Driving lawyer 'Mr Loophole' is best known solicitor

Lawyer to the stars Nick Freeman - known as 'Mr Loophole' for his speciality in winning acquittals on drink-driving charges - is officially Britain's highest profile solicitor.

According to a survey undertaken by legal research company Sweet & Maxwell, Freeman has has attracted more headlines in the national press than any other legal professional over the last year.
Freeman was originally a prosecutor for Greater Manchester Police but later switched sides to represent celebrities accused of motoring offences.
He rose to fame when he successfully defended Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after he was accused of driving illegally on a motorway's hard shoulder.
Other clients Freeman has successfully defended include golfer Colin Montgomerie, comedian Jimmy Carr, David Beckham, Jeremy Clarkson and former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff.
Freeman was nicknamed “Mr Loophole” by the press for his apparent ability to win cases on minor technicalities, though he doesn't always win - model Caprice was banned from the road for a year and fined for drink driving, and TV star Chris Tarrant lost six points on his licence and was fined for speeding.
Manchester-based Freeman has now trademarked the name “Mr Loophole” so that other legal advisers cannot use it and earlier this month successfully sued a businessman for using his famous nickname.

Monty credits his BMW 7 Series for "lucky" escape

Scottish golf legend Colin Montgomerie has admitted that he was "lucky" not to be seriously injured in a four-vehicle road smash.

The Ryder Cup captain reckons his silver BMW 750 - which was badly damaged in the crash on the A80 at Moodiesburn - may have saved him from terrible injury.

Monty said: "I was driving through road works when a van travelling towards me suddenly burst through the cones and slammed into me.
"A fraction of a second later my car was hit by a lorry and another car as well and I began spinning out of control.
"I was trapped as the side of the car was compressed and the air bags were holding me back - but the passenger door suddenly opened and I was pulled to safety thanks to other drivers who had witnessed the accident.
"It was a terrible shock and I am lucky to have come out of it relatively unscathed - thanks I am sure to the car I was driving."
Montgomerie, captain of the winning European Ryder Cup team, was treated for minor injuries at the scene of the accident near Cumbernauld in Scotland.
Police said that the driver of the other vehicle, a delivery van, had been charged with road traffic offences.

James Bond Aston Martin fetches £2.6m at auction

A James Bond Aston Martin - dubbed the most iconic car in the world - has been sold at auction in London for £2.6 million.

The silver DB5, which was driven by Sir Sean Connery as the super-spy in Goldfinger and Thunderball, had a pre-auction car valuation of £3 million.

A spokesman for the auctioneer said: "It's still a lot of money and I don't think anyone's disappointed."

Clearly delighted with his new purchase, proud new owner Harry Yeagy said: “We’re going to fire the car up and have a bit of fun with it.”
The silver model boasts revolving license plates, a bullet-proof shield and an ejector seat.
Still a worthy competitor for modern-day vehicles, the car can also reach speeds of 145mph.
American broadcasting boss Jerry Lee bought the 1964 car for 12,000 US dollars in 1969, and since then it has spent much of its time in the United States.
He has said he plans to donate proceeds from last night's sale to his charitable foundation.

He said previously: "The James Bond car has brought me much enjoyment for some 40 years.

"Even as I sell it and use the proceeds to fund the Jerry Lee Foundation, the car will continue to give me great pleasure as it furthers the mission of the foundation to do good around the world."

Mr Lee set up his foundation more than 10 years ago to support education and anti-crime projects internationally.

The car was sold at Battersea Evolution in London by RM Auctions, together with Sotheby's.

The model was dubbed Most Famous Car in the World in a 1993 book of the same title by Dave Worrall.

Uk motoring is becoming officially less colourful

Britain's roads are officially getting duller!

New figures show car buyers rejecting bright colours for their cars in favour of plainer, monochrome shades of grey for almost a third of all new vehicles.

The idea of getting a nice bright red, blue or green has virtually died out in the last decade, with a staggering 76 per cent of all new cars sold in Britain today being either grey, silver, black or white!

Statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which represents the UK industry, showed that black was the most popular choice last year for the first time in more than a decade.
Silver, which had been the number one choice since 2001, slipped to second place last year, while blue was third for the fourth consecutive year.
Grey remained in fourth place for a sixth year, having risen from seventh in 2000. Over the same period, white has risen from eighth to sixth.
The SMMT said white's rise in popularity was partially because manufacturers were increasingly launching new models using white versions in advertising.

Ten years ago 15 per cent of new cars were green but now so few are bought that it registers as less than one per cent in the colour charts.

A huge contributing factor to the figures is the fact that fleet car sales - which make up the majority of sales in all markets - are increasingly picking neutral colours like grey or black for their executives.

This makes them less likely to stand out and become targets for thieves and also helps their resale value by appealing to a larger market.

UK drivers proven to be a nation of 'in-car flirts'

Flirty: Uk drivers

The UK has been shown to be a nation of in-car flirts, with many drivers admitting they flirt with other motorists on the road, according to a nationwide survey by women's car insurance specialist, Diamond

The insurer questioned 3,000 people and found almost half of men and over a third of women admit to flirting with other motorists, however men were the most guilty of flirtatious behaviour, with three times as many men than women admitting they flirt with other drivers on a daily basis.Alarmingly, 15 per cent admitted to having crashed their car or had a near miss after being distracted by someone they fancy.

Regionally, motorists in Wales are the biggest in-car flirts and motorists in East Anglia are the most likely to beep their horn at someone they fancy. On the other hand, Diamond’s research says it's drivers in the West Midlands who have had the most crashes as a result of being distracted by someone attractive.
The research also revealed far more men (63 per cent) than women (42 per cent) would behave more courteously to another motorist if they found them attractive.

A smile or a cheeky glance are the most popular ways to flirt whilst driving. However, the survey also revealed that many drivers are willing to wink, wave or even beep their horn. Diamond managing director, Elwyn Gedrych, said: "We spend so much of our time driving, perhaps many of us have started to see our cars as an extension of our social lives. However, in-car flirting isn't risk free and it can be a distraction.

"However, in-car flirting isn't risk free and it can be a distraction. Drivers need to be mindful not to let the handsome man or pretty woman in the car next to them take their mind off the road ahead."

What’s my car worth?

RAC warn of potholes crisis as winter looms

Local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland are struggling to find the cash required to carry out repairs to their roads.This is according to an RAC survey, which warns the majority of roads affected by last year's harsh winter have still not been repaired, with some councils facing individual shortfalls of up to £10 million.

According to RAC, 10 out of 11 rural councils and a majority of the nine urban councils surveyed had not carried out road repairs, making it more difficult for motorists to deal with the possible severe weather conditions this year.

"A recent survey showed that £9.5 billion is needed to bring the roads up to scratch and that is in England and Wales alone," RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink commented.

"UK motorists pay an annual total of around £49 billion in motoring taxes, yet they face years of potholes and poorly-maintained roads damaging their vehicles and drastically reducing road safety."

Meanwhile, Britons recently selected roads as the highest priority area for public spending in a poll conducted by the Institution of Civil Engineers

Consumer watchdog criticises Webuyanycar.com



Webuyanycar.com: Heavily criticised by Which?



More bad publicity for car buying company Webuyanycar.com.

Consumer watchdog Which? was critical of the company's pushy sales staff and advises people to only use Webuyanycar.com as a last resort.

One Which? researcher offered to sell her Renault Modus to Webuyanycar.com expecting an offer of around £4,000 - she was surprised by the site’s £3,320 valuation, which was reduced yet further to £2,550 when she took her car to the Webuyanycar.com depot.

Although a £640 deduction for bodywork repairs was eventually waived, taking the price back up to £3,190, the researcher felt the Webuyanycar.com employee’s tactics were so pushy that she felt in danger of leaving the depot without her car. Three out of the five Which? Car researchers felt they were offered very low prices and had experienced pressure buying tactics at Webuyanycar.com depots.

