Years ago, things were much simpler than they were now when it came to buying a new car. You’d simply go to the local dealer, select a model from the range in the showroom and then buy. Now though, when it comes to buying new, there is a much wider range to choose from – not least in terms of where to buy. So let’s take a look at this first.

Where To Buy
Franchised dealers of the brand that you’re looking to buy are now more competitive than they used to be – not least due to the rise in competition. Franchised dealers also tend to be very well represented, meaning you shouldn’t have to travel very far to find one. They’ll tend to offer a part-exchange service though you won’t get best price. Warranties of 3 years are typical, though some will offer more.

My experience of franchised dealers: Most expensive, but in this day and age they are far more willing to negotiate than previously. If you’re looking for nearly-new they’ll offer extremely low mileage cars. The easiest way to access brand new vehicles.

UK brokers source cars from franchised dealers but then bulk-buy in order to get big discounts. The best should offer these discounts to the customer, giving a deal on a new (or almost new, i.e. last of model line) that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Brokers should also be able to match services such as low-interest finance or free insurance if offered by the franchise they purchase from.

My experience of UK brokers: Good service, many cars of the same type so you might find it easy to get ‘that particular colour’. You may not be able to spec up a car and then have it due to the way that UK brokers operate.

Car supermarkets are independent (or at least they should be, though some may feature special deals from certain manufacturers) traders with a wide range of models. They will often offer cheaper cars as they have lower overheads, whilst pre-registered imports can be great for those hunting a bargain. Under the same roof, there’ll be a range of almost-new and used cars too.

My experience of car supermarkets: A good range of cars at varying prices, many of which are low mileage. If you want to see a range of models across a range of manufacturers, then this is your place. Even at a supermarket prices can be high, though the lowest of the three here. Least likely to offer an absolutely brand new vehicle.

As a word of caution, don’t automatically assume you’ll get better service levels from any one of these places. Talk to someone who’s already shopped where you’re thinking of buying, if at all possible. Remember, as soon as dealers hand over the keys it’s then that you’re dealing with a different animal. Try to rebuild a rapport with the Sales Manager, be polite and friendly and you should do fine.

Look out for Part 2, where I’ll look at importing vehicles.

Apparently, according to an investigation, about 9.4 million people will be punished by the government in the form of punitive new taxes based on the emissions of cars – yet curiously many are still claiming this is a target of gas guzzlers.  Realistically, it has nothing to do with the amount of fuel that your car needs, but the amount of cO2 that your car produces.  It could be doing 20mpg but have less than 100g/km coming out of the pipe at the back and you’d be okay.

Apparently, the increases will negatively impact 43% of UK motorists – meaning that slightly less than half of us will be paying more for our little tax discs every year (or every six months).  Naturally, this is ‘offset’ to a fashion by the 18% who will be paying less.  Do the math and tell me what this means.  No wait, I’ll save you the bother.  What this means is, yet again, the government is using us drivers as a wonderful tax mule.  In that they keep sticking more tax on our backs, curious perhaps to see when either it breaks or we simply give up.

Environmental groups (as per usual, the bloody greenie lot were out in force) told the government to stick to targets.  I’m guessing they all power their cars with cat urine or something then and achieve a wonderful 60mpg for their efforts?  No wait, they probably drive in big Jags, or at least their company directors will.

How much exactly will the government get that goes to their coffers (and presumably goes toward funding MP’s John Lewis lists?), well that’s quite a princely sum of £1 billion – by 2011 anyway, unless a) there are further hikes or b) the price of petrol keeps going up in which case the government gets even more money.

Unfortunately, in what I’d guess is a completely transparent issue to get this extra cash, the top five cars in the UK have fallen into the ‘they will pay more’ bracket.  This includes the 2.2 diesel Land Rover, 1.6 Toyota Auris, 2.2 diesel Honda CR-V, 1.8 litre Vauxhall Vectra and the 1.6 litre unleaded Vauxhall Zafira.  So if your car is on the list, I’m sorry.  For the record, I have paid more this year in road tax – something I completely begrudge, especially in light of petrol prices.

