• If you have a garage “use it” and lock it. If you have gates ensure these are locked. Consider using an alarm for you garage and gates.
• Leaving items on show is an invitation – Mobile phones, electronic equipment, coins, sunglasses, tools, clothing and bags should be removed from the vehicle or placed in the boot.
• Keys and ignition fobs should be kept safe and out of sight and reach – a common way to steal a car or van is to take the keys or ignition fob, either when left in the vehicle or from your home through burglary
• Always lock and close the windows of your vehicle when unattended – on the drive, the petrol station forecourt or when parking an unlocked vehicle is the easiest to steal or steal from. When away from home, consider using a Park Mark approved car park
• Fit theft resistant number plate fittings – stolen number plates are commonly used to hide the identity of stolen vehicles. Use one-way clutch head screws to secure plates
• Use a steering wheel lock and/or a lock that fits over the gear lever. Alternatively a security box can be fitted over the pedals to prevent thefts when the vehicle is parked up
• Double check: Listen out for the sound of your doors locking, lights flashing and/or mirrors closing. If you don’t hear or see this it make sure to double check
• Fit a tracker: These devices can alert you when your car is active and if it’s travelling in a new area.
An application to build new homes in Telford is facing opposition.
Port of Leith Housing Association has lodged plans to build eleven flats on the site of the shops on Telford Drive, but one resident has appealed to Drylaw Telford Community Council to challenge the application.
At one time there was a row of shops on the site at the heart of the scheme – older readers may recall a fish and chip shop, a haberdashery and a general store there – but the last remaining convenience store closed last year.
The nearest shops for Telford residents are at Ferry Road ‘shopping centre’ in Drylaw or over the busy Telford Road at Craigleith Retail Park – and at least one Telford woman thinks this is wrong.
She told Drylaw Telford Community Council: “When the shop closed in January 2020 it was to make way for flats and a convenience store included, but with covid that all fell through.
“We have waited on the same plans to re-emerge, only to find out that the council are giving planning permission according to a report in Edinburgh live yesterday , for the flats only.
“I am outraged as our nearest shop is the Today store in Drylaw and it is a long journey for most and to carry shopping is very hard.
“I have lived in this street for over 50 years and we have always had a shop here – Sohil the shop owner was reluctant to give up this land but he was promised a new shop would be built and he would have a choice to come back and run it.
“The residents of Telford Drive need a shop in our street – not everyone has a car.”
Drylaw Telford Community Council will discuss the application at their August meeting.
England is about to play in its first major football final since lifting the World Cup trophy in 1966 (Really? I hadn’t heard!- Ed.) Some may even remember those who took to the field for the legendary match, but who can remember the automotive stars of that year?
Newspress runs down the perfect starting 11 that cornered the market 55 years ago:
Goalkeeper – Ford Cortina Mk2
Did defending jobs get any bigger? Tasked with protecting the fastest-selling legacy of the original Mk1 Cortina, the Mk2 debuted in 1966 with a sharper, wider exterior and an all-new 1,300cc engine.
It did indeed prove to be a perfect match for car buyers, becoming Britain’s most popular car in 1967 and offering everything from a spartan four-door version right up to the later 1600E and Lotus-powered version.
Strictly speaking, the Renault 16 first hit the roads in 1965, but it made its biggest impact in 1966 when it lifted the European Car of the Year trophy.
It outgunned its competition with its forward-thinking design that, most notably, included the addition of a practicality-enhancing hatchback. Under its new-fangled sheet-metal there was a 1,500cc engine and a front-wheel drive layout, the latter also contributing to its spacious interior.
Stirling Moss was said to be a fan and almost 16 million were made during its 15-year production run.
Okay, it didn’t have the girth of the full-fat 420G, but Jaguar’s 1966-launched 420 would not have been a bad shout as an automotive goalie.
Being based on the S-Type, it was still a decent size and, perhaps more importantly, was a pretty nimble mover thanks to the 4.2-litre straight-six, twin-carburettor XK motor under its new forward-hinged bonnet.
Road tests at the time reported it to be good for 0-60mph in under 10 seconds and a top speed in the region of 125mph. Production ceased in 1968 so owning a survivor means you’re certainly winning in the rarity stakes.
Centre back – Volvo 140 (Surely ‘Centre-Half’, chaps? – Ed.)
The 140 series gave birth to the concept of the boxy Volvo. Although mechanically it borrowed much from its predecessor, the Amazon, its styling was a radical departure.
Named Car of the Year in Sweden, it was available in both two- and four-door saloon variants (named 142 and 144 respectively), while the incredibly practical 5-door estate, the 145, arrived soon after.
Not surprisingly, it won many fans, and by the time it was replaced by the 240 series in 1974, Volvo had found homes for more than a million of them.
