Contract hire and leasing news

The ICFM (Institute of Car Fleet Management) announced a tribute yesterday to Alan Myers who sadly passed away last Thursday, aged just 54.

Alan Myers inspired the creation of ICFM along with Peter Moxon. It was Alan’s company, McKenzie Myers, that funded the original investment which made it possible for the ICFM to be formed and it was his resolute support that helped to create the original council of nine well-known industry professionals that make up the ICFM.

Commenting on those early years, Peter Eldridge, the present director and secretary of the ICFM said:

“I had the pleasure of working for Alan, both at Lex Fleet Management and latterly at McKenzie Myers, and he was without doubt one of the fleet industry’s real characters.  Alan was a tremendous innovator in every respect and the ICFM owe a debt of gratitude to both Alan and Peter Moxon for their combined foresight and energy during those early years and the successful legacy that is the present day ICFM.  Alan will be sadly missed.”

Which? has revealed the best and worst cars for visibility. Visibility within cars has come of increasing concern as manufacturers have struggled to meet conflicting demands. The A-pillar of a car has over the years got bigger to provide the body of the car with more strength and safety in a collision however they are also known to be increasingly restrictive to the drivers view. Balancing strength and visibility is a difficult task and Which? has revealed the winners and losers.

Which? considered ‘all-round visibility’, a score for the panoramic view around the car from the driver’s seat, for their special feature in September’s issue of the consumer magazine out now.

Richard Headland, Editor, Which? Car, said:

“It’s important to consider visibility when choosing a car. Making the wrong choice can leave you with a car that is, at best, stressful to drive and, at worst, a safety risk.”

Best Cars for Visibility
Visibility Score
Subaru Outback 63.2%
Mercedes CLK Cabriolet 60.4%
Citroen C4 Picasso 59.8%
Citroen C6 59.2%
Saab 9-5 Estate 59.0%
Renault Espace 58.4%
Fiat Multipla 58.2%
Ford Focus estate 57.3%
Mercedes SLK 57.3%
Ford S-Max 56.2%

Worst Cars for Visibility
Visibility Score
Honda Civic 30.4%
Vauxhall Astra estate 30.3%
Dodge Caliber 29.5%
VW Touran 29.1%
Seat Altea 28.6%
Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 27.9%
Honda FR-V 27.6%
Honda S2000 26.4%
Mazda MX-5 Convertible 26.1%
Alfa Romeo Spider 18.2%

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been crowned Best Luxury Car at the Auto Express New Car Honours 2008, winning the title for the third consecutive year.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class lease prices

Editor in Chief, David Johns commented that “few cars have reigned over such competitive sectors with such complete authority as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.  To many there simply isn’t a better limousine.  Beautifully engineered both inside and out, it’s one of those rare cars that is as good to drive as it is to be driven in”.

Dermot Kelly, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz said: “S-Class has been an enduring success with press and customers alike and accounted for one in every four luxury saloon sales last year.  We are delighted that Auto Express still recognises S-Class as the best luxury car in the sector.”

The award-winning S-Class family has been the flagship model by which all others were judged for over 50 years during which it has continued to offer innovative technology, enhanced safety features including Nightview Assist, Brake Assist PLUS and DISTRONIC PLUS as well as supreme comfort for passengers in the spacious cabin and for the driver at the wheel.

As well as epitomising luxury, style and comfort the truly refined S-Class was the first car to achieve the Environmental Certificate from Germany’s influential TUV institute.  The certificate not only takes into consideration the emissions of the car when it is on the road, but also overall emissions during the car’s whole life cycle from production, through the recyclable parts at the end of the car’s life, as well as materials used. Mercedes-Benz is still the only automotive manufacturer to have achieved this accolade, now for five of its current models.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is available from £55,885 (S 320 CDI) on the road and can achieve up to 34 mpg on the combined cycle emitting 220 g/km of CO2.  As with every Mercedes-Benz model the S-Class comes with a three year, unlimited mileage warranty and is covered by Mobilolife - a unique package comprising 30-year pan-European breakdown assistance.

Motorists should pay more to park in council-run car parks according to local government minister, John Healey.

The minister believes that charging motorist more to park in town centres would encourage more people to walk and reduce congestion.

In a speech to the Local Government Association, The Telegraph reported that he said: “Only one in five councils are using charging to the full potential.”

The news comes despite the recent story reported by the Daily Mail that the cost of parking in council-run park has increased at three times the rate of inflation.

