Motor industry: Pischetsrieder shrugs off falling sales... as VW strikes landmark union deal

Next time you're stuck, fuming, in yet more traffic mayhem, cast your mind upwards to those elite beings in helicopters, buzzing, high in the sky above us.

Lotus, the engineering and sports cars group, has appointed former Ford special vehicles chief Rod Mansfield (left) as its managing director following last week's sudden departure of Adrian Palmer. Mr Mansfield is joined by Neeraj Kapur (right) who takes the post of finance director, also abruptly vacated by Andrew Tempest. Lotus, which is owned by Bugatti International, said that the company remained strong and was not affected by financial problems at the automotive arm of the Bugatti group. The company declined to comment on reports that Lotus was about to be bought by Shivagi Rao, a wealthy Indian entrepreneur.

This is the most sought-after wing mirror in the world. It is made by Citroen, and is available from Citroen dealers for pounds 72.55. They cannot sell you a car to go with it, because the model for which it was made, the CX, went out of producti on in 1989. But you can buy a car with these wing mirrors: they are fitted to the McLaren F1 supercar, which costs pounds 634,500. If you want something cheaper, you'll find them on the Jaguar XJ220, the Aston Martin Vantage, the Lotus Esprit, the AC Ace , and the TVR Griffith and Chimaera.

David Usborne reports from New York on what IBM hopes to gain from taking over Lotus

PETER RODGERS

Frank Costin's name will be forever linked with the sleek green body which graced the Vanwall cars entered in grands prix in the 1950s by the millionaire industrialist Tony Vandervell. Costin's work on that car's distinctive aerodynamics was seminal, yet was but part of his story.

Iam sorry to hear that the Lotus Grand Prix team isn't dead. In truth, it died many years ago, not long after its founder, Colin Chapman, passed away in 1982. In practice, it struggled on, post-Chapman, sustained by Britain's endless enthusiasm for nostalgia and history and because a few die-hards risked all on some major sponsor bankrolling the magic of the Lotus name. The inevitable happened late last year. Lotus's GP team joined Colin Chapman in the grave.

The Lotus Formula One team, which announced last month that it was to fold and would not taking part in this year's World Championship, said yesterday that it was merging with the Pacific Grand Prix team.

Some are still talking lovingly, optimistically, about restoring Lotus to motor racing, but as with the old family favourite on bricks at the back of the yard, you have to wonder whether it will ever get out on to the road again.

Lotus have pulled out of this year's Formula One world championship, and despite the endeavours of David Hunt, the new owner, it seems the most evocative name in British motor racing will be consigned to history.

MOTOR RACING : Attempts to salvage Lotus, once the world's premier Grand Prix team, could be called off today. Another, and perhaps final, announcement on the marque's prospects is due from the office of David Hunt, the businessman who has tried to put together a rescue package.

The debt-ridden British Formula One team Lotus will compete in the last two grands prix of the season after being snapped up by a mystery buyer. Anita Smith, a spokeswoman for the Norfolk outfit, confirmed yesterday that the company, which has debts of more than pounds 10m, was no longer in administration and that the 90 jobs at Ketteringham Hall had been saved.

Since you probably spent the last couple of days with the bed-covers pulled over your head wondering what on earth you did in your past life to be cursed with being reborn as a member of the Thatcher family, I'd just like to twitch the sheets back a bit and say don't worry. We're all on your side.