Footdown

Happy National Day It's not too late to get your patriotic show on the road, by flying the national or Hong Kong flags on your car. The truly patriotic car-spares shops will be closed today, a public holiday, but you might find a national flag or bauhinia sticker for your bumper in a Mongkok parts shop, or in the tourist alleys off Nathan Road.

If you have a real flag at home, why not give it a flutter, like the proud Singaporeans do on August 9, the Malaysians on August 31, and as the Americans do - with a honk, if they're horny - on July 4.

Such fervour is a tall order in urban Hong Kong, perhaps. Here, Hong Kong Chinese put the Union Jack in or on their cars, while their expatriate neighbours prefer the bauhinia. After a Mini show in April, Motoring Editor William Wadsworth wrote: 'Nearly eight years after the handover, the Union Jack still flies proudly over Hong Kong - somewhere between a box of Kleenex and a Snoopy cushion in dozens of original Minis.'

So we asked the standard-bearers of motoring style, Mini owners, why they still fly the Brit flag when they have two perfectly good ones of their own.

One said the Union Jack was a style statement, and not political. It's not hard to get a Chinese or Hong Kong flag painted on the roof, he says, because there are many customisers here. Another asked whether national or Hong Kong flag decals constituted a desecration offence. Foot Down's not sure - and maybe the Hong Kong government can clarify the issue - but we've yet to hear of Le Mans hopefuls Darryl O'Young and Matthew Marsh being pulled over for sporting several bauhinia on their Porsche GT3 RSR.

And reader Ian de Witt has a fine, crowd-pulling bauhinia on the boot of his red MGB. 'There's nothing wrong with being patriotic,' says the solicitor. 'I love the UK, and I love Hong Kong.' He's thinking of putting a red Welsh dragon on his Gilbern restoration, too. Bravo, Ian!

A BMW Mini owner said painting a national or Hong Kong flag on the roof could make the car look like a hearse and bring bad luck. Well, Geely made a mockery of that superstition at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, when it pulled back the national flag from the top of its new CD (Chinese Dragon) saloon.