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Applications open for bus seatbelt funding
Applications are now open for round four of the Seatbelts for Kids funding.
The program, which provides seatbelts for school students travelling on buses in rural and regional areas, has $8.4 million available for allocation in the 2009/10 financial year.
A subsidy of up to $25,000 per bus is available to school bus operators, particularly those used over routes which may be hazardous or involve high speeds.
Further details on the program, including application forms and eligibility criteria, can be found at: http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/seatbeltsforkids. Applications close Tuesday, July 14. 
Car sales improve in May
Increased business purchases have provided a much-needed boost for the motoring industry.
Statistics released last week showed May sales of passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were down almost 15 per cent on last year's May figure, rebounding from a 23.9 per cent decline in April's figures.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says this shows the automotive market freefall has stabilised.
“The May figures provide a tangible indication that new vehicle sales have stabilised and indeed there are even grounds to suggest we may see signs of improvement in coming months,” FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said.
“There is clear evidence that the Federal Government's business tax break is providing the market with a renewed sense of optimism and confidence… (and) a much needed boost to vehicle sales.”
Year-to-date figures show 352,374 new vehicles have been sold, down 19.2 per cent compared to the same period last year.
LOVE YOUR WHEELS: Dean chases a dream through the decades
By DANIELLE SCHULZ
There were 55 years between Peebinga man Dean Pedler finding his dream car and buying it.
As an 11-year-old boy, Dean jumped into a friend's car and immediately knew he had found his ideal vehicle.
The car was a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe V8, fresh from the factory.
“I was sitting in the back seat and I thought, 'I am going to have one of these some day',” Dean remembers.
“I got it in 2002.”
It was the first car that the semi-retired mechanic had bought purely for restoration, but others soon followed.
Dean has now rebuilt two others, a 1970 Peugeot 504 and a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL.
Three more are also awaiting Dean's attention.
Dean, an enthusiastic member of the Riverland Vintage and Classic Car Club, advertised for the Ford for more than two years before he finally got his hands on one in Adelaide.
He struggles to single out a favourite feature of the car.
“It is a car that appealed to me the minute I sat in it,” he said.
“It is the V8 concept, the roominess and the comfort and the ride are perfect.
“I guess it is just the all round package.
“(It was) built back in the day where they didn't care how much it cost, they just built it…
“The Ford is fully American, very hard to get, a beautiful vehicle and it shares the whole passion because that was the first one I wanted.”
The car needed significant mechanical repairs, but is now back in top condition.
Dean is also proud of the motoring excellence of his Peugeot 504.
“The quality is excellent - the stainless steel trims and the quality of the ride,” he said.
“It is an absolutely marvellous road-holding vehicle and it is just a beautiful car to drive, typical of European vehicles of that era.”
The 504 is one of a long string of Peugeots that Dean has owned.
In fact, he's been driving them since 1976.
Dean's love-affair with Peugeots began in Alice Springs, where he ran a Volkswagen, Subaru, Renault and Peugeot dealership for some time.
“I liked Fords up until the time that I had the experience with the Peugeot and the European cars and from then on it had to be Peugeots,” he said.
“They are magnificently built and same with the Mercedes Benz.
After owning older and newer Peugeots, Dean decided it was time to restore one.
Dean said the 504 was a derelict when he first bought it, but still fit the criteria of a “real car”.
“It's all stainless steel - there's no plastic in it,” he says.
“New cars are not a patch on the old ones.
“Now, where you get mass produced cars, the problem always lies in cost factor and everything becomes plastic and that is what we have today.”
In all of his cars, Dean looks for quality over style.
“I just love high-class engineering,” he says.
“It's just bred into me.”
Dean says he learnt about what makes a quality vehicle while working in the Northern Territory as he repaired multitudes of cars in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy.
“When Tracy hit Darwin and the flooded vehicles came down, we (the dealership in Alice Springs) were one of the repair shops that rebuilt the cars to get the people back on the road,” he recalls.
“It was a very sad and strenuous time and we got a massive coverage of different makes and models and we knew which one was the one you'd want simply by having to do the work.”
Dean's also admired the attention to detail in Mercedes, particularly in his 280 SEL - another all-steel car.
“The Mercedes was bought through the local paper and was mechanically faulty but the body work was good,” he said.
“It had dents in it, which I took out, and I did all the mechanics and now it is, again, a first class vehicle.
“It is a beautiful vehicle to work on because it's mechanical perfection…
“The Mercedes is essentially Germany's Rolls-Royce.”
Dean cannot explain where his passion for cars came from, but says it has been something that developed over the years and is now in his blood.
Dean has also passed on his love of cars to his son, who is a Volkswagen man, with several cars in various stages of repair.
Do you disagree with Dean? Do you think that modern cars are just as good, or better, than the cars of days gone by?
Email danielle@murraypioneer.com.au if you think your new set of wheels can beat a classic ride any day of the week, or if you want your vehicle featured in Love Your Wheels.
Museum hosts model car exhibition
For those with the desire to be car collectors, but not quite the budget, the model car is being celebrated at a new exhibition at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood.
The Model Behaviour exhibition showcases the collections of three model car enthusiasts, with everything from vintage pedal cars to a Barbie Mobile Hot Tub Party Bus on show.
Micros, Corgis, Hotwheels, Matchbox, Tri-ang, and Boomaroo are just some of the iconic toy car brands that have filled shelves of generations and now are on display at the museum.
More than 150 toy cars are part of the new permanent exhibition, which follows the story of the toy car and the people who collect them.
One of the featured collectors is Eric Hauschild, who donated his collection of more than 100 Corgi and Micro model cars to the museum when he died.
This is the first time that this collection has been on public display in its entirety.
The exhibition also features a play area for children with Hot Wheel and Lego toys and model cars aplenty.
Volkswagen's move on Australian ute market
It appears Volkswagen has an eye on the ute market, with plans to introduce the Amarok to Australian shores next year.
The Argentine-built ute is set to rival the Toyota HiLux and has been tipped to outsell VW's current highest seller in Australia, the Golf.
In the VW tradition of uniquely-named vehicles, the Amarok means 'wolf' in Inuit or 'he loves stones' in some South American languages.
The Amarok will be launched first in South America, Russia and Europe before reaching Australia and Africa, and will be based on a concept model showcased at several international motor shows last year.
Stephan Schaller, chief executive officer of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said the name was picked with great care.
“This name fits to a tee the characteristics of our pickup, which will set new standards in its class,” he predicted.
“The Amarok is meant to involve positive associations in all relevant international markets and make a more convincing argument than its established competitors right from the start.”
The Amarok will be launched as a double-cab pickup with four-wheel drive, with a single-cab version available at a later date.
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