The Motor Vehicle Sales Amendments Bill has passed its final reading in parliament and will become law in a months time - bringing more fine tuning then major change.

The changes include: clarifying that markets for vehicles such as TradeMe, Sella and car fairs do not need to be registered as traders; requiring firms to advise the Ministry of Economic Development of any changes in management; and raising the threshold of liability in cases the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal can cover.

The Bill was passed under urgency and with little fanfare, other than the usual time-wasting by opposition parties when the house sits under those rules. It was passed unanimously and with broad support.

If you want to test the relationship with your financier, next week's Turners Auctions Prestige Auction will no doubt find the limit!

An estimated $2.4 million dollars in vehicles will be under the hammer, headlined by a pair of Rolls Royce Phantoms, three Porsche Carreras, and a host of rare luxury vehicles.

The centrepiece of the auction catalogue is a 2003 Rolls Royce Phantom; bought brand new in 2003 for $1,000,000 this car is one of only three in New Zealand and is estimated to sell for upwards of $300,000.

Used import vehicles top the list of the most stolen vehicles in New Zealand this week, but this is more down to their attractiveness than origin according to the IMVIA.

Top of the list was the Nissan Silvia, Honda Torneo, Nissan Skyline, Subaru Impreza and Subaru Forester according to AA insurance. The list was based on the percentage of theft against the number of policies held on those vehicles by the firm.

“Imported or older vehicles have less security than New Zealand-new vehicles,” says Suzanne Wolton, head of corporate affairs, AA Insurance. “Because they lack the latest security features, such as electronic locking, alarms and immobilisers, second-hand imported vehicles make it easier for thieves to pick and choose their targets.”

Succession planning and the opportunity to appoint a new chair are behind the decision to not reappoint an existing board member of Vehicle Testing Group - the Motor Trade Association owned parent of the VTNZ inspection and compliance chain.

As published in Tuesday’s Autotalk, the board is seeking to fill the open seat from October 2010.

VTG Director, Mark Dwight, will not be reappointed on the board of VTG.