The report found: “Three out of the five Which? Car researchers felt they were offered very low prices and had experienced 'pressure buying' tactics at webuyanycar.com depots.

Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, said: “Next time you get Webuyanycar.com’s repetitive jingle stuck in your head, remember: just because they buy any car doesn’t mean they’re the best people to sell to. Think carefully before selling to an online car buying firm or you could be left seriously out of pocket.”

Which? also said firms which insist on the seller signing a contract before the car is sold - Wewillbuyyourcar.com, Sellcar-uk.com and Sellthecar.com – should be avoided.

* Listing your car with Car Arena guarantees maximum exposure and puts you in control!

New 'bangers' initiative helps charity

Car owners are being encouraged to raise cash for charity by giving away their old bangers.

The Giveacar scheme is a social enterprise which collects unwanted cars, turning scrap into cash for good causes.

Regardless of their condition, cars are collected free-of-charge nationwide by Giveacar and either sold through an online auction or disposed of at an authorised site. Proceeds from the sale are donated to a charity of the car owner’s choice or one of the Giveacar’s partner charities.

The scheme mirrors popular projects in the USA and other countries and is intended to discourage owners from considering abandoning their cars at the expense of taxpayers and the environment.
St Richard’s Hospice in Worcestershire is one of the first charities to sign up to the Giveacar scheme. The Hospice's fundraising manager, Tricia Cavell, said: “We are very pleased to join this scheme and have already had one car been donated with funds coming back to help our care.
“It’s a great way of disposing safely of a car while making money for the hospice at the same time.”

Gazza in 'good company' for drink driving

News that troubled former England ace Paul Gascoigne could face jail for his second drink driving misdemeanour this year hardly came as a surprise.

British footballers have a notorious reputation for motoring offences at all levels, but what is perhaps surprising is the number of Gazza's fellow England internationals who have been convicted for drink driving.

Ironically, twice-capped Gary Charles (who was famously on the receiving end of the horror-challenge which saw Gazza rupture his cruciate knee ligaments and arguably heralded his descent into alcoholism) once passed out at the wheel of his Mercedes sports car in a pub car park following a rampage on four wheels through the town of Long Eaton in Derbyshire and has served two prison sentences in his time.

Undoubtedly the most famous instance of a footballing drink driving case involved Tony Adams. After a long battle with alcoholism, the Arsenal captain careered his Ford Sierra into a wall near his home in Southend-on-Sea. On breathalysing the Arsenal captain police found him to be four times over the legal limit and Adams was imprisoned for four months.

Rio Ferdinand, known for his love for fast cars, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1997. The then 18-year old was banned from driving and was dropped from the England team.

Meanwhile, former England international Seth Johnson admitted charges of speeding and drink driving in August 2003, when he was speeding at 135mph near Bradford. He was banned from driving for two years and was sentenced to 100 hours community service.

But, perhaps the most surprising case involved Peter Shilton who was banned from driving for 15 months and was fined a sum of £350 for drink driving back in his 1980 pomp. The great keeper admitted in his autobiography he lost control of his car and crashed into a lamp post in a desperate attempt to escape his mistress' husband!

Rooney's car collection safe after new mega-bucks deal

As the ink dries on Wayne Rooney's new mega-lucrative five year contract, perhaps the Man Utd and England striker won't have to sell a car now after all!
 

 

Rooney is, of course, a prolific collector of fast cars and, with a rumoured £200k-a-week deal signed and sealed, perhaps he will be in a position to add to his luxury fleet and not scale back as has been suggested.Even though he has not yet celebrated his 25th birthday, Rooney is reported to have owned over 20 cars totaling in excess of £1.5 million, beginning with a humble Ford Sportka and reaching a nadir four years ago when he was presented with a £200k Aston Martin Vanquish by his then fiance Coleen McLoughlin as a good luck gift before the 2006 World Cup!  He returned the gesture and bought a Porsche 911 for his wife for her birthday.

