A snippet in The Times today says Sir Elton John's Mercedes Benz 600 Series is on eBay for £20,000 and asks whether this is a sign of the credit crunch biting.

Well, in a word, no.

Whoever wrote the gossip piece should have checked Parker's price guide first.

After finding the advertisement I discovered it is clear the car, despite its famous owner and appearing to be immaculate, is overpriced.

It turns out the car is a 1993 model and has covered 56,000 miles.

According to Parker's price guide this model originally cost £93, 500.

Today Parker's says an independent dealer could shift the car with this mileage for £7,390 while a private seller should price it at £6,640 if it is in good condition.

Check out the link and see what you think: motors.shop.ebay.com/cqtranslate/_W0QQ_armrsZ1QQ_catZ6333QQ_msppZQQ_pcatsZ6311Q2c6001Q2c6000

Meanwhile I turned into a gawping 10-year-old child last week when I visited the Autosport International Show at the NEC.

Among the tasty track cars and high performance products was a reassuringly busy crowd.

Although some of the products may be seen as luxuries, it was good to see so many people at the event at a time when we are supposed to be in a recession.

I heard plenty of talk about new products and even another about a company expanding its franchise.

Despite the gloomy economy there are still a fair few companies bucking the trend.