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The Limited Edition Piaggio Ape Calessino — only 999 produced worldwide

It’s an Italian icon; Pope Benedict XVI has two of them; it has appeared in many films and has sold millions worldwide. Yet you probably don’t know what I’m talking about because you’ve never been able to buy one in New Zealand. Until now that is.…

Jeep, now fauna-friendly and rocking you gently

By Andrew Gladstone

By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen the Jeep ad on TV. You know, the one with the squirrel, birds and wolf singing along with the young driver set to that well known 1970s hit, “Rock Me Gently” by Andy Kim (I had to look that up).

I guess they’re telling us that by driving a Jeep, we are being at one with nature, or indeed, going back to nature but in a more gentle fashion than with previous Jeeps. Didn’t it used to be that Jeep ads showed Jeeps driving through nature and generally tearing it up on the way? Now they’ve apologised to the animals for wrecking their neighbourhood and the apology has apparently been accepted…

First the Beetle, then the MINI — now it’s the Fiat 500

The Fiat 500, or Bambina as it was branded in New Zealand, turned 50 last year neatly coinciding with the birth of the new Fiat 500. Fiat’s New Zealand website says “the world’s most iconic car is back”. But is it?…

By Andrew Gladstone