If the average person drives one of the above five cars, then ministers are hopelessly out of touch with the average person.  If I’m ‘Joe Bloggs’ and I’m struggling due to the cost of living rising and the fact that we are almost hitting a recession, I really don’t think that I deserve to have a government slapping more taxes in my face.  In fact, I know I don’t.  As usual, this is a case of Labour ignoring the people they should be trying to court – the average working class person.  Maybe it’s time for a change of government – though I’m not sure who to vote in, in order to avoid stealth taxes.

Due to depreciation (the money you lose as soon as a car is driven off a forecourt) I’d almost never buy a new car. However, some relatives have done just this and I can certainly see the appeal. Not least the fact that there’s something special about all of it, from speccing up your vehicle, to choosing the colour – all the way through to sitting in for the first time and taking in that ‘new car smell’ (that’ll be the chemicals in the plastic then).

A new car should arrive with you in absolutely pristine condition – it should be free from scratches, rust, odd dents and of course foreign bodies. It should look, in short, perfect. Naturally, for a new car, it should also have very few miles on the clock. That’s a given. You’ll get the treat of either wearing the engine in nice and soft, or ragging it around depending on where you get your advice from. Most people, luckily I think, still wisely go for the former. Check your manual for further info on this.

I’ve got an interesting little anecdote before I begin my advice on what to look for with your new car, and it goes something like this. I’m in the market for a new used car, something a little bit special. I was lucky enough to meet a very honest dealer who said, “Please bear in mind, all of these cars are used”.

He then promptly showed me a car that had stone chips (they had been filled in but they were there) on the bonnet. He said “I don’t want to mislead you – what I’ll sell you will be mechanically 100%. However, it may have some cosmetic niggles. It is a quality used car though”. I wasn’t shocked – I am after all in the market for a used car. I rightfully responded with the fact that if I was looking for a Resprayed, overpriced car I would have went to a main dealer.

There, they would have probably made the car look cosmetically perfect but would have added a few grand to the price tag – pushing said vehicle out of my budget. This brings me nicely on to what get your beady eyes on when going for your brand new motor.

* Don’t get caught up in the excitement and rush through anything – it could be costly not only in terms of your wallet but also for what you end up getting.
* However you’ve settled and whatever you’ve signed beforehand, never just get out your pen. Take the time to have a nice long inspection for the car. At the end of the day, this is something that is no doubt costing you significant amounts of money.
* A new car should look exactly that – it should be clean, tidy and polished inside and out. Don’t settle for picking it up in the dark or wet. If you’re taking delivery at home, mark on the invoice (if you accept it in these conditions) that you haven’t been able to inspect but you will do so as soon as you can and will inform them of the outcome.
* Take the time to look at all panels, windows and tyres. Is everything looking as it should do?
* Any extras that you have specified should come with delivery of the vehicle, almost without exception. Have your copy of the invoice ready and go through it all. Does it have the 30 GB hard drive that you wanted? How about the optional 18 inch alloys? Did you choose the red or the orange stitching? Each of these options could well have added to the price tag, so make sure they’re in place when you pick up.
* When a new car is dropped off, it should be treated to a very special PDI. This is a pre-delivery inspection – basically a piece of paperwork saying the car is everything it is meant to be, the VIN info is correct and it’s all working. Your service book should have a stamp for this.
* Generally speaking, most cars come with two keys. You don’t want the dealer to have a spare or indeed your log book. Take receipt of all of this when you sign, along with all information related to warranty, servicing and any special dealer benefits. Naturally, you’ll want a contact name and number in case of problems.

The bottom line really comes down to this – whether it’s mechanical or you feel that your brand new car has been test driven before you’ve had a chance to get in it and make your driver’s seat your own, you really shouldn’t sign anything off. You have an extremely strong case if you keep your invoice and purchase records to show that the new car you want isn’t what is sitting waiting for you.

A word of warning – whatever sort of car you’re in the market for, you may well find it difficult to buy the very most basic option with no specced extras. I can’t remember where I saw the report but naturally enough, dealers are trying to up sell. Not only that, but it’s worth less to the manufacturer themselves (whoever they happen to be) if all they are producing is a tiny-model variant with no alloys and a single CD player.

