1 August 2001: Ford is the top car company in a list of top 100 international brands published by Business Week magazine, coming in at Number 8. BW comments that 'the Firestone and other quality gaffes' have hit the world's Number Two carmaker, and its 'brand value' has dropped 17% to just under $31 billion.

Next in the listings is Mercedes-Benz, at Number 12 and worth $21.73 billion. The brand has increased its value by 3% and BW says it 'owns' the market for luxury sedans, 'but moving downmarket is proving troublesome'.

Toyota comes in the list at Number 14, worth $18.58 billion. BW says 'watch out, Detroit'. BMW at Number 22 is worth $13.86 billion and 'thriving after cutting Rover loose'. Volkswagen' Number 35 place in world brands is worth just $7.34 billion, but the name still represents the 'People's Car' and its engineering excellence makes it Europe's best seller.

No other carmaker drives into the Top 100, though car-renter Hertz (owned by Ford) rolls in at Number 71, worth $3.62 billion.

For the record, the biggest brand in the world remains Coca Cola ($68.95 billion), and Number 100 is Bennetton ($1 billion).

NOTE: The figures given above are NOT the net value of the companies concerned, but an estimate of what their 'brand' is worth, calculated from a series of complex elements by specialist company Interbrand. The criteria were that the brands had to be global in nature and deriving 20% or more of sales from outside their home country, and with publicly available marketing and financial data on which to base the valuation. The full list is available in .pdf form from www.businessweek.com BB