Drop in sales signals end of the road for the Chelsea tractor

Critics have denounced them as vulgar, obese, thirsty and flatulent. And now Britain’s love affair with gas-guzzling 4×4 cars may be finally evaporating in a cloud of fumes. For the first time since the so-called “Chelsea tractors” emerged as the vehicle of choice for footballers’ wives and parents anxious to cut a dash on the school run, sales have dipped.

…But the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders believes that green activists may be celebrating too soon. A spokesman pointed out that the dip in sales of 4×4s in the first six months of 2006 was only 0.1 per cent compared with total car sales, which were down 4.2 per cent.
The Independent