For the time and the effort, I’d always recommend going that little bit further, even if it means saving up an extra month or whatever. For starters, unless you’re planning on keeping the car for life (these days that could well be in excess of 15 years based on engine life and average mileage of 12k) it’ll help resale values if you have some of what many people consider ‘the basics’. What are those and what colour should your new car be? Well there’s another article in itself.

In the meantime, if you’re lucky enough to have a brand new car, really do enjoy it. They are a marvel of the road and it’s the buying of those vehicles that allows the rest of us to see the decent stuff trickle down until we can afford it. New cars, I salute you (but only if you meet your purchasers’ options!)

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Selling your car these days is not only easier, but you have such a wide variety of choice that it can seem bewildering – especially when it comes to online wheeling and dealing. I’d like to tell you a bit more about your options when being a seller, and highlight some of the sites that I’ve had experience with.

No doubt you’ll find them of use too if you want to use the latest tools to move your motor. Advertising online is one of the quickest and easiest ways to sell your car. It’s a very simple way to get in touch with hundreds (if not thousands) of potential buyers and a great way to showcase your motor in the best possible way.

Of course, the way your ad looks, the length of time it is displayed and the number of images you can use all differ. What about your ad though? Well it’s crucial to get the tone right and emphasize why someone should buy the car. I wouldn’t recommend setting it out like you’re talking to a mate (you aren’t, after all), but I’d certainly make sure that you state why it’s a good purchase, how well it has been looked after and how you have used it.

This part of the ad is really about building up a level of trust and being honest – no-one wants to buy a lemon after all. One thing I would recommend avoiding is a long list of acronyms – unless you’re actually selling to a dealership or a specialist then an online ad (where you can frequently use far more words than a standard ad) can really benefit from having the full description such as Power Assisted Steering.

I’ve heard anecdotes of people selling with only the vaguest of information, but this is rare. The more information you provide in an honest fashion the more likely a buyer is to say to themselves “oh yes, this car is me. It’s exactly what I’m looking for”. If something attracted you to the car in the first place, make sure to mention it. It will certainly appeal to someone else. Without further ado, here are some sites you could use to sell your car.

Ebay
For many, this is the obvious choice. Why is that? Well, how about more than 40,000 cars and one of the best-known auction sites on the Internet. That not enough for you? Well, as a seller you have got a very versatile and powerful formatting tool that can set up everything from single ‘Buy It Now’ auctions all the way through to a much more familiar ‘Classified Ad’. The costs vary depending on how you want to sell your vehicle but a classified costs about £12.99. You have one picture for free to upload, with up to twelve slots being available. You should be able to relist your car if it doesn’t sell.

Pros: A very well known site with a wide range of tools for selling.
Cons: If you get ‘burned’ by a buyer, you won’t be able to offer feedback saying so (new Ebay rules).

Auto Trader
Arguably one of the most famous trade papers for selling a vehicle in the whole of the UK, this is really the bible for those who are looking to buy or sell. The online version is no different really, with access to more than 370,000 motors listed. Sellers get a great deal of advice for free, and there’s the option of paying £2.95 for a proper Glass’s Guide Evaluation (this will allow you to set your car at the correct asking price). The average fee will be around the £18 mark. All ads can be added to or edited once placed.
Pros: Nine images can be used, a huge amount of buyers.
Cons: A lot of competition on the site itself.

Fish 4 Cars
Part of the ‘Fish 4’ brand, this is one of the of the off-shoot sites and provides a range of sales tools. Most of the ads on there are for trade, but private sellers are certainly welcome. It costs just under a tenner for two weeks visibility – this can be stretched up to two months if you think your car isn’t going to shift. There’s more than 110,000 vehicles on there at the moment, giving the sellers a wide choice.
Pros: A huge amount of coverage including 500 local press titles.
Cons: Your ad might be lost in amongst the ‘trade’ offers etc.

Each of the three above offer something slightly different to the seller – though my personal pick would be Auto Trader. The reputation of the service should please most – as will the customer service. You might find you get a better price on one of the others though. If you have any experience as a seller, make sure to give some feedback.

