 per cent after five years. "These were a very expensive car on introduction and several price reductions later they are still well ahead of the average price for a vehicle of this size," Plumb says."They originally sold to government departments in large numbers, possibly to salve the consciences of politicians and bureaucrats using our money to set an example for us. "There appears to be significant buyer reticence towards taking a risk with this technology second-hand." And the resale future doesn't look good for electric vehicles, either. Mitsubishi electric vehicle product manager Ashley Sanders told the third annual Australia Electric Vehicle Conference in Brisbane recently that rapidly dropping battery prices (down 70 per cent by 2015) would cause a drop in resale values of EVs and hybrids.RESALE VALUESLOW VALUE 3yrs - 5ysLARGEToyota Aurion 37%, 27%Ford Falcon XR6 37%, 27%MEDIUM:Toyota Camry 41%, 29%Skoda Octavia 42%, 29%SMALL:Proton Persona/Gen2 43%, 32%Toyota Prius 44%, 31%VW Beetle 46%, 33%PEOPLE MOVER:Ssangyong Stavic 42%, 30%VW Caddy/Caravelle 45%, 33%COMPACT SUV:Ssangyong Actyon/Korando 47%, 33%Chery J11 46%, 32%Great Wall X240 47%, 33%MEDIUM SUV:Ssangyong Kyron 44%, 30%LUXURY SUV:Volvo XC70 46%, 33%HIGH VALUE 3yrs - 5ysLARGE:BMW 5 Series 48%, 36%Mercedes-Benz E class 46%, 34%HSV Range 45%, 34%Ford FPVs 43%, 32%Ford Falcon G6 41%, 31%Holden Commodore Calais 41%, 31%Skoda Superb 41%, 30%MEDIUM:BMW 3 Series 55%, 40%Mercedes- Benz C Class 54%, 39%Audi A4 51%, 38%Lexus IS 250/350 51%, 38%Honda Accord Euro Luxury 49%, 36%Subaru Liberty 48%, 34%Volkwagen Passat 48%, 35%Ford Mondeo 47%, 33%SMALL:Subaru Impreza WRX 58%, 45%Volkswagen Golf 57%, 45%Mini Cooper 56%, 43%Mazda 3 56%, 43%SPORTS:Porsche Boxster 61%, 44%BMW Z4 57%, 41%Porsche 911 57%, 41%Mini Cooper 57%, 45%Peugeot 207 61%, 42%BMW 1 Series 56%, 42%PEOPLE MOVER:Kia Grand Carnival 49%, 36%VW multivan 49%, 36%Honda Odyssey 48%, 35%COMPACT SUV:BMW X1 57%, 42%Mini Cooper All 4 57%, 42%Land Rover Freelander 56%, 41%Subaru Forester/Outback 56%, 41%MEDIUM SUV:Toyota Landcruiser Prado/Kluger 61%, 44%Mazda CX-9 61%, 45%Mitsubishi Challenger 61%, 44%Ford Territory 60%, 43%LARGE SUV:Toyota Landcruiser 61%, 48%Nissan Patrol 58%, 46%LUXURY SUV:Audi Q5/Q7 62%, 45%BMW X3/X5 62%, 46%Jeep Grand Cherokee 62%, 44%Lexus RX350/450H 62%, 46%Mercedes-Benz ML Class 62%, 46%

Suncorp Claims Team has identified for Carsguide some of the more "unusual" claims stories to show a lighter side to the industry.

