WACKY AUTO NEWS

Renault delivers Zoe, Frenchwomen cry foul

It could be the French version of "A Boy Named Sue" - a car named Zoe. A judge ruled Wednesday that the automaker Renault can call its new electric car Zoe, much to the chagrin of some French women and girls with that first name. Parents of two children named Zoe Renault (pronounced ZOH-eh ruh-NO) had argued in court that their children could end up enduring a lifetime of teasing and annoyance - just like the fictional youth named Sue in the famous Johnny Cash song. Lawyer David Koubbi insisted that while it's clear the Zoe Renaults of the world would be most affected by the release of the car - slated for 2012 - all of France's estimated 35,000 Zoes would feel the sting. "Can you imagine what little Zoes would have to endure on the playground, and even worse, when they get a little bit older and someone comes up to them in a bar and says, "Can I see your airbags?" or "Can I shine your bumper?"" Koubbi said.

Happy birthday, Dad!

Forty-two years after it left these shores for Europe, Rajkot will have the "Star of India" again. The 76-year-old Rolls Royce Phantom-II -- famously the one and only saffron-coloured Rolls Royce ever built -- was custom made in 1934 for the then ruler of Rajkot, Thakor Saheb Dharmendrasinhji, and sold to an English collector in 1968. Now the current Crown Prince, Yuvraj Mandhatsinh Jadeja, has bought the car, bidding via the Internet at an auction, and will gift it to his father Manoharsinh Jadeja on his 75th birthday on November 29. Bearing chassis number 188PY and named after the legendary 563-carat sapphire "Star of India", it was made as a representative vehicle in 1934 for Thakor Saheb. "It's a great symbol of a bygone era. This is a special gift for my father -- it was used at his wedding ceremony," said Mandhatsinh. Mandhatsinh says he paid "more than Rs 3 crore" to buy the car at the Germany auction in September.

"Fiat doesn't need Italy"

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says the Italian car giant does not need Italy anymore. "Not one euro of Fiat's 2-million-euro profit came from Italy." During an interview on RAI state television on a popular Sunday-evening talk show, Marchionne blamed rigid unions and labour law for its money-losing Italian operation. "We still have a loss," Marchionne said. "If we were to eliminate that Italian side from our results, Fiat would do better."

RED LIGHT DISTRICT

PRAGUE-Frustrated by speeders, police in several Czech towns have erected cutouts along the road of a policewoman in a miniskirt. One mayor insisted it is the officer’s uniform, not her legs, that causes drivers to slow down.

INGENIOUS OWNER SAVES RARE PORSCHE FROM FLOOD WITH FLOATING PARKING SPOT

The owner of what appears to be a rare 964 Porsche 911 saved his car from the floodwaters encroaching his or her property near Louisville, Kentucky with the help of what looks like an inflatable cushion tethered to the house. April's severe weather wasn't limited to just tornadoes as flooding occurred across large swaths of the country, including in Kentucky along the Ohio River. Given the height of the property above the river, this landowner seems to recognize the threat of flooding. But what of the car? With a garage on the floor level it looked like the owner went the extra step to make certain his/her pride and joy wasn't destroyed using an inflatable raft tied to the corner of the house (presumably so the 911 doesn't float in the wrong hands). Exactly what 964 is worth this kind of treatment? Hard to tell from an aerial shot, but the widebody kit and overall look indicates it could be one of the Porsche America Roadsters, of which only 250 were made. Even if it wasn't, only 702 C2 turbo-look roadsters were ever built.