A Mini Cooper ? its roof bedecked in a Bermuda flag, the words 'Follow me to Bermuda' atop and below ? has travelled the roads, highways and byways of the eastern seaboard of the United States over the past year, a free advertisement for the Department of Tourism courtesy of Sandys Rotarian David Sullivan.

Mr. Sullivan was appointed Governor of Rotary International District 7230 for the period spanning June 2003 through June 2004, responsible for Rotary clubs in Staten Island, Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester County and Bermuda.

It was obvious he had to commute, and that he couldn't do it all by plane.

"I was either going to make Hertz, Avis or somebody else rich and so I said what the heck, I'll buy my own car and sell it at the end of the exercise," he explained.

"I figured that I would've spent the same amount of money renting cars. So I put the Bermuda logo on it and the Bermuda flag on it, as well as all 47 names of the Rotary clubs in my District ? just one Rotarian's effort to support tourism by publicising Bermuda."

The Rotarian said his wife, Janice, shared turns behind the wheel when she accompanied him on trips.

"We took it up to Vermont, we took it down to Maryland ? it was all over the eastern seaboard. And as you can imagine, we got quite a few stares out on the open highway with our little Mini Cooper with the Bermuda flag on top of it.

"It was terrific. A great conversation piece. We drove it to a number of Rotary functions throughout the year and it really was the talk of the town ? and still is, I guess."

Mr. Sullivan said that he purchased the car last July, but had to give it up as the period of his Governorship came to an end. As a memento, members of Rotary International presented him with a scale model of the green Mini Cooper which shuttled him about the District ? a distance of 10,000 miles.

"It was a great little car and I was sad to give it up but I sold it because I couldn't bring it back to Bermuda. Size-wise, it was appropriate. But it's more than six months old so I couldn't bring it back in. It really is terrific that they did that for me. At least I've got the scale model on my mantel."