KEY POINTS:
A 1927 Rolls-Royce nick-named "The Princess" after her owner, who spied for Adolf Hitler, is up for grabs at next month's Melbourne Motor Show. The Phantom I Saloon was originally delivered to a London woman in 1927. But in 1929 it passed into the hands of Austrian Princess Stephanie Hohenlohe de Waldenbern, a royal by marriage who reputedly slept her way to power. Although Jewish, she was said to be a close friend of many high-ranking Nazis. Hitler referred to her as his "dear princess". She later became a spy for Germany, with the US Government describing her as more dangerous than 10,000 men. The stately Rolls-Royce with its 7.6 litre in-line six cylinder engine and three-speed manual gearbox wound up in Australia in the late 1930s and has had several owners since. Auction house Shannons expects it to fetch around $100,000.
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From next Tuesday, British motorists caught using their cellphone while driving will cop a $180 fine and three points on their licence. If they argue the case in court and lose, the fine could rise by up to $7500.
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Volkswagen has pulled a TV ad in the US depicting a distraught man standing on the ledge of a tall building after suicide prevention groups said they were concerned about its message. In the ad, the man decides not to jump after learning that VW offers three vehicles for less than US$17,000.
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A website has been launched to help British motorists tackle the increasing problem of potholed roads. The site - potholes.co.uk - is designed to help taxpayers highlight poor road surfaces to their local councils, plus advise on how to make a compensation claim should their own vehicle be damaged by a pothole. Experts say deteriorating roads in Britain can be blamed for a whopping 1 in 5 mechanical failures.
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The world's leading designers have voted the Alfa Romeo 8C as the 2006 Production Car Design of the Year. Designed under Wolfgang Egger, head of Alfa Romeo Design, the 8C Competiziones takes inspiration from several classic Alfa sports racing cars. It received 73 per cent of the votes.
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The world's most dangerous road according to the BBC, is an 80km stretch of winding, mountain-hugging cliff 5km above sea level, running from La Paz, Bolivia, to the country's Yungas region. At least 200 people a year die on the road, which is about 3m wide with no railing.