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I’ve thought about this question before because I would like to quantify exactly what makes them special. The area of the car market I’m talking about is the really top end - not the things mind that are just expensive cruisers (such as the Rolls Royce range) but stuff with scary, balls-to-the-wall performance to go with it.

Impracticality
One thing I’ve noted during my search for the ‘essence of supercar’ (it could be a well nice aftershave that, though granted it would have a whiff of the high octane stuff about it) is that the car has to be completely impractical. It has to really offer barely any room at all, whether you’re a passenger (real supercars rarely offer room for more than one of these) or a piece of baggage.

This is one of the reasons why you could call cars such as the Subaru Impreza WRX Sti and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution incredibly impressive and fast - but they aren’t supercars. There’s just too much space, a bit too much ‘well I could help you do the shopping run too’ about them. There’s a place for that, but it’s not as a supercar.

Looks to die for
Supercars, invariably, look different from all other cars on the road. I was recently driving to work and there was a Lamborghini Gallardo driving on the opposite carriageway. It caught my eye and made my stomach feel light. The sheer looks of the thing made me gawk.

A car cannot be called a supercar unless it looks a bit special. I’m not just talking about a bit of carbon fibre as the bonnet either - it must have something that screams ‘I will eat you if you do something I don’t like’. This can be a rear diffuser; a bonnet bulge or intakes that make the car look like it has miniature caverns. Whatever it is, it must catch your eye. Cars that are trying the same trick (but aren’t supercars) will frequently paint their machines in traditional supercar livery such as bright reds and yellows.

Power and performance
A supercar should be super in every way - whether it is the looks or the performance. This being the case, such a machine cannot carry the moniker unless it is flying the flag for pointless, over the top performance. If your current car can do a higher top speed then you’re either rich or kidding yourself.

Cars such as the new Nissan GT-R are genuine sports cars - simply because it will do the 0-60 run in 3.6 seconds. Truly breathtaking. A bit scary as well no doubt. That’s another purpose of a supercar. Unless you’re a racing driver, it should have the ability to make you wet yourself. Repeatedly.

Costs
This really is something particular to supercars (well okay, you’ll suffer some of this if you get a performance car of the non-super variety). The cost of an initial purchase can be just about as high as you want to go, given how much you can customise your chosen vehicle. Your dealer can give you an options list longer than your arm and if you’re a real supercar buyer you’ll tick more than a few.

Cars you might like which won’t make your bank manager cry
These days, there are some cars that you can get for a very reasonable price that are either supercars or have genuine heritage. The Honda NSX is one such car. You can pick one of these bad boys up for just up from £20,000 and you’ll have a high revving V6 howler to your name that will put a lot of other cars on the road to shame.

Whilst some complain about TVR, if you haven’t got the Earth to spend then I’d recommend one. Look for a good model though, as reliability is a known issue (tell me which ’supercar’ doesn’t come with this feature though). I found a TVR Chimaera (4.3 litre convertible monster) for only £8,650 - a real bargain that will go like absolute stink.

My favourite supercar
As a car enthusiast, naturally I have a preference for a vehicle - should I happen to win the lottery or get an inheritance I wasn’t expecting. My choice is for the Ferrari F430. This two-door coupe is a fantastic vehicle. You can get it in manual or ‘F1′ style paddle shift and it’ll go from 0-60 in less than four seconds and will naturally cost you the Earth to run. I found one however for only £100,000.

I guess the point of supercars really is just that - to be super, in the same way that Superman is. They are unattainable. The height of mechanical and automotive genius. They turn heads. Perhaps though the only sign of a true supercar is whether a boy will have a picture of it on his wall. In that case, make mine a Lamborghini Diablo. This analogy highlights perfectly what a supercar represents - emotion, excitement and power all rolled into a beautiful package.

I’ve made no bones about my passion - and that tends to be fast cars.  You may have even gotten a little sick of hearing Lamborghini this or Aston Martin that.  You’ll no doubt be shouting at the screen - much as many do with Top Gear - and saying ‘where are the normal car reviews?’

