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Was the Allegro really the worst car ever?

August 10th, 2010

A few years ago, the Austin Allegro was voted Britain’s worst car ever, this came 25 years after production of the car had ceased. Made by British Leyland for a decade between 1973 and 1983, the Allegro was cursed with many design problems, it was dubbed the All-aggro.

An example of its poor construction was the fact it was actually more aerodynamic when it travelled backwards than when it was being driven forwards. In extreme cases the rear window would also pop out when the vehicle was jacked-up. There were far more serious problems of wheels dropping off the vehicle, due to a design of wheel bearing. A total of 642,350 Allegros were manufactured in the decade, which meant a motor insurance quote was given for a lot of Allegro’s. The early versions even came with a rectangular steering wheel. It was hugely popular with drivers during the 1970s and by 1979 it was the 5th best selling car in the country, but its popularity fell away and now there are less than 1,000 still registered with the DVLA. What is so sad about the story of the Allegro, is it could have been a world beater. It came with front wheel drive, it was the perfect size, and was technically advanced

The conception and development of the Allegro was not seriously instigated until 1968. Today progress moves at such a fast pace that it is unthinkable to leave a vehicle in production for almost 6 years. The Allegro was finally launched in May 1973, and the small family vehicle’s launch was perfect, meaning the new car was launched with an air of optimism.

Allegro had been developed thoroughly and British Leyland management thought it was going to be a great success. At launch, Longbridge was making up to 1200 Allegros each week, giving what BL management claimed was the best launch figures of any other of the company’s cars.

Problems which became evident in the first few years of production resulted in a quick facelift which was announced in October 1975. The facelift included the interior being upgraded, and more equipment added. Also the moving of rear panels gave rear passengers more legroom, and adjustments to the suspension gave an improved quality of drive. The Allegro 3 was launched in 1979. Once again, the styling was given a wider range of new colours, new lights, and a new radiator grille it also had an improvement in fuel consumption, which was very relevant in 1979. The end result was a pleasant to drive allegro. Disappointingly, sales continued to drop until it was finally replaced by the Maestro in 1983.

Tags: Car, Car Insurance, motoring history
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European cover should not be overlooked

August 10th, 2010

This summer, three out of every ten families will steer clear of busy airports and are choosing instead to drive to the Continent. But, with the average cost of a car breaking down being £1,000, it would be silly not to take out cover. A motor insurance quote will now offer European cover as an extra which gives the driver protection should the worst happen. It is important that the car’s insurance company are informed that the car will be in Europe; otherwise if the driver is involved in an accident, the policy could be invalidated. Having both car insurance and breakdown cover is a must for any driver.

Gavin Hill-Smith, spokesman at the AA, says: ‘European breakdown cover is an absolute must for trips to Europe. Breaking down in Britain is bad enough, what with the inconvenience, cost and danger of being stuck by the roadside. But breaking down on the Continent is doubly difficult if you have to describe a technical matter in a foreign language.”

A good European breakdown policy will give the policy holder an emergency number to call if they do break down. They will then deal directly with the garage and mechanic to make sure that the mechanical problems are sorted out as quickly as possible. Most European breakdown cover will be available at two levels, basic and comprehensive. The basic plan will cover trips of up to five days but will only include roadside repair or towing to the nearest garage. Where as comprehensive cover includes some money for any emergency repairs and financial assistance if any accommodation is needed while the vehicle is being fixed. This is vital if there are children in the vehicle. It will also provide a hire car if the vehicle will be out of action for a while, so the driver and any passengers can get to their holiday destination.

Mike Powell, insurance expert data analyst, warns that cheapest breakdown cover available is not always the best, saying “Policy terms and cover vary widely. Most providers offer different levels of cover so always read the small print. Check whether a policy offers emergency accommodation if you are a long way from your destination - it can prove invaluable.”

Tags: European travel, holiday cover, Motor insurance
Posted in Car Insurance, travel | No Comments »

Vehicles will become much lighter in the future

August 6th, 2010

Millions of people each year get a motor insurance quote, most will drive the vehicle everyday and have no idea about its weight, or that it has been getting heavier in recent years. Most of the weight on cars today comes from steel. Only a few years ago the average car contained 2,400 pounds of steel. Now, consider that most cars weigh around 3,000 pounds, that’s a lot of steel. In cars, it is steel that is used to create the underlying chassis underneath the body. This forms the skeleton of the car and will protect the driver and passengers in the event of a crash. Doors, roofs and even the body panels made during manufacturing on most cars today are made of steel. Steel is also used in a number of different areas throughout the vehicle. Even the exhaust will often be made from stainless steel.

The manufacturing of steel has evolved massively, enabling carmakers today to be able to use different types of steel for parts of the vehicle. However, it still remains a fact that in order for us to get better mileage and lower emissions in the future, vehicles will have to lose some weight. That will not be easy with drivers demanding more creature comforts inside the vehicle. It would be a bad business move on the manufacturer’s part to stop offering the latest technology that make for a comfortable drive. Yet it is the technology that makes cars heavier.

One answer would be to make body parts out of lighter materials like carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, which is often abbreviated as CFRP. Like many other auto innovations, this one started out life in the racing world for a long time before seeing it in the consumer marketplace. CFRP works pretty much like fibre glass which sees the carbon fibre spun into long strands and then arranged into a weave for strength. A plastic material (the polymer) is soaked into the carbon fibre around a mould. When the two harden, the result will be both strong and quite light (50% lighter than forming the part out of metal alloy). This is very expensive, and because of this it is still uncommon on vehicles that are mass produced.

