A few years ago a friend did a most unexpected thing. He bought a motorcycle, a new Harley-Davidson. I say unexpected because, until then, he'd never even breathed the word. As well, a gentle and quiet soul, he didn't seem the motorcycle type inasmuch as he'd shown no affinity for things mechanical. Well, it turned out that Randy wanted his bike, not as everyday transport, but for touring and the occasional quiet ride with his wife as passenger. Eydie, by the way, was my co-pilot back when flying was our hobby, so I guess that riding pilion was perfectly fine with her. An intelligent individual and careful with his money, Randy no doubt is interested in keeping down motorcycle insurance rates. And as a car owner I know he looks for low cost car insurance quotes, too. Very hip when it comes to using the Net, the couple will be delighted to learn that the best way to buy is online, where a quote can be had in as little as seven minutes.

Perhaps my friends should take a tour to the 69th installment of Daytona's Bike Week, where they can socialise with other motorcycle enthusiasts, have some fun, and soak up that lovely Florida sunshine. Apparently Bike Week dates back to 1937 when a guy named Ed Kretz won the first Daytona 200 race. Year by year, the events grew in popularity until1986 when things were getting a bit out of hand. A special task force was then formed in cooperation with the city and chamber of commerce to manage the masses. It's no longer the rowdy event it once was but as the "the worlds largest motorcycle gathering" it continues to attract folks from around the world. Special events include an opportunity to drive the pavement at Daytona Speedway, and Riding the Loop: besides the open road and natural beauty, the Loop provides a Biker's shortcut to some of the area's favorite hang outs and attractions.

Having said all that I'll confess I'm still a car guy and always will be. But I've learned to at least recognise a good bike when I see one and appreciate its fine lines and performance.

The 1st of April, as you are no doubt aware, is April Fools Day. Which is certainly appropriate for the World Car of the Year announcement, to be made on that day at the New York Auto Show, because I've just looked at the list of finalists and have to ask myself "what were they thinking?" "They," in this case, consists of a group of well-known automobile journalists from around the world. I'd be willing to bet that none of those 59 esteemed gentlemen and ladies have spent much drive time in all the eligible vehicles; they're simply making a judgment based on what they perceive, based on photos, press releases, auto show unveilings, and tests of cars available in their home country.

I know a little about automobile journalists; after all, I am one, and have been involved with dozens over the years, including American, Canadian, and English journalists. For the most part they're nice people but they have an exaggerated idea of their own importance and tend to forget the needs of the average car buyer, who has little interest in 0-60 acceleration figures and the latest 200 mph supercar. With that in mind, let's look at the potential WCOY winners: The Mercedes-Benz E Class, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Polo were announced as the three finalists. The jury picked the Audi R8 V10, Ferrari California and Porsche 911 GT3 as performance car finalists; the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen BlueMotion cars (Golf, Passat and Polo) as green car finalists; and Chevrolet Camaro, Citroen C3 Picasso and Kia Soul as design award finalists.

I'll grant you that the three finalists are cars the "average driver" might purchase although he or she needs to be well-heeled to drive a Mercedes E-Class, while all the vehicles in each award class are unquestionably good automobiles. But the bulky Camaro and quirky Soul as symbols of great design? And the Prius while it is still under suspicion for unintended acceleration (though to be fair, I think it's the drivers who are mostly to blame)? Well, maybe I'm out of line here because I haven't driven, or even seen some of the eligible cars. But my pick for World Car of the Year is - are you ready for this? - a Ford. The new Ford Fiesta. It's a great car and unlike the other competitors you can buy one almost anywhere in the developed world. Isn't that what this competition is all about?

[Photo: VW Polo GT, Not Available at a Dealer Near You if You Live in North America]

The recession may have been bad for new car sales but it has certainly helped the used car industry as buyers who might have purchased a shiny new model turned to what we euphemistically call "pre-owned" vehicles. At the same time, people began to consider whether it may be wiser to keep the car they now have. And why not? Automobiles are better built than they once were and can, with proper care, last a quarter-million miles or more. Frankly, I've sometimes thought it would be more fun to keep an old car running than to buy or lease a vehicle that loses its value the moment it leaves the showroom. Or as a friend once said to me when I was ruminating about making some unnecessary change, "learn to love what you already have." Great advice.

