• Last week's unveiling of the new 12-car transporter from
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Toleman Group (see page 10) represents the pinnacle of a 42-year career for the company's director of engineering Alan Cooper.
Back in 1948 he was involved in the introduction of the UK's first car transporter to feature hydraulic ramps by Carrimore.
For the past five years, Cooper has been co-ordinating a design team of experts from Toleman, Iveco Ford and Robert Lahr, to produce a vehicle capable of transporting 12 large saloon cars without damage.
He reckons that this is likely to be the maximum possible within current Construction and Use Regulations. I'm still trying to work out how they get them all off again! • Meanwhile, with potatoes and wheat off the menu, lessons can be learned from Brazil where a once-admired programme of running cars on sugar-cane-derived alcohol is on the rocks.
Growers have found that, with rising world prices, sugar is more profitable to produce than alcohol. As a result, millions of motorists will have useless vehicles once supplies of alcohol dry up.
Conversion to petrol costs up to £1,200 per car.
To add to the Brazilian government's problems, environmentalists have denounced the booze-mobiles anyway, claiming the alcohol fumes have nasty side effects ranging from general weakness to convulsions and death.
So, a 14-year experiment ends in tears. But do alcohol and driving ever mix? The Hawk fears not.
• Whatever you do, don't break your windscreen in the outer Hebrides — the man who comes to help you is likely to be showing signs of strain.
Duncan Sutherland, who runs the National Windscreen outfit in Inverness, recently went to the aid of a stranded tipper belonging to Kelbit of Ashton-in-Makerfield. True to the company's never-say-die policy, Sutherland drove the 60 miles to Ullspool, waited for the ferry, endured the 3½hour crossing o'er the Minch and finally, after a solid day's travelling, reached the vehicle, replaced the screen, and made the labourious journey home. And what do you think he found when he got there? That's right: another windscreen breakdown call from the Outer Hebrides. . .
• Computer-controlled traffic lights are being installed on slip roads to limit traffic flow on Britain's congested motorways, after a successful trial on the M6. The scheme links electronic pressure pads on the road to the traffic lights which turn red when stretches of motorway become overcrowded.
The M25 is likely to be the first motorway to benefit from the scheme — not before time too 1 reckon.
Here are the answers to last week's prize crossword — there will be another next week.