For the first time, the Roy Morgan Automotive Currency Report has found more motorists seriously considering buying a diesel (46.8 per cent) than hybrid (45.9 per cent).Intentions to buy hybrid had been as high as 60 per cent in Setember 2008, but have since decreased, while diesel intentions have risen from 32.1 per cent in June 2006.Roy Morgan Research industry communications Director Norman Morris says it comes as no surprise with about 19 per cent of private new vehicles sold in Australia this year being powered by diesel engines and less than 1 per cent being hybrid."And with the superior range of diesel products and infrastructure available, this trend looks likely to continue," he says.The report has found those considering buying diesel are more likely to be male, live in country areas, have a higher-than-normal average household income and be considered "big spenders"."They are more inclined to need a car that can pull a load, regard themselves as a bit of a car enthusiast, go away on weekends and prefer holidays where they can see nature or be in a natural setting," says Morris."With added space, flexibility, torque and economical performance, it is not surprising then to see that those diesel considerers who are in the market for a new car are more likely to be considering a compact or medium SUV."The average new diesel considerer is most likely to be looking at a Volkswagen, Mitsubishi or Ford."This is certainly good news for Ford, who have recently introduced the new Territory SUV, now with the option of a diesel engine," says Morris."It will be interesting to see which manufacturers are able to further harness this demand for diesel-powered SUVs."The research showed 36.2 per cent of motorists with a serious intention to buy an LPG-powered vehicle, down from a high of 50 per cent in August 2008 and 24.5 per cent for electric vehicles down from a high of 32.2 per cent in April 2009.

... according to a new US study. Eight Australian children aged under five die each year when run over by reversing vehicles. Queensland has the worst rate of reversing fatalities with four per year, while in one recent week in Victoria and NSW, four children died. A study by American engineering and scientific consulting company Exponent has this week found that reversing tragedies could be reduced if vehicles were equipped with a reversing camera screen in the rearview mirror. However, Kidsafe spokeswoman Susan Teerds says reversing cameras are an aid, not the solution. "If a child runs behind a car and the driver is just concentrating on the reversing camera screen, they could still potentially run over a child," she said.  "I don't think the position of the screen is as important as the quality of the vision you get. Reversing cameras are designed to prevent you hitting other vehicles; they're not designed with children in mind. If they were you would have three cameras; one on each side and one behind the car." A rearview camera did not prevent former Wallaby hooker Brendan Cannon from accidentally backing over his 18-month-old son, Samuel, last year in his four-wheel-drive vehicle. Most reversing camera systems provide a view of the area directly behind the vehicle with the screen located in the dashboard or centre console. Exponent lead researcher Dr Douglas Young says their findings support previous studies showing that rear camera systems reduce reversing accidents and that mirror-integrated rear camera displays are more effective than those located in the centre console. "By placing the rear camera display in the mirror, you can increase display usage, improve driver scan patterns, enhance productive gaze durations and minimise reaction times," he says. Several aftermarket companies provide reversing camera screens in rearview mirrors for less than $200, while there is a growing number of manufacturers now offering them including Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Toyota. Hyundai Santa Fe owner Danielle Moon (pictured above) says she and husband, Gavin, bought the car specifically because it had a rearview camera. "It was one of the features we wanted in the car because we've just had a baby daughter, Gracie," she says. "I hadn't had a car with a rearview camera before but it seems to be very user friendly with the screen in the mirror." The 10th National Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Brisbane this week heard that seven out of 10 parents allow children to play unsupervised on or near their driveway. A study by Queensland University of Technology of nearly 140 care-givers also found that 77 per cent of parents surveyed said the driveway was a safe space, with more than half sometimes using the driveway as a children's play area.

