In my last piece I argued why there was no sense in the Grand Prix World Championship.

Within days of writing that, PSA (Peugeot and Citroën) announced that it was withdrawing both its works teams from the World Rally Championship from the end of 2005. The reigning World Champion, Sébastian Loëb (Citroën) leads the WRC. Citroën leads the Manufacturers' Championship and is sure to score PSA's fifth consecutive WRC title. Peugeot and Citroën are the Williams and McLaren of rallying.

The WRC has done wonders in reviving Citroën's image, but the twin rally efforts of Peugeot and Citroën cost an estimated £50 million each. Add to that the advertising campaigns to trumpet the success and the sums involved become huge.

The trouble is that image is not translating into sales. Both Peugeot and Citroën have seen sales fall in their home market over the past year yet the only reason for a manufacturer to be in motor sport is to shift metal from the showroom floor.

The great thing about Dietrich Mateschitz buying Jaguar Racing is that he does not have to justify it to bean counters. He has made his pile and wants to have fun with his dosh. He is going racing for the purest of intentions, because he has the money and he wants to do it.

It will probably do the sales of Red Bull no harm and there are perhaps ways in which the company can get tax relief. Red Bull has become an international brand and is to 'power' drinks what Guinness is to stout. What's the quickest way out of Liverpool? Red Bull and a slug of vodka.

Dietrich Mateschitz is putting his money where his heart is. He is not dealing with bean counters and corporate politics. He does not have to shift a single extra can of Red Bull to justify his being in Formula One.

When I was a kid there used to be a school playground rhyme:

My old man's got a Ford
Four square wheels and a board
A biscuit tin
With the engine in
My old man's got a Ford.

Most of those who recited it were lying, hardly any of us had an old man who owned even a tenth hand prewar Austin, but you get the picture. In the 1950s, the main reason for buying a Ford was that Ford's spares supply was in a class of its own. In those days, replacement parts played a big part in the life of any motorist.

As late as 1959, Ford made the 'Popular' with a solid front axle, a 30 bhp side valve engine, three speed gearbox and cable brakes. I don't think that a heater was even an optional extra, but then the engine warmed your feet.

The windscreen wipers were operated by a vacuum pump on the inlet manifold so, when you accelerated, the wipers slowed until they stopped, which was great at night in rain. The Ford Popular looked like a Gothic chapel on wheels and though a top speed of 60 mph was claimed no owner ever saw that.

In late 1959, Ford introduced the 105E Anglia, which had the best one litre engine of its time and a four speed gearbox which set the standard for every gearbox. Road testers would compare the gearchange on exotic cars to that on the Anglia and the highest praise was that a gearbox was 'as good as the Ford Anglia.' I don't think that Ferrari ever made the grade.