Launched in 1966, the Corolla would go on to become the world’s best-selling car, even eclipsing the venerable Volkswagen Beetle.
It had distinctly humble beginnings, having been influenced by the company’s experience with the Toyota Publica, an air-cooled, two-cylinder car itself inspired by the 2CV.
But with rising competition from the Datsun 1000, Toyota upped the stakes with an 1,100c engine. Exciting it might not have been, but it was dependable, a winning formula the company continues today.
The last project founder Battista Pininfarina was involved with, the Spider was based on the mechanicals from the Giulia, including its suspension and twin-cam four-cylinder engines.
From the moment it launched at the Geneva Motor Show, the Spider looked like a film star, and only a year later it found itself a starring role in The Graduate alongside Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.
Based on the DKW F102, the Audi 80 took the Auto Union-derived underpinnings and updated the concept with a range of four-stroke, four-cylinder engines developed in conjunction with Daimler-Benz. With the thirsty and troublesome two-strokes abandoned, the 80 began to prove not just itself, but also the idea of front-wheel-drive to a previously sceptical Volkswagen. Want to score your own? https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1358491
Right half – BMW 02
When originally wheeled out at Geneva, this entry-level BMW wore a 1600-2 badge depicting, in typically Germanic logical fashion, a 1,600cc car with two doors.
A souped-up version, the 1600 TI, followed a year later, but the model is perhaps most recognisable when wearing a 2002 badge and sporting a 2.0-litre powerplant. Want to score your own? 1968 BMW 1600-2 FOR SALE | Car and Classic
Left wing – Jensen Interceptor
Italian styling, a torque-laden 6.3-litre V8 engine, and a name to die for meant this Birmingham-built grand tourer is forever etched into this country’s conscience.
The Interceptor’s FF stablemate can arguably claim the crown as the first production car equipped with both all-wheel-drive and anti-lock braking. As a testament to the impact the Jensen had on car buyers in the Sixties, it also inspired one parent to name their famous son after it. Want to score your own? 1969 Jensen Interceptor 7.2lt Auto – stunning restoration For Sale | Car and Classic
Striker – Lamborghini Miura
Variously described as the prettiest car ever designed or, more simply, ‘the one with the eyelashes’, the Miura could also be branded the original skunkworks car.
Largely the product of Lamborghini’s engineering team working in their spare time, legend has it that company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini was against the idea of a rear mid-engined, two-seat sports car.
All doubts would have quickly faded away, however, when the first concepts were shown to a breathless public in 1965. One year later, the car made its debut wearing the name of a Spanish fighting bull, a new badge to match, and a 3.9-litre transverse V12 and transaxle. Football fans might be more likely to remember it as the car that sets the scene for The Italian Job. Want to score your own? Lamborghini Miura for sale – Pistonheads
Right wing – Lotus Europa
A cutting-edge slice of high-tech engineering, when the Lotus Europa arrived in 1966 it combined Grand Prix engineering principles with sports car sensibilities.
Taking the mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive concept that Colin Chapman and his team had championed through F1, it was designed to bring racing tech to production cars, but had the Lotus mantra of ‘added lightness’ written all over it.
Strictly a two-seater, despite its size, the Europa used a boxed-steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass moulded body, à la the Lotus Elan, but was powered by a choice of Renault engines as well as Hethel’s famous Twin Cam unit. These were not that powerful but, with kerbweights from just 660kg, every little helped.
Like many Lotus models of that era, it enjoyed a long life in production, yet was never a big seller. It finally disappearing in 1975 with just over 9,200 examples built. Want to score your own? 1971 Lotus Europa S2 For Sale | Car And Classic
Some Information for our younger readers:
The formation in those good old days was 2-3-5
1 Goalkeeper
2 Right Back
3 Left Back
4 Right Half
5 Centre Half
6 Left Half
7 Right winger
8 Inside right
9 Centre Forward
10 Inside Left
11 Outside Left
England played West Germany in the final of the 1966 World Cup, which was held in England. I won’t spoil things by telling you who won … !
· 30 new Renault ZOE available in Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen
· Supporting local communities’ and businesses’ transition to shared low- and zero-emission motoring
· Part of a wider investment including electric vans and hydrogen vehicles
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has unveiled 30 new electric Renault ZOE as part of its rental fleet in Scotland. They will offer more zero-emission transport options for businesses and local residents needing to drive as Scotland emerges from lockdown.
The vehicles will be located at Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. They are part of the company’s wider investment in offering sustainable motoring options in Scotland and across the UK.
Enterprise already offers a range of low emission vehicles and is rolling out a number of fully electric vans and working with Toyota to trial hydrogen cars with selected corporate customers.
Police Scotland is one of a number of organisations that is renting the new Enterprise Renault ZOE fleet. The Renault ZOE is a fully electric vehicle, with a 52-kWh capacity with up to 245 miles of range.
