The Best of The Weird World of Wheels

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It's safe to say the damage probably didn’t polish out

30 November 2007

Over the past two years we’ve brought you the strangest automotive-related news from the motoring world in the The Weird World of Wheels.

Alex Eckford takes a look back at the best moments.

Ferrari flambé

We’ve featured spontaneous supercar combustion on more than one occasion in the Weird World of Wheels.

The Dutch drivers of this Ferrari 599 GTB had stopped at some traffic lights when they saw smoke coming from the front of the car.

The smoke quickly turned into flames, and the driver and passenger made a hasty exit as the front half of the supercar was totally destroyed.

It's safe to say the damage probably didn’t polish out.

When bees attack

The quote of 2006 came from US volunteer fire chief Kent Gilbert, who was one of the first on the scene when teenager Jacqueline Cossairt crashed her SUV into a tree full of bees.

The swarm of angry bees engulfed the car, stinging Cossairt, a bystander, a paramedic and seven firefighters who had arrived at the scene, near Fort Wayne in Indiana.

Ken's quote? "Those bees were mad."

Valet parking girls

Who can forget the girls who started it all?

The very first Weird World of Wheels in January 2006 featured the Californian company with a difference - Valet Girls Parking.

Still going strong today, VGP has been challenging this traditionally male only preserve on the other side of the pond since 1983.

Company founder (and clever cookie) Brad Saltzman said all the lady parkers possess: "a flawless driving record and a great smile".

Sat-nav calamity

Over the past two years sat-nav technology has flourished, directing millions of drivers to destinations the world over.

But ocassionally, just occasionally, they do get your car smashed up and dragged half a mile down a train track.

As 20-year-old student Paula Ceely found out.

The Redditch resident was on a 150-mile trip to see her boyfriend in Carmarthenshire, when she found her path blocked by a metal gate.

Ms Ceely steeped out of her car, opened the gate, drove through and was about to get back into her vehicle.

She looked down to see train tracks under her feet. And heard the sound of a train horn.

The train smashed into the student’s car at 60mph, spinning it round and pushing it 800 metres.

Ms Ceely said: “The crossing wasn't shown on the satnav, there were no signs at all and it wasn't lit up to warn of an oncoming train. People should be more careful with satnavs - you never know where they might lead you.”

Careful Mr Shifter

Pianos have rarely been featured in The Weird World of Wheels, but to be fair this one was on wheels (and on the back of a lorry).

G&R Removals of Chiswick have been counting the cost of some slippery-fingered employees who wrote off a £45,000 grand piano this week.

The company were delivering the instrument to the annual Two Moors classical music festival in Devon, and encountered some tricky terrain.

The movers lost their grip on the 9 foot 6 inch-long Bosendorfer, which fell off the back of the lorry, bounced twice, before landing upside down on some gravel steps.

Over 100 supporters of the festival had stumped up the cash for the piano, which was to be the festival's main attraction.

Festival organiser Penny Adie said: "This was my worst nightmare. It was going to be so magical for the festival to have its own piano, a dream come true."

Monster ball

Here's a list of things you wouldn't want to see in your rear view mirror - a Tyrannosaurus Rex, rising flood waters, Jade Goody…

A 1,500lb wrecking ball would also be most unwelcome.

That's what Pennsylvania resident Alex Habay saw after his Ford Taurus was written-off by a bouncing sphere of destruction.

The ball had broken free from a crane being used to demolish a nearby college, rolled down a hill towards the town centre, and hit Mr Habay's car as he sat at traffic lights.

Mr Habay said: "All of a sudden, the back windshield exploded and I hit the car in front of me."

Police told the 20-year-old he was saved by eight footballs resting on his back seat which had lessened the impact.

And speaking of things you wouldn't want to see in your rear view mirror…

Cops and robber

To go on the rob takes nerve. Or stupidity. While you're in the stupidity ballpark, why not try and up the ante by attempting to make your getaway in a police car?
Plain clothes officers in an unmarked police car were called to a train station car park in Hertfordshire. A thief who'd made off with £7,000 of takings from a bowling alley had been spotted in the area.

Before they could say 'evenin' all', the coppers were delighted to find said suspect climbing into the back of their car, asking them to drive away.
Before he had the chance to realise his mistake, the officers locked the doors, turned round and said: "You're nicked".

One policeman later said: "The look on his face was priceless."

In pictures:

Russian subway crash

Amazingly, no one was hurt (not even the driver) when this Lada plunged into a subway in Russia.

Parking on the ceiling

A tricky one to explain to the insurers.

“Would the owner of the gigantic wiener please move his buns?”

As a parking officer working in Chicago you might expect to ticket a few vehicles in one day.

A saloon, a sports car, maybe even an improperly parked bike.

But not a massive sausage.

An Oscar Meyer Wienermobile (above), invented by Carl G. Meyer in 1936, was illegally parked on a six-lane road in the windy city, when it was spotted, and ticketed, by a police officer.

The officer radioed for a tow truck, but the driver returned to the vehicle, which was on a nationwide tour on behalf of Kraft Foods, before it arrived.

Kraft spokesperson Sydney Linder said: “Illegal parking is against company policy, even if you're driving a company vehicle that's shaped like a giant hot dog."

Video

A moment of pure gold from the video archives.

Eagle-eyed video enthusiasts might spot this video of a traffic junction in India has been visited by the speeding-up fairy (note the pedestrians walking as though they're in a silent movie), but the next time you feel angry about being cut up at a junction, come back to this page.

Click the play button below to start the video.