Monte Carlo - it's the cars: Clarkson

It's worrying but I find I am drawn inexorably to the works of motoring correspondent Jeremy Clarkson. His pieces on Top Gear on the Fiesta doing a beach landing with the Royal Marines which was shown on UK television in December, and the programme about driving motorbikes the length of Vietnam, which was shown on Xmas Day, were an absolute delight.

And today while craftily reading his review of the new Volvo XC90 D5 SE R-Design, I see that he has views on Monte Carlo, traditional home of the annual EPCA conference, which chime with those of many in the petrochemical industry:

"As we know, Monte Carlo is a fairly horrible place full of prostitutes, wedding cake architecture and greasy little men who've learnt their English from baddies in James Bond films and who meet in bars at night to sell one another machineguns. It rains more than you might think, too.

And yet it is perceived to be a glamorous place simply because of the cars that prowl round Casino Square. Big is good. Low is better still. Red is best. And plainly, if Simon Cowell lived here, they'd put him on income support.

The cars are what makes Monaco look so good and it's the same story in Tokyo ..."