Other cars in his collection include a BMW X5, Mercedes CLK, Cadillac Escalade, a Chrysler 300C, a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder an Audi TT and a Audi RS6 Avant. But the maddest and most original of Rooney’s off-road fleet was his Mercedes G55 AMG. Costing around £100,000 new, the Mercedes G55 was powered by a supercharged 5.4-litre engine which develops 476bhp and 516lb/ft of pulling power. This meant the German 4x4 could accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds.

Cutbacks spark vehicle theft fears

As the latest round of Government cutbacks fast become a reality, crime prevention experts are advising vehicle owners to be extra vigilant against the threat of car theft. In particular, the advice being given by leading UK insurance broker, Swinton, is to be vigilant with home safety in order to prevent a double car and home break-in.

With the developments in car security systems, it’s harder than ever for thieves to get inside a car without the keys. For this reason, robbers are now targeting homes to obtain the keys, in order to make away with vehicles.

Latest figures also suggest that car thieves are also broadening their market and targeting mid and lower value cars instead of the usual premium high-end vehicles such as BMW or Audi.

Hard financial times are taking their toll on thieves too. “We have seen them adjust their targets to suit car buyers, making lower value vehicles just as valuable to them as the fancy sports cars, explains Stephen Doran, managing director of Tracker Vehicle Recovery Services.”

How to prepare your car for winter

With winter fast appearing on the horizon, now is the ideal time to give your car a health-check before icy conditions take their toll, particularly as a recent survey found that ten out of 11 rural councils still have not managed to complete all the necessary road repairs after last winter’s severe weather!

• The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) have issued a simple five point plan of action to ensure that your car is ready to face the elements before they deteriorate.
• In a British winter you are more likely to encounter wind and rain so make sure your windscreen wipers are in good condition and you clean the inside of the windscreen regularly.
• Do a proper winter check of your vehicle particularly the tyres, top up your washer fluid and make sure your old ice scraper and cans of de-icer are up to the job.
• The legal minimum for tyre tread in the UK is 1.6mm, but for optimum safety start looking for replacements if the depth is below 3mm (below of which skid resistance begins to decline rapidly).
• Check all lights. While someone observes the lights around the car, switch on each light one-by-one: headlights, sidelights, fog lights, indicators, brake lights, reversing lights, hazard warning lights. If alone, park by a reflective surface such as a garage door, and look for the reflections.
• Pack an emergency kit in the boot. The IAM recommends a warm coat and a high visibility jacket, some food and water, a good pair of boots, de-icer and scraper, a torch, a spade and a mobile phone with a well-charged battery. It’s also a good idea to programme your breakdown provider's emergency number, and your own customer reference number into your phone.

Used car finance sales up in August

Sales of used cars using dealer finance rose by 21% in August when compared to the same month in 2009, according to the latest motor finance statistics from the Finance & Leasing Association.

However, sales of new cars to consumers and businesses using motor finance were down by 12% and 26% respectively. August is always a quiet month for the motor industry as motorists wait for the release of the new number plate in September. Next month’s FLA figures will show us whether the new car market recovered in September.

Commenting on August’s motor finance figures, Paul Harrison, Head of Motor Finance, said: “Following the withdrawal of a range of incentives to ‘buy new’, consumers have returned to the used car market where lower prices are attractive and mean that car buyers need to borrow less. However, despite strong growth this month it must be remembered that August 2009 was a weak month when the country was still in recession.

“While we expect sales of new cars, particularly prestige cars, to recover slightly towards the end of the year as consumers seek to beat the VAT increase, there is also the, as yet unknown, effect on consumer confidence of this week’s Comprehensive Spending Review.”

Car buyers aren't haggling for savings

Britain's car buyers are haggling less hard for discounts than they used to - according to new research.