The national newspaper reported that local councils have pushed up the cost of parking in shopping centres and central town areas by 14 per cent in two year according to figures released by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Despite soaring council tax bills, the money raked in by councils just from fees has more than doubled from £5.5billion in 1997/98 when Labour came to power to £12.6billion in 2007/8, The Telegraph claims.

Shadow Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles told the Daily Mail that;

“Whitehall is pressing councils to use parking charges as a cash cow to raid the pockets of public.”

To give customers even better value for money and easier financial budgeting, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has launched competitive Contract Hire and Finance Lease offers for its compact Caddy van, the new Caddy Maxi and its best-selling Transporter van - with prices starting from £185 a month (plus VAT and initial rentals) including free servicing for three years or 30,000 miles. 

A difference of just £20 in the monthly payments between the three VW commercial vans available with this offer makes them particularly affordable - from £185 a month for a Caddy, £200 a month for a Caddy Maxi and £205 a month for a Transporter.

Van buyers that like to shop around for vehicle financing will find the Volkswagen Contract Hire and Finance Lease rates currently make the Caddy, Caddy Maxi and Transporter less expensive than many rivals.

The award-winning Caddy van is the most compact in Volkswagen’s commercial vehicle range, with a load volume of 3.2 m³, payload of up to 724 kg, and is available from £10,450 (excluding VAT).

The new Caddy Maxi van and window van, launched earlier this year, is the next step up in size and capacity with a load volume of 4.2 m³, payload of up to 800 kg, and available from £12,650 (excluding VAT).

Bigger still, the much-loved VW Transporter offers a choice of lengths and heights, with load volumes ranging from 6.7 m³ to 9.3 m³, payloads from 802 kg to 1,383 kg, and is available from £13,890 (excluding VAT).

‘We want to make choosing a new VW van easy, sensible and as cost effective as possible,’ said Steve Reynolds, Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

‘Volkswagen’s reputation for durability and competitive whole life costs already make the vans desirable, but the back-up available from a nationwide network of dedicated van centres is more critical to our customers than ever,’ he continued.

An extensive advertising campaign promoting these finance offers is currently running across local and national press, online and with a series of radio commercials using the distinctive voice of Indiana Jones star Ray Winstone.

Full details of these offers and the full range of Volkswagen vans are available from http://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk or by calling 0800 717131.

Alternatively, for a test drive text ‘VW OFFER’ or for a brochure text ‘VW BROCHURE’ to 86688.

Mazda’s range of ‘Zoom-Zoom’ vehicles continue to impress automotive experts, with the iconic Mazda MX-5 roadster selected for critical acclaim in the 2008 Auto Express New Car Honours, announced in the weekly magazine.

Mazda MX-5 lease prices

Presenting the Mazda MX-5 with a class-topping annual award for the third successive year, the judges from the UK’s best-selling weekly automotive magazine ranked the Roadster Coupe version of the two-seater, rear-wheel drive sports car as ‘Best Convertible’.

In praising the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, Auto Express commented: “The world’s top selling roadster just gets better and better!  And is it any surprise?  In the new MX-5 RC, Mazda has created a car with all the appeal of the original, plus the added benefit of a folding hard-top… British convertible fans have never faced summer with such confidence!”

The third generation Mazda MX-5 roadster was an instant ‘hit’ with British drivers when it went on sale here in November 2005.  The Roadster Coupe version, with the world’s fastest powered folding hard top - up or down in just 12 seconds - joined the line-up in September 2006.  Today, Mazda MX-5 offers a choice of seven models, with soft-top prices from £15,750 and Roadster Coupe models priced from £18,600 (on-the-road). 

Collecting the ‘Best Convertible’ award at a glittering ceremony in London, Mazda UK’s Managing Director Rob Lindley commented: “It is immensely satisfying to have a high profile motoring consumer publication, such as Auto Express, confirm that our products are among the very best on the market.

“As Britain’s favourite sports car brand, Mazda is proud to top the sales charts with the Mazda MX-5 and Mazda RX-8 capturing a 20 per cent market share.  Our designers and engineers aim to embody the heart of a sports car in all our products giving them responsive dynamics for a rewarding drive.  The new Mazda6 is proving immensely popular and our new Mazda2 supermini, with its lighter weight, increased agility and new three-door body style, has already captured the prestigious ‘2008 World Car of the Year’ crown,” added Lindley.

The Jaguar XF has yet again been voted ‘Car of the Year’ – its fourth top title win since being launched in March. This time the premier award comes courtesy of Auto Express in their New Car Honours 2008. Jaguar’s multi-award winning sports saloon claimed its crown following victory in the ‘Best Executive Car’ category ahead of the BMW 5-Series, the Mercedes CLS and E-Class, the Audi A6 and the Lexus GS.

