News In Brief

Talk about brand loyalty

For most folks, buying a car is a big deal. Well, maybe not for Marian Emerson, a Clinton, Ky., resident who has made it more of a regular experience. She has sprung for no fewer than 44 of them ... over 44 years. And they've all been Cadillacs. She made her most recent purchase last week, trading in a 2000 Sedan Deville that already had 19,059 miles on it. How did she cover so much distance in so little time? She is an avid bridge player - holding the rank of Life Master - and drives herself to wherever there's a tournament.

Next: madonna avenue?

Most Russian cities have a Lenin Street to commemorate the Communist revolutionary. But now, Chelyabinsk, an industrial town in the Ural Mountains, may be the first to have a Lennon Street. The tribute to the late Beatles musician was the idea of Valery Yarushin, a onetime Soviet rock star. The proposal passed city council with only two "no" votes. Yarushin's view of it: "Good sense won out."

Would-be car buyers appear most curious about Hondas

More Americans conducting online research about new cars or trucks they're interested in buying are requesting the most specific details about Hondas than any of their competitors, according to a new report. Chrome Data Corp. of Portland, Ore., which tracks automotive e-commerce, says consumers on average check at least 14 vehicles before they ask for such data as the price of an appealing model. So far this year, the company says, its statistics show the following are the most popular models among online shoppers in selected metropolitan areas:

Atlanta Honda Accord

Boston Volkswagen Passat

Chicago Honda Accord

Denver Honda Accord

Detroit Ford Focus

Houston Honda Accord

Los Angeles Honda Accord

New York Honda Accord

San Francisco Honda Accord

Seattle Honda Civic

Washington Honda Civic

- Business Wire

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society