Not since actor Steve McQueen made a great escape on a Triumph motorcycle from the clutches of the Germans has the British brand thrown out such a challenge. Triumph has announced a shaft-drive 1200cc adventure bike to compete head-on with the best-selling adventure machine in the world, the BMW R 1200cc which actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman made famous on their Long Way Down trip through Africa. The Triumph Tiger Explorer is one of three new models for 2012. The others are an R version of their Speed Triple naked bike and a Steve McQueen tribute version of their classic T100 Bonnveille. Triumph Australia spokesman Mal Jarrett says pricing has not yet been released, but he says they will be here in May. The Tiger Explorer follows the brand's first foray into adventure biking with the release of the Tiger 800 this year which took on and beat the BMW F 800 GS in sales. The Tiger 800 is now the second-biggest-selling adventure bike in Australia behind the bargain-basement Kawasaki KLR650. Triumph's new big adventure bike is powered by a shaft-driven, three-cylinder engine "in excess of 1200cc". Triumph isn't yet revealing actual capacity. It will feature a ride-by-wire throttle system with cruise control, switchable ABS and traction control as standard. Like the BMSW R 1200 GS, it comes with cast alloy 19- and 17-inch wheels and a single-sided swingarm/shaft. It will arrive with a "suite of bespoke accessories" including hard and soft luggage, low and high seat options and "a wide range of heated and electrical accessories" which probably means heated grips and seat and satnav. The Speed Triple R is yet another uprated version along the lines of the Street Triple R and Daytona 675 R with Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes. It will arrive in March with lightweight five-spoke forged aluminium wheels and an optional electronic anti-lock system. McQueen made Triumph famous with his antics on a TR6 in the 1963 war film, The Great Escape. Now Triumph and the McQueen estate have create a limited edition of 1100 T100 Bonnevilles with a military-style matt khaki green livery, stencil-style Triumph decal on the tank and the actor's signature on the side covers. It arrives in July with a solo seat, black luggage rack, skid plate, small black-bodied headlamp and a host of blacked-out components, including wheel rims and hubs, handlebars, rear springs, mirrors and front mudguard supports. Each bike is individually numbered with a plaque on the handlebar clamp and owners will receive a certificate of authenticity.

In a first for Australia, Secure Auto and Repco will sell extended warranty policies to private buyers that take effect from when the manufacturer warranties expire. Secure Auto director Ken Silvers says the policies are designed on the British Warranty Direct system which is branching into Europe. "We've Australianised it with local product such as Holden and Ford," Silvers says. "Some manufacturers are offering long warranties, but 90 to 95 per cent of the market only offers about three years and might extend for another three. Some Euro cars offer extended warranties, but they are expensive and we can do them for a much cheaper price because we don't have the dealer as a middle man taking a margin. Ours is web based, so the margins are pared down." The extended warranties are also available through Repco service centres, but the policy allows for service and repairs to be carried out at Repco, a dealership, or one of SecureAuto's recommended service centres such as UltraTune. "We favour whoever the customer has a servicing history with such as UltraTune. That's who we'd send it back to. It's customer choice," he says. There are three policies available: "Extended" which covers vehicles up to four years of age or 80,000km (whichever comes first), "Secure" (up to seven years or 100,000km) and "Standard" (up to 10 years or 120,000km). Motorists are able to move from one policy cover to the next as their vehicle ages and extend to 12 years or 170,000km. Silvers says the extended warranty is backed by Lloyd's of London and covers "most makes". "There are a few we don't cover, but we will look at adding some luxury brands next year like Ferrari and AMG," he says. Prices of warranties depend on the age of the vehicle, mechanical condition and the brand. Silvers says the cheapest are for Holden, Ford and Honda, while European cars and 4WDs cost more. He says owners must keep the car serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's handbook. "This is why the dealers support us, because we want the car to be serviced properly and we want to send it back to reputable operators," he says. SecureAuto also covers wear and tear claims, but requires an inspection by Repco. "The extended warranties create great peace of mind for motorists whose vehicles are about to fall out of manufacturer's warranty. This is even more the case for owners of prestige European brands for which the cost of repairs and parts replacement can be expensive."