Enterprise is seeing growing support for its electric vehicle fleet, both rental and car club, across the UK. An analysis of user data shows that while the majority of renters drive fewer than 50 miles when they use an electric vehicle, many are regular users and happy to drive an electric car for 100 miles or more per day.
“We see rental as a way of facilitating change because it enables people to try out zero-emission electric vehicles for a short period of time,” saidDiane Mulholland, General Manager for Enterprise Scotland.
“We will be using our new ZOE fleet to ensure our employees are familiar with EV technology and act as experts to help customers understand the benefits of these vehicles and overcome any concerns they may have.
“We are planning to encourage all our customers to try EVs. That means replacement customers who get a car from their insurance company when their vehicle is being repaired will have an EV option, as well as our business and leisure customers as lockdown eases.”
Enterprise is committed to the continued expansion of its fleet of fully electric vehicles in Scotland and in all other markets in which it operates. These vehicles will play a role in supporting Scotland’s move towards more sustainable transport, use of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) and introduction of Low Emission Zones in four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow next year.
In order to ensure employee and customer safety, Enterprise introduced its Complete Clean Pledge in 2020, which is an industry leading initiative that demonstrates the company’s commitment to excellent customer service and maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness.
The CCP further enhanced how all Enterprise vehicles are thoroughly cleaned between each rental. This includes washing, vacuuming, general wipe down, and sanitising with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements, with particular attention to more than 20 high-touch points.
Ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) registrations shot-up by 125% during 2020 compared to the year before, according to new figures from the Department for Transport.
There was more good news for ULEV manufacturers, with registrations speeding-up over the course of year, which helped put 179,000 registered cars on the road by the end of 2020.
After ULEVs, alternative fuel cars enjoyed 87% growth, with 338,000 vehicles being registered for the first time. Hybrid Electrics also proved popular as did Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) with 164,000 and 107,000 new registrations respectively. Tesla’s BEV Model 3 was the best-selling green car with over 22,000.
The growing popularity of greener cars was in contrast with the total vehicle registrations dropping 27% in 2020 compared to 2019. Diesel vehicles were particularly badly hit, down 51.
Britain’s favourite motor, the Ford Fiesta, shelved diesel altogether last year, although 47,600 new petrol versions were sold as the company introduced emission cutting technology.
With car showrooms closed for large parts of the year, the industry found new ways to fight back, with the introduction of click and collect technology to boost lockdown sales.
Greg Wilson, Founder of motoring and electric car insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk comments: “The car industry has had significant challenges, suffering dampened sales last year with lockdown closing showrooms, logistical complications with travel restrictions and the looming economic uncertainty making customers hesitant.
“The good news is restrictions are being lifted and there is plenty of enthusiasm for greener cars which made-up a remarkable number of new registrations in 2020.
“A growing number of high-end electric vehicles are rolling off the production line now, and high-end motors almost always cost more to insure. In addition, the spare parts for some types of electric vehicles can be harder to source at present, and mechanics that specialise in electric vehicles can be harder to find, two factors that insurers may well factor into their premiums for electric car insurance.
“Still, as electric cars become more mainstream and a growing number of insurance providers enter the electric car insurance market, we expect the average cost of insuring electric cars to fall steadily – both for consumers who are keen to invest in a more environmentally friendly motor for their family, and for businesses who decide to invest in a more sustainable ‘green fleet’.”
Figures show a steady increase breakdowns and average miles driven per day
More than a third of drivers say they are using their vehicles more for food shopping as well as trips to DIY stores
Ahead of this weekend’s announcement on how the UK might begin to ease the current lockdown restrictions, an RAC study confirms drivers are already using their cars more than they were earlier in the coronavirus lockdown.
The study analysed RAC ‘black box’ driving data, breakdown numbers and route planning figures since the lockdown began. Comparing the second week of lockdown with last week, 11% more cars were on the road and 23% more daily miles were driven, based on analysis of hundreds of thousands of trips taken by RAC Black Box Insurance customers with telematics units fitted.
Vehicle breakdowns are also up, with those attended by RAC patrols up by nearly a fifth (18%) across the same period.
The number of routes planned via the RAC Routeplanner is also increasing, suggesting a rise in trips being taken by drivers. More routes were planned on Monday 5 May 2020 than on any other day during the lockdown, with 16% more planned on this day than just a week earlier.
Comparing lockdown week two (w/c 30/3/20) with lockdown week six (w/c 27/4/20), there were:
11% more cars on the road
23% more daily miles driven
18% more RAC breakdowns
The data is supported by the findings of a new survey by the RAC which suggests that four-in-10 drivers (41%) admit they are now using their vehicles more frequently than earlier in the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
The survey of 1,500 drivers found that the top reason for using a car more was for food and grocery shopping (almost a quarter, 23% of drivers), while 9% said that they were doing so to pick up essential supplies or for trips to a pharmacy.