Of course, to keep a vehicle in proper condition invariably means buying parts and that can be a conundrum to many people, who aren't sure where to turn or even whether parts are available for a much older automobile or, for that matter, whether they can afford the cost. But here's the secret: You don't have to buy new. There are countless used car parts sitting in the nation's premier salvage yards that are perfectly good and can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Ah, but how to find them? Whether you're an individual owner, a body shop, a garage, or an insurance estimator you can hardly phone every yard in the country. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, however, it is now possible to let the Web do the work.

I've no desire to keep you from buying a new vehicle when it makes sense to do so, but there are plenty of good reasons to "learn to love what you already have" as my friend suggested. They range from an emotional attachment to saving money to the advantages of having a second car. Whatever the rationale, don't let the price or availability of parts concern you. And what the heck, once a car reaches a certain age it becomes a collector vehicle and you can begin to have fun by joining a club and participating in events. As with people, growing old does have its advantages.

[Photo: Philip Powell]

My first real career was as a radio announcer. I followed that by becoming an automobile journalist. And followed that with a much longer profession as advertising agency copywriter. Eventually, as a freelancer, I put all three together to write and announce an ongoing series of radio commercials called "Tales of the Open Road." These 60-second spots consisted of a 30-second anecdote from automotive history, followed by a 30-second pitch for the sponsor. Listeners enjoyed the tales, then stayed for the advertiser's message because I wove one into the other and they were hooked before they knew it. My sponsor was a discount car insurance broker who specialised in the 55+ age bracket. Tales of the Open Road was a natural tie-in as his clients could relate to historic cars and events.

To be honest, I knew next to nothing about insurance before we began but I learned a lot during that three-year relationship. For example, sales were handled by phone, which saved everyone time, trouble, and money. I also learned the importance of getting a personalised car insurance policy at the right price, which is so much easier to do these days by using the power of the Internet. Unfortunately (for me) my Tales of the Open Road client was infatuated with the idea of using the city's number one morning man to deliver his message and when that esteemed announcer left the station, thus releasing him from a "no product endorsement" clause, he was in and I was out.

This was not the first time I'd used this technique on the radio. It began with a car dealer and was equally successful, but came to a halt when a new sales manager was hired. Another dealer picked it up for a while, intending it to be a cooperative arrangement with two others in his area. The import dealer agreed, the domestic car didn't, and once again I was the loser. Then came a luxury jewelery and watch store, of all things. That worked until the marketing manager was replaced. Moving to Vancouver I called the sports-only station and within 24 hours a salesman had found a dealer client. Two weeks later the nation-wide radio chain went out of business. Now you might think that I was jinxed but when I moved back to Toronto I tried again. A friend introduced me to the car insurance broker and I was back on the air.

After a two year run the gig finally ended and though it had been successful and earned good money I wouldn't do it again. I'm having too much fun writing blogs for the Net.

Though I've never been motivated by brand associations to help advertise cars and other products, here's one that pleases me. Watchmaker TAG Heuer has teamed up with Tesla Motors in a collaboration of brands to create a unique Tesla electric roadster for the 2010 Geneva auto show. So why am I happy with a marketing technique that I might normally ignore? Two reasons: First, great watches and great cars are a natural combination. Second, because my everyday wristwatch is a 1969 Heuer Carrera (in fact, it's my only watch). That's like saying your daily set of wheels is a vintage Ferrari, because the Heuer Carrera has become a valuable collector's item, not only because of its make and age but because it was the watch to have back then; worn by many who were involved in road racing and rallying. I used it to informally time more laps than I can remember at tracks like Monaco, Silverstone, and Laguna Seca. It's been overhauled just twice and still runs perfectly, if a little fast. But hey, fast is good in racing!



Getting back to the TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster, the special sports car has been styled by Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen, who incorporated design elements from a new, one-fifth-second Heuer limited edition stopwatch and also integrated a TAG Heuer Meridiist mobile phone. The center console has been specifically constructed to cradle the "cutting edge concept watch" that will itself only be revealed a few weeks from now at the Baselworld watch and jewelry tradeshow. The Tesla's exterior is described as having a "foucault field gray carbon-fiber shell with branding-appropriate mirrors," to which I can only add one word: beautiful. In case you're unaware, this is an all-electric sports car that can accelerate to 60 mph in only 3.9 seconds and in near-silence. Rationale for the collaboration, an attempt to bring "technologically advanced art to life through motion," is TAG Heuer's 150th anniversary celebration. It's also my Heuer Carrera's 40th anniversary, a rather timely co-incidence, wouldn't you say?