Well, I’m not about to review the new Kia Picanto for you (even if it is a good car).  Well, I will if I get an invite to test-drive it.  In the meantime though, what I’d like to do is recommend five cars that you’ll love.  You’ll love them because not only are they on the whole very decent at what they do, but also they’ll save you a fortune in insurance.

Whether you’re a new driver or an older person looking to save money, any of these cars will be suitable for you.  Even if you’re the motorist looking to save a few bob, then you won’t go wrong with these.  This is not least because not only are these cars cheap to insure, but they all have relatively small (and economical) engines.  So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the five.

Skoda Fabia
Don’t listen to those who are still telling the same old badge jokes.  In fact, poke them in the eye and tell them they are about ten years behind the times.  Since VW took over Skoda way back in 1991, things have got better and better.  The Fabia is based on the V Polo and is extremely reliable, hardwearing and very safe.  The 1.2 litre Classic is insurance group one - that fact will certainly make your wallet fatter.

Renault Clio
The third generation of the supermini is a modern classic in many ways and the quality certainly goes some way to explaining why you see them just about everywhere.  The way in which the internal space is handled is very clever, meaning that there’s actually quite a bit of room inside.  Going for the 1.2 litre will see you getting almost 50mpg, something that you won’t see from many other engines.

Nissan Micra
Granted, this car will probably be the least popular in this review.  Why is that?  Well, the perky little car is what a huge number of people learn to drive in every year.  Given this fact, I know that I for sure was desperate to distance myself from the Micra - even if my ideal car is a Nissan (a 350Z for the record).  However, the modern Micra is actually a damn good car.  You’ll get keyless entry, parking sensors, air con and many other perks you wouldn’t necessarily expect.  Overall, it’s a really good car and it won’t cost the Earth to run.

Fiat Punto
There is a large number of this particular Italian supermini on the road and for good reason.  It enjoys being revved.  It really is that simple.  Much like James May said in his review of the Fiat 500, these Italian cars are made to be lit up by pushing the revometer until the valves have “jumped up and are dancing on the bonnet”.  I couldn’t agree more - and it is one of the more involving cars here.  Not only that, but even the 1.3 litre sporting will see you managing to get very reasonable insurance quotes.

Ford Fiesta
This is a car that has been around for about 30 years now - which must tell you something.  Granted, there are so many superminis out there now that the Fiesta can look a bit of an oldie (not least because the design has never really been altered that much) but it is a testament to the quality that so many are still going.  The newer and younger models however are really geared for the modern generation and feature such additions as Bluetooth and new-design alloys.  Why get it?  Well the 1.25 litre version is a group two and will give you about 45mpg.  You can chuck it in corners and it’ll give you a smile.  With that in mind, what’s not to love?

Conclusion
You’ll have seen that there’s a trend in these ‘cheap to insure’ cars - and that is the fact that they are pretty much exclusively superminis with small engines.  There’s nothing wrong with that, in fact they can offer a great drive along with frugal performance.  So, for a change, let’s all hail these little metal marvels of money saving.  Make mine a Fabia (VRS edition diesel mind you).

There is an increasing trend for people selling their car on eBay motors, rather than going the traditional route of putting an ad in Auto Trader. Unlike an Auto Trader advert you have much more control over how your advert is displayed on eBay as as been able to display detailed information about your vehicle.

To achieve the best price when selling your car on eBay here’s some profitable tips:

Pictures - lots of ‘em!: Buyers like to see plenty of pictures so they can get an idea of what your car is like. Before you start taking pictures make sure you give the car a good clean, inside and out, so it is looking it’s best. Then take around 20 exterior and interior shots. Cars always look best in the sunshine so look out for the good weather and seize the snapping opportunity! Once you have your pictures choose the best 10-12 and use them in your auction.

Protect your Data: To avoid car cloning, blank your number plate out on the images you display on the auction. Most image manipulation software will have a blur or pixelate feature which is useful for this purpose.

Be honest: There is no gain to be made from describing your car as something it is not. If the auction winner comes to collect the vehicle and discovers they have been mislead, they will simply walk away. If you car has known problems, detail them in the description. A lot of buyers on eBay are in the motor trade and take any problems into account when biding - it won’t make them lose interest.

