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With the banks currently announcing profits well beyond expectations the Government really needs to step in and start rattling their cages as they continue to lend to simply those that are safest but in many respects don’t need it as badly as those who have been struggling and whose credit history is less than perfect. I have never quite understood how someone (or company) who has experienced a problem and Read more »

Whilst I’ve been warning about long lead times for months now the industry has warned those that lease their cars to make arrangements earlier to replace their cars as some leasing companies are proving to be very inflexible with regard to lease extensions unless you are replacing your current car with another of the same make, especially where a captive funder has been used. Worst at the moment are VW Read more »

There’s all sorts of confusion about the VAT increase from 17.5% to 20% next January. The increase affects vehicles in different ways. If, as a business, you buy a car outright you cannot claim back any VAT at all, there is a 100% block. Even if the car is a pool car and only available for use by employees for occasional personal use (and not necessarily used by them) the 100% block will be applied. Even if an employee Read more »

Another report I mentioned earlier this year spoke about the likely move by drivers to winter or cold weather tyres following the severe weather last winter. Well the move has already started according to ATS Euromaster. No I don’t mean drivers are already fitting winter tyres in the middle of the summer. Orders are already being placed by ATS for winter tyres to the tune of £3 million. They already have forward Read more »

Over the years I have put forward many reasons why you should opt for Dealer HP over a personal loan (contrary to all advice given in the media). Your legal rights are so much greater when you take HP. If you have read my book An Insider Guide To Car Finance, or been a regular reader of my newsletter, you would know the reasons that I put forward. However, I have just uncovered a new one that you may Read more »

 I know I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall when I explain to customers that they should never simply look for the lowest rate when it comes to leasing a car. Of course when you buy something for cash you will maybe look for the cheapest price. The car you pay cash for at a car supermarket will be the same as a car that you pay cash for at a main dealer (unless it’s a sub spec black market car). The car will Read more »

What a bloody surprise! After hiking up their prices last year, no less than 4 times, which coincidentally coincided with the £1,000 manufacturer’s scrappage scheme contribution, Ford are now dropping their list prices by between 6% and 15% across their smaller cars from August, after all the pipeline scrappage orders have totally washed out of the system. No wonder the biggest benefactors were the Read more »

One of the things that continues to amaze me is the lack of attention that some people pay to the new car they are about to order. Some of this is actually caused by me and my colleagues by occasionally coming up with a deal that you can’t refuse, making the decision a bit of a no brainer but it is still a good idea to get a test drive of a car that you are likely to order. It is also important to check for certain items that for Read more »

This week Graham Hill’s famed car review is on the Aston Martin DBS special edition, known as Carbon Black. Surprisingly it is black, which I think is gorgeous, even though I think that black makes any car look smaller than it is! And of course the purist Aston fans that like to listen to Elton John and the Beatles in the rather expensive stereo sound system will kick up a fuss over the fact that Aston have dared to fit loads Read more »

I attended the Buckingham Automotive Forum on Thursday at the University of Buckingham, the quarterly meeting at which the good and the great of the industry give us an indication as to what is likely to happen in the future and if the future is looking good or bad for the industry. In fact I was a guest speaker at the event, speaking alongside Professor Peter Cooke, Professor at the University and government Read more »