Ahoy-hoy folks, and thanks for joining us for this year’s annual Buyers’ Guide issue. I trust you’ve poured a hot cup of joe and tucked into our 15 categories of some 300-plus vehicles with satisfaction.

This book is a perpetually bizarre beastie for those of us slaving away on it behind the scenes. Revisiting issue from the ’80s is a constant source of entertainment around our offices, usually ending with one of our scribes preaching from their cubical on models that have come and gone, categories that have been chopped and changed, or the seemingly immortal Ford Ranger.

Actually, along those lines, this spring officially marks half a decade since Yours Truly left the halls of academia and took up auto writing. Sure, it’s a mere drop in the career bucket, but I still felt the need to mark the occasion with a bottle of Old Tennis Shoe and a nostalgic trip through my archive (a microwave box stuffed next to the washing machine).

Funny thing is, after hours of reflective reading, I realized that much like those Buyers’ Guides, I’ve seen uncanny change too — but in only the 1,825 days or so since I put pen to paper… ahem… fingers to keyboard. Even the first new car I road tested, the Suzuki Aerio, has been sent out to pasture in that time.

Leaned up against our Maytag, surrounded by back issues, I began a rough list of all the automotive happenings I’ve witnessed in just the last 260 weeks. Here’s a small snapshot:

2002

- Ferrari announces the Enzo, an audacious, F1-inspired supercar named for the company’s founder.

- GM’s Cadillac Northstar LMP bows out of ALMS racing so the automaker can concentrate on its Chevrolet Corvette program.

- Ford debuts a new Thunderbird, sharing a platform with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type. It’s discontinued in 2005.

- The Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10 debuts in Detroit, becomes Guinness’ Fastest production pickup in 2004 before ending production in 2006.

- Back from the brink of bankruptcy, Mitsubishi re-enters the Canadian market.

- Introduced as a 2003 model, Cadillac’s rear-drive CTS kicks off the renaissance at Cadillac.

- Looking to increase the cache of its brand worldwide, VW launches the six-figure Phaeton sedan. Built in a glass-walled, hardwood-floored factory in Dresden, Germany, the brilliant sedan never catches on in North America where the VeeDub badge can’t carry the reputation of Mercedes-Benz and its ilk. The Phaeton bows out of Canada in 2006.

2003

- The second generation of Dodge’s Viper debuts, bumping its horsepower 100 ponies over the original car to 500 and — oh, the horror — adding ABS brakes.

- After two failed attempts, Bentley’s closed-cockpit Speed 8 wins the LMGTP class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its debut in 2001 ended the brand’s 73-year absence from top-level racing

- Rolls-Royce Phantom production begins in Goodwood, England; it’s the first Roller built by the British automaker’s new German parent BMW, following a messy split from Bentley and its new parent, Volkswagen.

- Ford celebrates its 100th anniversary. To commemorate the event, it unleashes the GT supercar, styled after the classic GT40 racing cars of the 1960s.

- BMW’s gorgeous, all-aluminum Z8 quietly retires. Aficionados gently weep.

- Mazda debuts the RX-8, the only rotary-powered sports car on the planet.

- The last original Volkswagen Beetle is built in Puebla, Mexico.

2004

- Dubbed the Winston Cup since 1972, NASCAR’s top-level racing series changes it name to the NEXTEL Cup for the 2004 season.

- Nissan debuts its truly full-size Titan pickup truck, only the second Japanese automaker to do so. Detroit looks over its shoulder.

- After an unbelievable 28 years in production, the Lotus Esprit is retired, gorgeous as ever.

- Toyota becomes the first import automaker to have a major presence in NASCAR racing, joining the Craftsman Truck Series.

- The Chrysler Crossfire debuts, a symbol of the DaimlerChrysler merger; it’s all Mercedes-Benz SLK parts underneath an American-penned skin.

- Ford’s Mustang turns 40.

- Mercedes-Benz diminutive Smart Fortwo comes to Canada.

2005

- Acura’s “New Sportscar experimental,” better known as the NSX, retires after 15 years in production.

- Under the parentage of Volkswagen, Bugatti begins assembly of its Veyron supercar, powered by an 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16, capable of nearly 1,000 hp.

- Honda launches its first North American pickup truck, the Alliston, Ontario-built unibody Ridgeline.

- After a failed attempt at a luxury pickup truck in the US with the maligned Blackwood, Lincoln debuts its Mark LT — basically a blinged-up F-150.

- China’s Nanjing Automobile Group purchases Britain’s MG brand.

2006

- On the first of the year, former Chrysler Group president, Dr. Z (Dieter Zetsche) becomes head of Mercedes-Benz. Canadian Tom LaSorda takes over his top spot at the Auburn Hills automaker.

- Henry’s great-grandson Bill Ford hands over the reins of his family’s company to ex-Boeing CEO Alan Mulally.

- Subaru’s quirky Baja pickup truck thingy is retired after four years on the market.

- The fifth-generation Volkswagen Golf comes to Canada, promptly switching to the Rabbit nameplate. The badge is revived after more than 20 years in hopes of bring back VW’s reputation as a value brand.

- The last of Chevrolet’s retro, folding hardtop, performance pickup trucks, the SSR, is built.

- Michael Schumacher officially retires from F1 racing after winning seven championships.

2007

- Honda’s luxury arm, Acura, turns 20.

- After a nine-year marriage, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler divorce, ending the saga of DaimlerChrysler.

- In his rookie F1 season, 22-year-old Lewis Hamilton wins four races and finishes second in the 2007 Championship, behind Kimi Raikkonen.

- NASCAR has its first high-level race in Canada with a Busch Series event at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

- Ford sells British sports car maker Aston Martin to a British consortium led by David Richards of Prodrive after almost 20 years of ownership.

- After winning NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series title in 2006, Toyota enter the top-level Nextel Cup and Busch Series with its Camry.

There you have it folks, a mere sniff at the auto events from the last five years. Keeping up with it is a full-time job — believe me. In the time it took to write this column, Ford announced it had basically sold Land Rover and Jaguar to India’s Tata Motors and GM unveiled a new generation of its Cadillac CTS-V capable of 550 hp! Looks like the next five years will be just as busy. Back to work then…