Low bid price attracts interest: eBay is such a busy site these days that you can take the risk of starting bidding at 1p safe in the knowledge that your car will usually achieve its market price. Sure, for piece of mind you can set a reserve, but a 1p no reserve auction always attracts more interest from bidders.

Answer questions: Once the auction is live you’ll start getting questions from existing and potential bidders. Be sure to answer these questions promptly or bidders interest might switch to another vehicle.

Prepare your documentation: Any service history is a bonus but the most important document to have is the V5 logbook. Without this, you cannot sell your vehicle legally and no purchase will pay for a vehicle that does not have a logbook.

Guest Post from The Van Man who is an expert on Van Hire

In my last article, I took a look at ‘green’ cars that you could buy - stuff that if you drove it every day it wouldn’t try too hard to stuff up the environment on your way to work. What I’m going to do in this article is exactly the opposite. Why, I’m sure you’re wondering?

The simple answer is that apparently we’re all ignoring the government’s advice (read massive taxing) and going for larger cars. This is proven in the figures that show that:

‘Car buyers opting for larger vehicles made up 11.5% of all sales in the first ten months of 2007, compared to 9.5% in 2006. This is the first time that larger cars have represented more than one in ten used cars sold in the UK.’

So, in that case, what should you buy? What I’d like to offer here are not just large cars, but rather performance cars that the government (and some of the rest of the world) seem to hate. The reason being, I quite like them. I like the roar of a big V6, the throb of a V8. Not only that, but right now it’s a great idea to get one.

Yes, I know. I’ve already written about the barmy-as-hell huge road tax costs that you’ll pay for a more polluting vehicle. I’m also aware that in some places petrol has gone well above 105p per litre. However, the savings you make on buying a bigger engined or sports-performance vehicle (and the fun they will provide) should certainly make up for it. So, without further ado, here’s what I’d recommend.

COUPE
Audi TT
What a great, now classic car this is. Granted, there’s a new model, but come on, the old one still looks really interesting. These days, you can get a 2001 model 1.8T 225 Quattro (that means 4 wheel drive) for around £8,000. This, by anyone’s imagination is a great bargain. All you need to look out for really is that it has been regularly serviced, as it is difficult to get at the oily bits. Imports also may be an issue, as they might not put up with UK weather too well.
Mazda RX-8
This is one of the few cars on the road that comes with a Wankel rotary engine. What does that mean? Well how about revving beyond 9,000rpm with super-smooth power delivery? Yeah, that’s sure a great benefit. The RX-8 is an interesting looking beast, and it sounds great. The bad points? Well, the (ahem) running costs might scare you. The engine is only 1.3, delivers 2.5 performance and drinks like a 3 litre. Drive one though, I found a 192 on a 2004 for only £7,500.

SALOON
Alfa Romeo 156 GTA
If you’re looking for something with Italian flair, four-wheel drive and a monstrous amount of power then look no further. This is a car that is serious. Bite your head off serious. How about a 3.2 litre engine. Why not try 250bhp. Not sure about the torque delivery? This car will pull away smoothly from fourth gear. The interior looks classy without being over the top and you can get lovely leather heated seats. As usual, in Alfa style, you get cowelled instruments that only the driver can see. This stops your passenger from screaming when they see you’re doing 140mph. The bad points are pretty much summed up by also saying (much like the good points) that it’s an Alfa. You should be reassured that the 156 was the turning point - with the release of this car the UK dealerships and service centres were proved to be much better. However, check the head gaskets, the 60,000 service intervals and just about everything else. I’d certainly recommend a full main dealer service history. I found a 156 GTA for slightly over £8,000.
BMW M3
This motor is an absolute legend. If you ask anybody, they’ll tell you that one of the most revered BMWs ever made is the M3. This thing is fast. Seriously fast. It is one of the few cars in the world that you won’t mind pulling up at Tesco’s in, before roaring off to hit the Channel Tunnel and then heading on to the Nurburgring. It is a serious driving machine. Faults? Not many. One thing to certainly bear in mind however is the running costs. This is a supercar. If it hasn’t been treated as such, it might be a bit of a grumpy motor. Alongside that, imagine getting less than 18mpg. But what can you do? I found an M3 Evolution with tonnes of kit for only £5,995.

