Cold Weather Damage To Paintwork

Wednesday, 13. January 2010

 The cold snap meant that, for the first time in years in the south of England, drivers were not only having to deal with driving in very snowy and icy conditions but also have had to clear large amounts of snow and ice off their bodywork and screens. In some cases I saw drivers clearing snow that had turned to ice off their car with a spade and another with a piece of wood. Whilst most were reasonably sensible and Read more »

Misleading VAT Savings On Used Cars

Tuesday, 12. January 2010

 For years I’ve fought against those providing misleading advice on cars and car finance with many of the cons revealed in my book, An Insider Guide To Car Finance, my Friday FAQ’s and the new videos that will be launched very shortly. Having just read the same press release for the umpteenth time I’m now moved to make further comment on the announcement that Autoquake are very generously waving Read more »

London Congestion Charge Changes

Friday, 8. January 2010

 For those that have to drive within the congestion charge zone in London and currently receive the daily discount of £1, given to those who are on business and are part of a minimum fleet of 10 vehicles and provided the vehicle has been registered under the London Fleet Auto Pay scheme, the rules are about to change. In the past all you had to do was enter the registration number and the name of the registered owner and Read more »

Saab May Survive

Thursday, 7. January 2010

 I know I’m an old softie but I was saddened to read in amongst the list of new car launches this year an entry for the Saab 9-5. The lines looked great but may never be produced because minutes before, I read that GM, in its firesale of Saab, had sold the rights to the technology and tooling of the current 9-3 and 9-5 to Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company. Does this mean that we will still see the new 9-5? Read more »

The Dangers Of Credit File Footprints

Wednesday, 6. January 2010

 The House of Commons Treasury Select Committee has been looking into credit reference agency ‘footprints’. A footprint is created each time a credit search is made on a person or business recorded by the credit reference agencies. Over the last few years car finance comparison sites have cropped up on the internet with some very shady providers freely advertising on them. A common routine is to Read more »

Scrappage Update

Tuesday, 5. January 2010

 Whilst fleet sales were down last year retail sales were up as a result of the scrappage scheme and dealers that expected to make losses ended up making profits. This was the result of what could only be described as a total con trick. Retail buyers were convinced that giving up their old car to benefit from a £2,000 bonus from the Government and manufacturers was a good idea but stories were exchanged throughout the Read more »

Graham Hill Predicts Car Finance For 2010

Monday, 4. January 2010

 Well here we are into a new year already. Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year celebration. Last year wasn’t as good as it should have been but didn’t end up as bad as I thought it might do due to an enthusiastic flurry in December. Unlike the last recession, during which we struggled to find clients that wanted to take out finance, I had about 5 times as many people looking for finance in this recession than I Read more »

End Of The Line For Saab

Thursday, 31. December 2009

It looks as though we may have seen the last of one of our more popular lease brands, Saab. Talks had been taking place to sell GM’s money losing brand to Spyker Cars NV but these have now broken down and whilst I have read that the Swedish have tried to put together a package to save their famous brand it now looks very unlikely.  By Graham Hill

Are Valuables Left In Vehicles Covered By Your Insurance

Tuesday, 29. December 2009

In a survey carried out by Supercover Insurance it was found that more than half of cars left parked in motorway services or public car parks had valuables such as laptops, sat navs and mobile phones visible in the vehicle. They pointed out that drivers were not aware that many of these items may not be covered by their insurance policy. My advice, lock all valuables in the boot but don’t just stop at valuables, Read more »

Surprise Car Of The Year

Monday, 28. December 2009

The surprise car of the year has been named as the VW Polo. I actually can’t remember the last time I supplied a Polo and whilst reports have suggested that the latest version is about the same size as older Golfs it doesn’t seem to have set the world alight in any other way. Just goes to show what I know! Toyota’s IQ was in second place with the Vauxhall Astra in 3rd place. Amazing! By Graham Hill