HAVE YOU GOT A RARE OLD MICHELIN MAN IN YOUR GARAGE?

If you have, it could star in a major exhibition of automotive memorabilia. Michelin, the world leading tyre manufacturer and publisher of the top restaurant guides is today launching a campaign to find vintage versions of its famous figurehead.

Michelin Man - or Bibendum as he is known - has been used on posters, advertisements, signs and books in the UK since 1905 and many drivers used Michelin Man models to brighten up their trucks or buses. Michelin currently celebrating its 100th year in Great Britain and is prepared to buy unusual examples so that they can be included in an exhibition which will take place at its factories in Stoke-on-Trent, Ballymena and Dundee starting later this year.

Jim Rickard, Managing Director of Michelin UK is keen to complete the exhibition as soon as possible:

"The Michelin Man is one of the best known trademarks in the world and over the last 100 years in this country it has been used thousands of times. But we are still short of early British posters, Red Guides, ads and other material for the centenary. If people look at our web site - www.michelin.co.uk - they will see the sort of things we are looking for. If they follow the links onto our special centenary site and then click on 'Memorabilia' we would be delighted to hear from them."

Michelin say that there is quite a passion for Bibendum collecting around the world - indeed there is an annual auction of Michelin Man collectables in France. But it is British material that the Company is searching for and they are looking for items as varied as 1930's Red Guides, Michelin maps prepared for the allied invasion of Europe in World War 2 and pre 1940 Michelin tyres. With the centenary year only a few weeks old, Michelin Man hunters need to get on the trail as soon as possible.