I’ll certainly be following this with some other ‘types’ of motor that you might well be interested in, but in the meantime, explore the options I’ve offered here. You might well find a hidden gem that you didn’t realise was out there, or even that it was available in your budget.

Despite what we maybe seeing on TV, it seems for those people who are old enough the Porsche 911 is the iconic cars of the eighties and the Audi Quattro which has had a nice bit of publicity on the hit TV show Ashes to Ashes came in a close second.

Out of all the cars on the list, I am amazed that at least one of these Fords made it onto the list, the RS 2000, Capri 30s and the Capri 2.8 Injection these cars were true eighties machines and really reflected the times.

The Results of the HPI survey:

What would be your dream 80’s car?

Porsche 911 29%

Audi Quattro 28%

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 15%

BMW M5 12%

Peugeot 205 GTI 3%

Sinclair C5 1%

Which 80’s car do you most remember?

Ford Capri SLE 71R (Terry McCann - Minder) 30%

Ferrari Testarossa (Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice) 26%

De Lorean DMC12 (Back to the Future) 23%

Ferrari 308 (Magnum) 21%

Reliant Regal (Only Fools and Horses) 19%

Jaguar Mark II (Inspector Morse) 18%

KITT (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am) (Knight Rider) 17%

British Leyland Mini (Mr Bean) 11%

Jaguar XJ6 (Arthur Daly - Minder) 11%

Golf GTI (Paula Hamilton commercial) 10%

What are some people thinking about?

Source [Auto Trader]

It is of course now confirmed that the Indian conglomerate Tata is the proud owner of two traditionally British marques, Land Rover and Jaguar.  Apparently this all came to conclusion over months of painstaking negotiations, along with several new cars from the various marques such as Tata’s Nano (shown, the ultra small, ultra cheap new Indian transport) and the Jaguar XF.

Ford (the owner of Land Rover and Jaguar previously) hadn’t commented on the financial performance of the two companies, but it’s probably fair to say that Jaguar was losing money whilst Land Rover was on the making money side of things after clocking up record sales in the last three years.

For those interested in the finance side of things, the overall cost came to a staggering £1.15 billion.  Quite, quite incredible money.  More of a pressing concern is the fact that both Jaguar and Land Rover employ staff to the tune of about 16,000 at UK plants in the West Midlands and Merseyside.  What will become of their jobs?  Of course, it will be cheaper to manufacture abroad.  Will Jaguar, as a luxury marque, survive this sort of change?

As is the current relationship, Ford will continue to supply Jaguar and Land Rover with engines, stampings and car components along with various technologies.  This is important for continuity as well as of course reliability - do you want a Tata engine?  Probably not.

So what should Tata be doing with their new IP’s then?  Well, a few things.  First, we’ve seen the F-Type appearing here and there as an interesting concept.  Porsche is currently selling the Boxster on the original 50’s styling.  Tata should capitalise on this and take advantage of the ‘new/retro’ vibe that’s going on.

Diesel power is a requirement these days - whether we like it or not.  Tata’s range of Land Rover and Jaguar needs to encompass mid and top range diesels in order to appeal to the modern day market.  I’m not going to ask for an electric Jaguar XJ mind you, but some versatility is required in what they supply.

So, what has Tata bought, and should they be pleased with it?  Well, I’m not about to say it’s a bargain purchase, but I will say that they are two of the best-known marques in the automotive industry.  Okay, so Jaguar might have a bit of an ‘old man’ reputation and Land Rover must, and I mean MUST shrug off the ‘it’ll break down on you all the time’ reputation.  I mean that’s gone beyond a joke; some have said they’re worse than Alfa Romeo.

Nonetheless, you have two British car brands that are arguably the best known in the world with an amazing heritage.  We know Tata is flexible and the Nano is sure to bring in significant revenue.  Will they be able to handle these new car ranges though?  Well, that remains to be seen.  What I will say though is they’re a strange fit.  Odd bedfellows if you will.  I also have reservations on how the Nano will impact our global environment.

Regardless, for Land Rover and Jaguar the future’s bright.  The future is Indian.