Dan Strong, Editor of Auto Express magazine, said: “Jaguar’s XF is a machine that has proved the doubters wrong. It’s a car that impresses on every level, from design to drivability, practicality to price.

“But that’s not the only reason why our judges chose this car. Our winner has raised the standards in a class where excellence is considered the norm. It’s a home-grown package, designed and developed in the UK and built by a highly-skilled workforce.”

Geoff Cousins, UK Managing Director of Jaguar Cars said: “I am absolutely thrilled Auto Express has awarded the XF with its top accolade. This has been a fantastic year for Jaguar with the XF leading the success of our revitalisation plan. In July, total Jaguar sales were up 29.2% versus the same month last year and we now have over 7,000 orders for XF in the UK and more than 22,000 worldwide - we couldn’t be more pleased with the reaction it has received.”

What Car? magazine, What Diesel magazine and The Sun Motoring also named the XF ‘Car of the Year’ while Top Gear magazine hailed it their ‘Limo of the Year’. Other notable awards include ‘Interior of the Year’ from CAR magazine and the ‘Design Award’ from Autocar magazine.

Most recently, the optional top-of-the-range 440 watt Bowers & Wilkins in-car audio system in the Jaguar XF was voted Best Buy under £100,000 by The What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Ultimate Guide to High End Entertainment.

Priced from £33,900 for the 2.7-litre diesel, the XF comes as standard with a generous specification featuring a host of innovative, industry-leading equipment. Highlights include the all-new JaguarDrive Selector™ and JaguarSense™ - a smart technical solution introducing touch or proximity-sensing control for overhead console lights and glovebox.
These highlights have all contributed to the class-leading residual values of the XF. Both CAP and EutotaxGlass’s have rated the diesel derivative an RV after 36 months / 36,000 miles of 50% of the original value.

Flexible Contracts are offering for a limited period, the stunning Mercedes S Class 320CDI Auto Avant Garde on a 12 month contract for just £549.00 plus VAT per month.

• 3 x 11 payment
• Business and Personal Contract Available
• 15000 Annual Mileage Allowance

Just 2 vehicles - ready to go

***Hurry while stocks last - only 2 available!***

Flexible Vehicle Group

Aletta Weir from Burton joins the team as Administrator; she has a background in administration, having previously worked in the distribution industry. Vicky Melbourne, also from Burton, has taken on the role of Marketing Executive for Flexible.  She previously worked for Marabu in Milton Keynes and on the launch of Magners Cider in 2005.

Flexible Vehicle Group

Steve Burgess, a farmer from West Yorkshire, has put himself and his Land Rover Defender into the record books as he became the first person in history to successfully cross the Bering Straits in a road vehicle – and he says he has his Cooper 4×4 tyres to thank.

Earlier this year the 52-year-old from Mirfield, near Huddersfield, travelled 10,379 miles in 50 days to the Easternmost tip of Russia.  Despite driving across icy tundra and frozen riverbeds with temperatures as low as minus 46 degrees Celsius in some of the most remote places on earth, the Cooper Discoverer ST off-road tyres provided the added traction and outstanding performance Burgess needed.

Then, in a masterstroke that differs from others who tried the voyage before, instead of trying to cross the Straits while they were covered with ice, he simply waited for them to melt in the summer.
Once they did, he strapped two huge floats on the sides of his Land Rover, added a motor and propeller on the back and sailed across the 56-mile stretch of water, pausing on the island of Little Diomede as the weather closed in, before continuing a few weeks later when conditions improved. He landed at 1a.m. local time on the beach of Wales, Alaska, on Friday 8 August, earning his place in history.

“It’s been a phenomenal trip,” said Burgess. “I can’t say it was all enjoyable – I wouldn’t do it again – but it has been incredible. We were on ice roads virtually all the way from Moscow – thousands and thousands of miles – and could not believe how much traction we got from the Cooper tyres; they were phenomenal.

“Landing on Wales was brilliant. It was the culmination of nearly nine years work, and to be the first to get across was incredible. I’d watched other people before me try to do it – rich people, big companies, and I thought ‘how am I going to square up to these people?’ But I showed them how it’s done!”

Despite the achievement, Burgess’s epic journey is far from over. After returning to the UK to raise more funds so he can continue the trip, he plans to drive all the way down North and South America to Cape Horn, after travelling a total of 30,000 miles.

Steve Burgess, a farmer from West Yorkshire, has put himself and his Land Rover Defender into the record books as he became the first person in history to successfully cross the Bering Straits in a road vehicle – and he says he has his Cooper 4×4 tyres to thank.