Audi launches A5 Sport back to coincide with 100th anniversary

This week Audi is 100 years old, Zammo is a bit younger, and has 32 models. That's almost twice as many as the Dreamy Nights remedial massage centre and solarium down the road. Model 32, tentatively called Olga but more likely to be known as the A5 Sportback, arrived yesterday.
In the first six months of the year Audi was the top premium model seller and only 12% down on its record breaking 2008.
So, why?
Well there has been no let up in a stream of new models over the last three years and the niche availability is legend. If you are called Sid Sausage and live in Ponteland, Audi has a model just for you.
But if I was to try and define that special something I would say it is confidence. And that often comes through on car launches
Audi will take you to a tasteful mountain chateaux and serve fine wines. The following day driving will be sensible and relaxed so that you test the car not your co-driver's ability to read road signs at 110mph as you battle to make it through the route before the world ends.
From the same stable, VW was confident enough to take hacks on a tram along Blackpool prom and when Seat is not organising a market-defining beach party and skinny dip it is launching Ibizas in Morecambe. And even the London luvvies turned up to study the ay oop and cloth cap culture.
In contrast I can think of Japanese makers who have locked journalists in a hot room while someone read out the entire press pack before insisting on a 200 mile test route and a swim across the nearest lake.
Ford and Vauxhall can be relied upon to, and it is a reflection of their cars, do more or less the same thing every time. Volvo and SAAB, inevitably will ask you to join them sexing reindeers on the sub-zero tundra before driving on a frozen lake. You know, just like we do at home.
Mazda PRs seem to lean towards the left field with temporary curry houses and once an inflatable pub. Best for me was cookery lessons at Rick Steins school and a meander around Cornwall. Again a company reporting success in the face of nuclear winter.
The French launch in England more often than not. Well it is a foreign country to them and once Peugeot went camping. Brave move.
And so what of our own lamented British manufacturers.
Well the few that are left making kit cars in garden sheds couldn't launch a decent full toss at a drunken batsman. As for the former Austin-Rover-MG-BL circus, it's a long time now but I do recall meeting Queen Victoria on one launch and the Metro was unveiled at the Churchill Hotel which I think is in Portman square. The cars didn't move but the roof lining of one fell off.
Says it all really.