Britain's car buyers: "Wont haggle"



The report into car-buying trends from Sainsbury’s Finance suggests buyers should be looking to save an average of £1,700 when negotiating the cost of a new car, yet a staggering 27% of buyers intending to buy a vehicle in the next six months said they wouldn't haggle at all.And, only 39 per cent of people buying a new car over the next six months intend to haggle ‘hard’ prior to sealing the deal.

This compares to 59 per cent in March 2010 and 52 per cent in September.

The bank suggests that the inability of the country’s car buyers to secure the best deal will cost them a total of £740 million.

Sainsbury’s Finance attributes the current lack of haggling to a buyers’ market in which car dealers are offering freebies, special offers and discounts of up to 40 per cent.

It says consumers currently think they are being offered such good deals that haggling is unnecessary. Steven Baillie, head of Sainsbury’s Loans said: “It is disappointing to see how few people are willing to haggle on the price of a new car at the moment.

“The new car industry is belatedly seeing the effects of the recession in earnest, with car-buying incentives such as the car scrappage scheme and lower VAT, now both things of the past.“This has led the industry to offer some great deals at the moment, but consumers shouldn’t automatically accept that this is the best they can do."



Car sellers losing up to £500

New research from Manheim Auctions has found that motorists can be out of pocket to as much as £500 when it comes to selling their car - simply because they don't prepare their car before they sell.

Damaged alloy wheels and headlights can reduce a car’s value by £150, while cracked windscreens and poorly presented carpets and seats devalue a car by as much £350.

Minor bodywork damage can also cost as much as £250 per panel.

Less surprising, however, is the news that a typical three year old car without full documentation and no service history could cost the owner between £200 and £500 at the point of sale.

Manheim has made the call to make motorists realise the importance of getting the best price for their cars.

With the government set to announce spending cuts that will hit British motorists hard, now is the time to act.

‘It’s imperative that motorists do everything they can to maximise what their car is worth,’ said Craig Mailey, client services & marketing director, Manheim Auctions.

How to maximise the sale price for you vehicle

Okay, you've taken the decision to sell your car.

Just by taking a few basic steps to prepare your vehicle properly can add hundreds of pounds to your car's value;

• Use a good-quality car shampoo to clean off any 'road grime'. Work from the roof down, rinse off well, and dry with a chamois leather.
• Stone chips are unsightly and can rust if not attended to. Repair them with a touch-up stick. These aren't expensive, and with a little patience, you can dramatically improve your car's appearance. 
• Missing wheel trims or badges are unslightly to car buyers, so make sure you buy replacements. Breaker's yards offer a cheap source of parts.
• Wheels covered in brake dust look awful. On alloys, if it's particularly stubborn, buy an alloy wheel cleaner and treat them. If you've got wheel trims, consider replacing them.
• A good polish will create that 'new car' shine that so many used car buyers are looking for. Don't worry if paint residue appears on the cloth; this is just a layer of 'dead paint'!
• Cleaning the interior requires a little more hard work. Start with the vacuum and treat carpets, seats, dusty crevices, and even the dashboard itself.
• Dashboards should be cleaned with a 'low-gloss' dashboard cleaner; don't use household polish, as it'll give a cheap appearance.
• Windows should be cleaned after the dashboard, to make sure you don't spoil your hard work. Use a glass cleaner or damp chamois leather.
• Replace any non-standard parts, such as racy gear knobs or alloy pedal covers. They won't impress buyers, who'll think your car has been thrashed. Standard is always best.
• Avoid dousing the car in air freshener, unless you have smoked in it - in which case, buy an odour neutraliser. Spray the ashtray too, after giving it a good clean.
• Lift tatty old mats out; the clean carpets underneath will look much more attractive.
• Car buyers love looking under the bonnet, even if they haven't got a clue what they're looking for. You should therefore make sure they like what they see.
• Oil changes are cheap, and clean oil looks far better than sludgy treacle. Make sure the oil level is correct too.
• Finally, steam-cleaning is much-loved by car buying companies, but don't go overboard, particularly with older cars as it can sometimes damage fragile parts or connections.

