Footdown
Open day in Repulse Bay
Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong is celebrating its launch of the CLS 63 AMG and E 63 AMG models in an open day at its 60 Repulse Bay Road showroom, from 10am to 6pm, today and tomorrow.
'We have also prepared a variety of games and activities for children, such as drawing classes, sand-bottle making, video games, clown and magic shows, which will take place throughout the day,' says the marque's spokesman, Henry Lau. The showroom also has a Bluetooth kiosk with a touch screen from which AMG fans can download wallpaper and screensavers of the CLK 63 AMG Black and SLK 55 Black Series on to their mobile phone.
VW bus turns 60
While 71,000 fans and 5,000 vans joined the Who in celebrating 60 years of the Volkswagen bus in Hanover, Germany, last weekend, reader 'Jeffrey' answers our call (Foot Down, September 22) for reminiscences about the historic van. Earning a pair of genuine Hong Kong taxi driver's gloves for a charity of our choice, he takes us back to the year of Carly Simon's You're So Vain.
'Ken, Guy and I headed off to Europe during a break from university in 1973,' he writes. 'As was the usual thing, we landed in Amsterdam and were overwhelmed by the city, coming from a small town in Canada. On the first day we arrived, we knew we had to get out fast (in hindsight, I am not sure why as there were some interesting sights to see if we had stayed a little longer) so we searched for a VW bus to carry us on our way. We found a green 1968 VW for US$800. It had a large yellow sticker on the front - 'Ouk Baas' which we think was the dealer's name, but it became the name of our bus.
'Ouk Baas took us up to the Arctic Circle and back down to Greece and Morocco and everywhere in between. In nearly six months, we put more than 23,000km on Baas, and did not get around to changing the oil or the points and spark plugs until after about 20,000km (the points were worn down to the rivets). There are many fond memories, eg the Danish sisters, and less fond memories, eg the Moroccan police, but all in all it carried us far and wide in relative safety and comfort.
'We eventually landed back in Amsterdam and, after a little bit of cosmetic surgery, sold Baas in one day for US$600 to a trio of Aussies who were even more desperate to get out of Amsterdam, and on the road than we had been six months earlier,' says Jeffrey.
Subaru repair shop opens
Subaru dealers Motor Image has opened a new workshop in Quarry Bay. The new facilities (right, tel: 2560 8687), in the Cheung Wah Industrial Building at 10-12 Shipyard Lane, has the latest equipment for regular maintenance, general repairs, inspections and a range of aesthetic vehicle enhancements, says the dealership.
Classic contest
Finally, we wish the Classic Car Club another gleaming concours at St Andrews Place, 38 Kam Chui Road, near Beas River, tomorrow.
