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Vertical Parking Locator
Date: April Fool's Day, 2003
Categories: Cars, Businesses, Australia, 2003, Fictitious Products, Street Pranks, BMW
Car-maker MINI placed ads in several Australian papers describing a new space-saving technology: the Vertical Parking Locator (VPL), which allowed MINIs to park vertically on the side of buildings. Their press release stated:
The world-first VPL allows MINI Coopers to be parked vertically against walls, thus saving substantial parking space. ASC+T-backed VPL gives MINIs sufficient traction to attain and maintain an erect parking position and to cling securely to the side of the designated building. All-but seamless in operation, VPL makes its presence felt via a subtle frisson of vibration as the traction system is activated. A warning jingle recorded by a string quartet in the key of G also sounds.

To demonstrate the technology MINI placed one of their cars on the side of the Woolworths building in George Street, Sydney.
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All text Copyright © 2011 by Alex Boese, except where otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.