Mondeo named 2010 Used Car of the Year

The Ford Mondeo has been named Used Car of the Year 2010 at a top awards ceremony.

And arch rival Vauxhall is celebrating a treble after its Corsa lifted the supermini title, the Zafira was named best MPV and Vectra took the estate car gong.

Ford’s winning model - the Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec five-door - has a used car valuation, say awards sponsor What Car? magazine, for £8,600 on a 2007 plate, representing a saving of more than £10,000 on a new Mondeo.

And competition judge Steve Fowler said: “It’s hard to find fault with the Ford Mondeo – especially at the price. It’s a comfortable cruiser for covering motorway miles, yet it’s still great fun to drive and makes an extremely capable family car. There’s loads of cabin space, and it’s solid and well put together.”

Given it's immense popularity, the Ford Mondeo is very much in demand with car buying companies.

Understanding the importance of Car Valuations

When it's all said and done, a car's true worth is like anything else. It is only worth what someone is actually willing to pay for it!
A pretty obvious statement you might think, but apparently not. Research shows that most private sellers tend to be guilty of over-valuing their 'pride-and-joy' and as a result end up stumping up more cash than they need to in the shape of local advertisement fees as would-be buyers balk at the inflated asking price.
At the opposite end of the scale, research shows that many sellers tend to under-value their asset when excitedly lumping it in as part of a 'part-exchange' deal on a newer vehicle!
Thankfully, with the advent of the no-obligation free car valuation, buyers and sellers can now arm themselves with all the vital car price data they need within seconds.
As a potential used car buyer, knowing in advance the value of a car you are considering places you in the most favourable position for negotiating effectively with a second hand car vendor and can also serve as your best bargaining tool when buying privately.
Similarly, an informed car valuation enables a seller to make a more advantageous choice as to what price to sell for, so that their advertisement receives the greatest interest and offers the best chance for a quick sale.
With these car valuation tools now freely available, and with no obligation 'cash for cars' sites ready to make offers on almost any vehicle, it really has never been more easy or convenient to get a car valuation guide.

Selling your car in 2010

Wow, how times have changed?
The last time I tried to sell a car was almost five years ago. Back then, it was basically a straight choice between part-exchanging with a local dealer and going through the tiresome "haggle" routine. Or, it was to pay extortionate local private advertisement fees and face up to the the twin irritants of time wasters and "tyre-kickers"!
In the end, can you believe I actually did both? Having used Glass's Guide to value my car, I placed an ad in the local Gazette (which ended up costing over £100) and barely received any interest, other than two stereotype "tyre kickers", one of whom actually had the barefaced affrontry to say he would "take the car off my hands" if I knocked £400 pounds off the £1600 asking price!
After that, the part-exchange option seemed infinitely more attractive and although, I didn't get anything like what I wanted for my vehicle (I was told I got the "car book price"), I think I got a reasonable deal (but no more than that) on my new Ford Mondeo.
Basically the whole car selling process soured me and, I think that is the reason I held on to my trusty Mondeo for two years longer than I ideally wanted.
Thankfully, in the words of Bob Dylan 'The times, they are a changin'! The advent of new car buying websites gives the vehicle seller a quick, hassle-free option which simply wasn't there five years ago and let me tell you, in my experience at least, the world is a better place for it!
Listen, you would have to be super-naive to think you will achieve the very best cash price for your vehicle with any car buying company, but the trade-off is the simple, time-saving, hassle-free process. And, again in my experience at least, their valuations aren't anything like as miserly as some of the more negative critics out there would lead you to believe. After all, with respect to all the car valuation tools out there, the true value of anything is what someone is prepared to actually pay!
So, it's car buying websites all the way for me now and I think the future is only going to get better, as new 'trading portals' like Car Arena enter the marketplace, thus exposing vehicles to a much wider audience of potential car buyers!