Business Notes ADVERTISING

If at first you don't succeed, then cheat like crazy. That seems to be the philosophy behind the making of an ad for Volvos. Print and TV commercials featured Bear Foot, a six-ton truck that drives over a row of cars, flattening them all -- except the Volvo. But last week the Swedish automaker withdrew the ad, admitting that the sturdy Volvo had a little help: steel posts welded to the chassis. When Volvo filmed the commercial last June in Austin, Bear Foot initially crushed everything in its path, including a Volvo. In view of 400 hired spectators, the production crew beefed up the dwindling supply of Volvos with the steel posts. Angry spectators prompted a state probe. In a settlement, Volvo agreed to pay Texas $316,000 in investigative costs and to run apologetic newspaper ads. Last Friday the U.S. Hot Rod Association staged a rematch. The Volvos held up well at first, but after a few passes, the truck won.