He's probably a bit biased being the dealer principal for Motorline BMW, Daisy Hill. "It's my passion," he says. "My dream car is a BMW M1. I almost bought one, but it was about $10,000 overpriced." He is putting his passion on display with a collection of fine historic BMWs, some of which have been restored in his dealership's engineering, body and paint shop. The prize in his collection is the recently completed replica of the 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL BMW art car created by American sculptor Alexander Calder. The paintwork is so good, BASF has used it as its worldwide magazine cover to highlight its Glasurit brand refinish paint. Rose bought the CSL as a rusted wreck for $15,000, but has spent about $300,000 developing it into a road-registered and CAMS approved road and race car. At the heart of the restoration is a 3.5-litre 1985 M6 engine and five-speed manual transmission he bought in the UK for 1500 ($2330). He then spent $40,000 having it rebuilt by Ludwig Finnaver of Sydney who worked with BMW custom tuner AC Schnitzer and F1 legend Frank Gardner. The 1150kg racer has been dynoed at 320kW. "We don't tune the engine to the extreme because we don't want to be doing a rebuild every time we go out," he says. "I drove it the other day and the plugs had fouled up and it was shooting flames out the side exhausts. "Just don't stand too near it in nylon pants." He plans to enter the car in hillclimbs, historic races and concours events. "It's a showpiece for our engineering, body work and painting. It's an investment in my business," he says. The paintwork is immaculate and the bodywork includes flared fibreglass guards. "We stayed away from carbonfibre not just because it's expensive but because of period correctness," he says. It even includes the number 93 race sticker on the door like the original and a replica of the 1975 Le Mans race sticker. However, he has swapped the original 11 and 12-inch wheels for 15-inch BBS wheels with Michellin Course rubber. Rose is also considering branching his 14-year-old family business into bike customisation, but his first historic showpiece is a fully restored 1956 BMW R50 with Steib sidecar. "I was looking for a bike restoration project but found one someone had already done with their own blood, sweat and tears," he says. It was originally bought by a US serviceman stationed in Germany who took it home. It was then bought by an Australian living in Hong Kong where he restored it before bringing it to Australia. There is still some more work to be done to make it original such as replacing the mufflers. Rose hasn't ridden the bike because he promised his mother he wouldn't ride on the road. So he rides dirt bikes, instead. Another gem in his BMW collection is the 1959 Isetta 300 three-wheel "special". It features a 9kW, 295cc single-cylinder engine and four-speed gearbox, weighs just 317kg, and has worm steering, leaf springs and a front-opening door with the steering wheel attached. Rose bought it online from the UK and reckons it owes him about $16,000, but, unlike the CSL, it's not for sale. "I can't replace that but I could always build another CSL," he says.BMW 3.0 CSLYear: 1973Price New: $9300Price Now: about $350,000Engine: 3.5L M6, 320kWBody: single-seater, 2-door coupe racing shell with rollcageTrans: 5-speed manualDid you know: Over the years BMW has commissioned 18 "art cars" to be painted by a range of artists. American sculptor Alexander Calder was the first in 1975. Others include Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Australia's Ken Done.Got a special car you'd like featured in Carsguide? Modern or classic we're interested in hearing your story. Please send a pic and brief info to mark.hinchliffe@carsguide.com.au

The most popular bumper stickers are inspirational (Believe, Magic Happens), fishing (I'm going fishing, Will trade wife for boat), school or university promotional stickers and the stick figure families, according to a survey released by car insurance company Budget Direct. Company spokesperson Richelle Ward said stickers were a great way for vehicle owners to express themselves. However, she warned drivers to be cautious about what they are advertising. "Displaying a sticker for expensive stereo equipment you have installed may attract unwanted attention," she said. "We had a young gentleman not so long ago who had a large Clarion sticker on his car. His car was broken into and the only thing stolen was the sub woofer and amp. While we can't say for sure the sticker was the catalyst for the brake in we believe it's a good indication of what advertising can do." University of Queensland social psychology professor Jolanda Jetten says people who plaster stickers on their car are "abdicating their right to privacy" in a similar vein to those who publish private details on Facebook. "It can be quite dangerous," she said. "It may be personal info you should not be giving away and it could actually work against you. People who put political stickers on their car are taking a public stand and a lot of people will either like or hate it. It creates an us-and-them divide. Either you are with me or against me. People may get upset about your message and vandalise your car, particularly if it's a hateful message such as those stickers about stopping immigration." Prof Jetten says stickers serve to personalise a car. "It's an expression of your identity," she says. "I'm quite intrigued by the stick family stickers because people are openly expressing who the family is. Interesting that you will always have happy families represented there, never a single person or separated parents. And it's always on family cars such as SUVs, never on sports cars. But even though it's representing happy families, some people find them quite irritating. I wouldn't put a sticker on my car, even for the school where my kids go. I don't want to have any markers and advertise my own identity." Everyone, including Candy the Maltese cross poodle, is represented in the stick figure family stickers on the back of the McGavin family Kluger. "I just found them humorous," says father Graeme. They also proudly feature a sticker for St John's Anglican College, Forest Lake, where their eldest son, Jason, has been college captain this year. "We're fairly proud to be driving around telling people we support the college. It's done the right thing by us and we believe in the strong people there." The survey of drivers in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne also found external attachments such as Australian flags and reindeer horns were popular, but car aerials shaped like a map of Australia, animals or question marks were turn-offs for other motorists. TOP FIVE GREATS Inspirational (Believe, Magic Happens) Fishing (I'm going fishing, Will trade wife for boat) School or University promotional stickers Stick figure family External attachments (Aussie flag, reindeer horns). TOP FIVE HATES Politically themed Animated ladies Ute stickers (I wish my girlfriend was this dirty, Drive it like you stole it) Car aerial shapes (maps of Australia, question marks) Frangipani stickers.

