HONDA has joined the big league, becoming the third most valuable car company in the world.

The company's leap puts it 97th in the list of the world's most profitable companies.

The only car makers ahead of Honda are Toyota (at 28) and Daimler Chrysler (81).

Other major car makers are placed much lower. General Motors is at 126, Nissan 131, Ford 156, BMW 166 and VW 210.

Honda's cars have also proved themselves to be valuable.

When five of the new Jazz superminis went to auction recently they went under the hammer for the average figure of £10,200 or 95.4 per cent of the car's new cost.

The bids are regarded as amazing in a trade where any car usually loses hundreds as soon as it leaves the showroom.

The average price of three Honda CR-Vs was £16,200, representing 93.4 per cent of the new cost.

Honda's Insight, the petrol-electric hybrid, is not doing so well. The company is selling used examples (they've covered 8,000 miles) on the internet at under £10,000 well under the new price of £17,000.