Rides of Heads of State (Final Edition)

196. Thanks to the good people at The Kaselehlie Press, we have confirmed that President Mori of the Federated States of Micronesia rides in a black Hyundai Tucson.

When I started this series, I did not think I'd get past 75 to 100 cars/countries. But thanks to the power of the internet, and the help of a few tipsters from abroad, I have compiled the most comprehensive list of presidential/prime ministerial/royal rides anywhere.

Here is the final tally:
S-class: 61
Land Cruiser: 22
7 series: 16
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Toyota Crown: 3
Lincoln: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Merc E-class: 2
Lancia: 2

One of each of the following: Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck, Hyundai Tucson.

Well, the Mercedes S-class trounced the competition, beating the second place Toyota Land Cruiser by a margin of nearly 3:1.

Ratio of cars versus trucks/SUVs: 143:53

Vehicle nationality:
German: 109
Japanese: 37
Other: 27
American: 23

Most surprising: Tonga's London taxi, Malta's Cadillac CTS, Chile's Peugeot 607 (tied)
Most undignified: Thailand's VW van
Ugliest: China's Hongqi


Fastest: Mauritius' Aston Martin DB9
Most pimp: Peru's 1972 Chrysler Imperial


Most in need of bullet-proofing: East Timor's Land Cruiser


Biggest gas guzzler: Zimbabwe's S600 Pullman

CKY

Update 8/5/08: I did a reconcile. Here are the official stats:
Ratio of cars versus trucks/SUVs: 144:52

Vehicle nationality:
German: 108
Japanese: 37
Other: 28
American: 23

Sebastian Bourdais: Public Enemy Number One

Le jerk-off extraordinaire Sebastian Bourdais of STR blocked our man Nick Heidfeld just as he was running his hot lap. Because of Le Bour, Heidfeld did not make it out of Q1. Bourdais was penalized five spots, but that doesn't really help Heidfeld, who, had it not been for the idiot Frenchman, should have qualified in the the top seven. With the narrow and windy track at the Hungaroring, passing will be especially difficult Sunday. Merci beau coup, Merde-face.

The M stands for Mickey Mouse.

CKY

Nothing Happened In Beijing In 1989

Welcome, Beijing Olympics visitors! Please to enjoy our honorable sights, culture, and traditions. Beijing very old city with lots of history. Visit Tiananmen Square, where nothing happen in 1989.


CKY

Rides of Heads of State (Penultimate Edition)

Let's get right to it.

192. Guinea-Bissau. Nino Vieira rides in this Land Cruiser. I found this on a Brazilian blog.


193. Mauritania. Merc S-class for the president.

194. Niger. President Tandja's white Land Cruiser can be seen in the background.

195. Kiribati. Black Toyota Crown. This is more of an educated guess than anything else. There is mention on Virtual Tourist of the president riding in a "black limousine". With so many Japanese imports and with the last ambassador of China riding in a white Crown, I strongly suspect that Anote Tong rides in a Toyota Crown as well.

196. Federated States of Micronesia. Alas, we come to our last country, Micronesia. The picture below was as close as I could get to Manny Mori's ride. It is his (and his VP's) carport. I'm doing my best to track down his ride, even making a long distance telephone call to the country's Public Information Officer ("I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."). I suspect that it is an American or Japanese sedan. But we shall see. The answer will be posted in the next, and final, part of this long running, and popular, series.



Updated tally:
S-class: 61
Land Cruiser: 22
7 series: 16
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Toyota Crown: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Lincoln: 2
Merc E-class: 2
Lancia: 2

One of each of the following: Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, Lincoln, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck.

Well, the Mercedes S-class trounced the competition, beating the second place Toyota Land Cruiser by a margin of nearly 3:1.

Ratio of cars versus trucks/SUVs: 143:52

Vehicle nationality:
German: 109
Japanese: 37
Other: 26
American: 23

CKY

Heidfeld Pwns the Hungaroring!

Nick Heidfeld is arguably the hottest driver in F1 right now, racking up 21 points in the last four races (more than anyone else). I continue to believe (and hope) that he will place first sometime this season. He should finish in the top five this weekend at the Hungary GP.

CKY

Tank Man, Welcome to the Beijing Olympics

Deep down inside, we all have a little "Tank Man" in us. It is the strength to resist injustice peacefully. If Tank Man is still alive, I wonder what he's thinking and doing about the Olympics.


CKY

Rides of Heads of State (Part 28.3)

With just seven countries/cars left, I am identifying the cars in indirect ways.

188. Solomon Islands. Toyota Land Cruiser. Derek Sikua has not been in office long so there are not that many pictures of him. There is a picture of him next to a big shiny white Holden, but it was taken in Australia when Kevin Rudd undiplomatically made Sikua wait for him outside the prime minister's residence. The shot below is a recent picture of the Solomon Islands parliament building. The Land Cruiser immediately below the building's crest and entrance has a green license plate, which is different from the other official cars and police vehicles near by. I believe that is Sikua's ride.


