1913: The Michelin Man Cuts Up Rough...

The Michelin Man! We like him. Back when I was a kid, Doreen, who lived next door-but-one to us, had the ashtray - and I coveted it. But here he is in an English newspaper advertisement from 1913, appearing to be quite a threatening figure, laying down the law to a terrified little man whilst puffing away on a cigar.

Well I never!

Of French origin, of course, his original name was Bibendum - apparently a Latin word for the act of drinking. Drinking and driving? Dunno, that foxes me. Over the years, he's evolved into a cuddly, much-loved icon of his company, well known just about everywhere. He first appeared over in France in 1898.