Audi Advertising

It is always reassuring to have evidence that car manufacturers find motor racing and rallying at all levels a definite help in sale promotion, as well, perhaps, as being a means of “improving the breed”, as the saying went in former times. Thus I was pleased to note that Audi took a full page in a recent issue of The Times to draw attention to Frank Biela’s RAC Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship. It was even a throwback to those clever VW advertisements which used to proclaim the Beetle’s merits in humorous fashion. In the present case Audi apologised on behalf of themselves and Biela to those who bought tickets for the last few rounds of the aforesaid Championship, if they had expected “a gripping end to the competition”, concluding by saying Audi is unable to make refunds. I wonder, however, if the race organisers and circuit owners will find this quite so amusing? And I sometimes regret to have to wonder whether owners of Renault Clios, for example, bought their cars because Renault engines are on top in F1. W B