189. San Marino. Lancia Thesis. I suspected that the two captains regent and secretary of state rode in Alfas, Lancias, or Maseratis. I leaned toward the Lancia because it is stately but not too ostentatious (Maserati) or too sporty (Alfa). The picture below shows the front of the palace. A Lancia Thesis, with its unforgettable front end, is parked out front. That must be it.


190, 191. Tamerlane is firing his accountants at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In this compilation, we left out Macedonia and Lebanon. For the record, the Macedonian PM and the Lebanese prez ride in S-class Mercedes.

Updated tally:
S-class: 60
Land Cruiser: 20
7 series: 16
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Lincoln: 2
Toyota Crown: 2
Merc E-class: 2
Lancia: 2

One of each of the following: Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, Lincoln, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck.

I still need to identify cars from the following countries: Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Kiribati, Micronesia.

I've got five more to go. Just FIVE!

CKY

Rides of Heads of State (Part 28.2)

186. Seychelles. Toyota Land Cruiser. So the latest internet buzz is about cuil, which is supposedly going to make google obsolete like leaded gasoline. Well, I'm not too crazy about the interface, but I did snag James Michel's ride quickly and easily. I just cuil'ed "james michel car" and got a link to an obscure Chinese news article about how Michel (then an incumbent) arrived at the polling place in his Toyota SUV. I'll play around with cuil some more before I make a final judgment.

187. Sao Tome e Principe. BMW 7 series. I expected a humble Land Cruiser for Fradique de Menezes. But I guess with the possibility of the country sitting on top of lots of oil, a BMW is a must.


Updated tally:
S-class: 58
Land Cruiser: 19
7 series: 16
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Lincoln: 2
Toyota Crown: 2
Merc E-class: 2

One of each of the following: Lancia, Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, Lincoln, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck.

I still need to identify cars from the following countries:

• Europe: San Marino
• Africa: Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger
  
• Oceania: Kiribati, Micronesia, Solomon Island

CKY

My Tomica Collection

A few weeks ago, we covered some of my favorite Matchbox cars from the 1970s.

Today, we'll cover some of my favorite Tomicas. My Tomica collection can be divided into three distinct phases. In the first phase, friends and family bought them for me in the 1970s when I was a toddler. These toys have seen serious abuse and punishment. The second phase includes cars I bought in elementary school in the 1980s. I pampered these and I consciously selected models that I liked at the toy store. In the final phase, I bought a few Tomicas on trips to Japan during college for nostalgia's sake.

Here are just a few of them.

Phase 1: 1974 NHK TV truck. This van came with a springy suspension and rear doors that opened. The metal piece that made up the headlights on my model disappeared decades ago.

Phase 1: Until I came upon the hello.to/tomica site, I had no idea that this was a Mazda Sigma. Obviously, I did not pick this car out at the toy store.

Phase 1: I never knew what this Nissan Diesel held. I assume it's propane.

Phase 2: I bought this Pocket Car in the 80s because my mom had a four door version of this in real life.

Phase 2: I distinctly remember opening up the package to this BMW 320i but I do not remember why I bought it.

Phase 2: I think I bought this Cadillac ambulance because it reminded me of the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters.

Phase 3: I bought this in the mid-1990s because I liked Skylines. Looking at this displayed on my shelf in college probably caused my obsession with the R32.

Phase 3: There was a point in college when my two dream cars were a Toyota Supra and a Range Rover. Et voila, here we have them.

CKY

Get Well Soon, Alex

Ever since the overlords of reality TV took Dog the Bounty Hunter off the air, I've been looking for a replacement. I found it last year with Ice Road Truckers. I was shocked to find out that I was not the only fan of this show. It apparently has more American viewers than any other show on the History Channel and is huge in Africa (?!).

Any fan will agree that Alex Debogorski is the nicest, most humble, and hardest working man on the show. On tonight's episode, several blood clots in his lungs ended his season. The last news I was able to find of him on the net was from March. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Alex looks this way only because the marketing morons at the History Channel made him.

If watching the ice roads makes you crave for more Canadian adventures, I have two suggestions. Rambo: First Blood was actually filmed in the sleepy, bucolic town of Hope, B.C. I passed by this beautiful town during last October's Arctic campaign. There is even a cut-out that tourists can use to take cheesy photos. The movie is probably the best of the series and shows off rural British Columbia perfectly (except for all that violence and police brutality).


On a lighter note, Strange Brew is a must-watch for anyone who wants to delve into the Canadian male psyche. The McKenzie brothers are a riot, you hosers. So get off the couch and go rent it, eh.


CKY