But worryingly, a small but appreciable 5% said they were using their vehicle more now to specifically purchase alcohol, while the same proportion (5%) said they were going out in the car specifically to visit DIY stores as Britons look to make home improvements while spending more time at home.
A slightly smaller proportion of drivers (4%) said they were using their car more to drive somewhere to do exercise, and the same percentage said they were using their vehicle more for work purposes.
A fraction of drivers (1%) said they were taking their car solely to give it a run, with the same proportion citing the reason as driving to a beauty spot. The same percentage (1%) said they driving to see relatives or friends though it is unclear whether these relatives are vulnerable and require assistance.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “There is now mounting evidence that people are venturing back out in their vehicles for more essential, as well as arguably non-essential journeys.
“This perhaps is being driven by lockdown fatigue and boredom while the sunny spring weather might also be enticing drivers back into their vehicles. Additionally, some who are indoors might have chosen to carry out home maintenance and DIY, so have taken an opportunity to visit DIY stores that are now open.
“Our own data clearly shows a slight, but nonetheless steady, rise in the number of drivers using their vehicles, and the distances they are travelling in them on a daily basis, compared with earlier in the lockdown. As we near the end of the seventh week of the lockdown, all eyes are on what the Government announces this weekend in terms of how and when movement restrictions might be lifted.
“Until anything concrete is confirmed, the current advice remains to only go out when necessary for essential purposes, or where you cannot work from home. Even where drivers need to head out to pick up food shopping, this should be done as infrequently as possible to help stop the spread of the virus. The question drivers should ask themselves before venturing out is ‘do I really need to?’
“By only using the car for essential journeys at this time, we’re not only helping prevent the virus spreading, but are also reducing the risk of being involved in a road collision and avoiding putting any further pressure on the NHS.”
The UK fuel supply chain took as much as 16.13p profit per litre from petrol drivers in the last two months. Despite falling wholesale and oil prices UK drivers aren’t seeing those significantly reduced costs reflected at the pumps. Continue reading Fair Fuel? Petrol profits skyrocket at motorists expense
German-manufactured cars are some of highest hit vehicles when it comes to theft, and if you accidently buy one then you could be the one in trouble.
●Cars most likely to be targeted by thieves have been revealed
●Every day, nearly 30 cars are identified as stolen and added to the Police National Computer
●Digital marketing agency, Colewood, secure deal with RAC to launch brand-new vehicle history check
Earlier in the year it was widely reported that UK car thefts were on the rise, which is a cause for concern. This makes buying a used car a risky business. Those who are looking to a grab a bargain with a car made by a German manufacturer may have even more need to be vigilant when looking to buy a second-hand vehicle. With car thefts being a growing issue, there’s several things that car buyers can do to ensure that they’re not purchasing a stolen vehicle.
Back in 2013, a shocking total of 70,053 cars were reported as stolen in England and Wales. Despite this being the lowest number of stolen cars in several years, these figures were set to rise over the next few years. In just three years, the number of vehicles taken without consent rose by a staggering 30%. The UK’s hotspot for stolen cars is London, with the West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester being the most likely targeted areas outside of London.
With that in mind, new research has shown what cars thieves tend to target. Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen and Audi were all featured on the list. The top 10 most stolen and recovered vehicles are:
1.Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2.BMW X5
3.Range Rover Sport
4.Mercedes-Benz E-Class
5.BMW 3 Series
6.Land Rover Discovery
7.Range Rover Autobiography
8.BMW M3
9.VW Golf
10.Audi RS4
If you purchase a second-hand vehicle and you don’t know it’s stolen, police have every right to seize it if it’s registered as missing on their computer. Before buying off the used car market, it’s recommended that you carry out several checks.
Thankfully, a HPI check can do all the hard work for you. The RAC’s vehicle history check offers you peace of mind and lowers the risk of you making a mistake.
The RAC vehicle history report gives you vital information on the car’s past, as well as essential advice from motoring experts. They offer everything from a basic check for just £9.99 to a multi-vehicle check that allows you to check 5 vehicles from just £24.99.
Colewood’s Managing Director, Travis Coleman, said: “This service will assist used car buyers over the coming year in making the right decision about the used cars they are considering buying by providing them with, amongst other things, details of outstanding finance, insurance write off data, MOT history, and exclusive to our service; RAC breakdown data.”
Police are appealling for witnesses after 16 cars were vandalised in the south east of the city. The incidents, which occurred overnight Saturday 7th / Sunday 8th April, took place across the Grange, Morningside and Newington areas.Continue reading Cars targeted in Southside attacks