... nickname "Chook Lotto" and include a bottle of Bundy rum in the tool kit.Alfa Giocattolo Group B is a mouthful to say, but according to owner Ken Percival, 50, it's a delight to drive. The motor mechanic says the car's name is Italian for "toy" and the correct pronunciation is something like "jew-cat-oh-low".  "But everyone just calls it the Chook Lotto," he says. Only 15 were made by Giocattolo Motori between 1986 and 1988 at a small factory at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast and two were crashed in racing. Percival says the factory went bust after the Button car plan forced the company to buy the whole donor car - an Alfa Romeo Sprint - rather than just the body.  They were therefore forced to throw away the 1.5-litre engine to replace it with the mid-mounted five-litre Walkinshaw-spec Holden Commodore V8 Group A engine. Percival says they also binned much of the body work and replaced it with flared guards and a bonnet made of expensive, lightweight and bulletproof kevlar. The suspension was reworked, Simmons wheels fitted and the interior was decked out with VDO instruments, Momo steering wheel and hand-stitched Recaro racing seats. "They ended up being more expensive than a Porsche at the time," he says. "It couldn't go on like that and eventually the company went into liquidation in 1988."  Percival bought his 1988 model at the Brisbane Motor Show for $50,000. "It had a `for sale' sticker on it and I hummed and hahed about it for a while then thought I may as well have some fun," he says. "I'm an Alfa nut. Always have been. I've owned about half a dozen of them. "You don't see them up for sale very often. I've only seen two come up since I bought mine, so you could name your price if you wanted to sell."  His Giocattolo is chassis number two and Percival believes Giocattolo Motori boss Paul Halstead owns chassis number one. Percival also races a white 1969 Alfa Romeo 105 series GT Junior that has been modified to look like a GTA. He's currently headed for his second consecutive club series win. "I get all my thrills that way and just drive the Giocattolo as a beautiful street car," he says.  "Although I have had it on Queensland Raceway and I wish my race car had as much power and handling. "It's pretty quick as it's only 1100kg and has 202kW of power. It's a bit like a Harley; you don't have to be in the right gear to really go. "The only problem is that it runs out of brakes pretty quickly."  And what about that bottle of Bundy in the boot? "Being a Queensland-built car and having a sense of humour they put a half bottle of Bundy and a couple of shot glasses in the toolkit," he says. "I've still got it. Never opened it. I suppose it's there in case the car breaks down and it's not fixable. Then you can drown your troubles."  * Percival's Giocattolo will be part of the multi-million-dollar display of classic cars at the Speed + Style + Beauty show at Brisbane's Hamilton cruise terminal on November 25-27. The show will be open on the Friday from noon to 8pm, Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is $15 adults, $12 concession and $5 children. Alfa Giocattolo Group B at a glance Year: 1988 Price new: $60,000 Insured for: $50,000 Engine: Holden 5-litre V8, 202kW Body: 1988 Alfa Romeo Sprint 2-door hatch Trans: 5-speed manual Did you know: Giocattolo Motori originally transplanted Alfa V6 engines into the Sprint but they were replaced with the Holden V8s because they were too expensive. Got a special car you'd like featured in Carsguide? Modern or classic we're interested in hearing your story. Please send a pic and brief info to mark.hinchliffe@carsguide.com.au)