Chevrolet already makes limited use of carbon fibre on some of its factory models. Lexus is using CFRP extensively on its LF-A to be released next year, and they say more carbon fibre cars will be released in the future. BMW have used carbon fibre for the roof of its M3 sports car, and they have plans to use it on a wider scale for its eco-friendly city car which is expected around 2015.

Tags: Cars, driving, Motor insurance, vehicle insurance
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Safety | No Comments »

Technology to make driving safer

August 3rd, 2010

Avoiding an accident is much better than having an accident. A preventative safety feature such as the CAS (Collision Avoidance System) can help a driver avoid having an accident by simply evading them. Motor manufacturer Volvo, equips every vehicle with a variety of preventative safety features, some of them are unique to Volvo and have been developed by their own safety engineers during years of research, design and testing. Introduced on the 2007 S80, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) helps to give both a comfortable and relaxed drive by helping the driver keep a set distance from the vehicle in front. ACC uses a long range radar sensor which continuously monitors the distance to the vehicle ahead and will automatically change the speed of the car to make sure the proper distance is kept. All ACC needs is the driver to input the desired speed and the minimum time gap to the vehicle in front and it will do the rest. Distance Alert can help keep a proper distance to the vehicle in front of even if the ACC function is turned off. If the car gets too close to the vehicle in front, the system will give an alert by means of a red light in the bottom part of the windscreen. However Distance Alert will not brake the car like the Adaptive Cruise Control will do.

The existing CWBS (Collision Warning with Brake Support) was designed to sense an impending collision and then warn the driver to hopefully avoid or even reduce the damage caused in a crash. The CWBS works by way of long range radar which will continuously monitor the distance to any vehicle driving in front. The new generation of Collision Warning now also comes with Auto Brake. This is done by adding a camera which then gives a wider view of all the vehicles in front. Because the system combines the information from the radar sensor and the camera, it can now provide a very high level of confidence so that auto braking is possible. Collision Warning with Auto Brake will replace Collision Warning with Brake Support. All of these safety extras on a car may help to get a cheaper motor insurance quote.

Losses of concentration or distraction are dangerous when they happen on the roads. Volvo’s DAC (Driver Alert Control) is a unique technique which is built around a camera in the windscreen that will check lane markings to determine if the driver is behaving normal. If the system detects that the behaviour of the driver has changed, the driver is then informed by way of a warning sound and a message is also displayed, suggesting it may be time to take a break or change drivers if any driver car insurance has been purchased. Lane Departure Warning will continuously evaluate the position of the vehicle to the lane markings. The system will then alert the driver with a warning sound when the vehicle leaves the lane and the driver has not indicated a lane change

Tags: brakes, Car Insurance, driving, safety, technology
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Safety | No Comments »

Future of cars is changing

July 29th, 2010

Back in the 1980s Knight Rider, a television show from the USA, starred a black Pontiac Trans called K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Two Thousand) the car could talk, drive itself and also get its human driver out of any predicament using its onboard computer. At the time, it seemed having a car like this was just fantasy some might say it was even laughable. Yet today in 2010, this once futuristic car is becoming reality or very close to it, anyway. Currently four vehicles are slowly making their way from Italy to China driven by instructions from a satellite. If a car does come out that can drive itself, it will bring a whole new meaning to any driver car insurance when contacting a company for a motor insurance quote.

Some of the technology is already here and ready to use while other advances will need further research to iron out the current flaws. Today, several technologies are competing to eventually replace the current dependence on fossil fuels, accepted now as environmentally unfriendly and the truth is that they will eventually run out. Bio diesel and ethanol, both renewable fuels have made significant steps on the premise that we can always grow more. But both of these are causing controversy. A debate is starting to brew about the ethics and science of using crops to make fuel rather than food.

Everyone should have heard of a hybrid car and some will already be driving one. Hybrid vehicles combine a traditional engine but with an electric motor which delivers increased fuel efficiency and are the first stepping stone of the new technology. Hybrids will be around for some time to come, even when the all electric cars come to dominate the roads. Many of the cars made in the 21^st century last much longer than those of 10 or 20 years ago, and they will continue to need the support of the petrol filling stations. Today, all electric cars are the Holy Grail of clean transportation that all manufacturers are looking for. This is because they produce zero direct emissions. What is even more crucial about electric cars is that they have the potential to be completely none polluting by making it possible to recharge them with emission free solar or even wind energy. A lot of manufacturers are bringing out electric cars in the near future and eventually they will outnumber petrol vehicles.

Tags: Car Insurance, car insurance advice, future of cars
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Types, Cheap Car Insurance | No Comments »

Over 100 years of experience

July 28th, 2010

Any driver car insurance was not even invented when the Fiat Company was born. Fiat is an acronym for ‘Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino’ and translated to English, reads ‘Italian Automobile Factory of Turin’. F.I.A.T. was founded on July 12, 1899, in the Italian city of Turin, at the time the city was enjoying a good period of industrial growth.

The first Fiat plant started in 1900, had 35 employees and made 24 cars. The Chairman was Mr Ludovico Scarfiotti, with Emanuele Cacherano di Bricherasio having the job as Vice Chairman. It was Giovanni Agnelli, however, whose strategic vision and determination paved the way for FIAT to become a household name. A former cavalry officer in the army, he managed to gain an important position with the original investors and he was made Managing Director in 1902. He came up with the idea of a promotional tour of Italy by car and this was successfully done with the finish line at the Milan Fair. The Fiat oval logo on a blue background was designed by Carlo Biscaretti and this was adopted in 1904, the first car to have the Fiat brand was a Model 4 HP. The Fiat Company focused on a two-pronged strategy for the company to grow. These were 1- diversification of production and 2- concentrate on the most promising markets. This has been the strategy for Fiat throughout over 100 years of history.

A decade after it was founded, Fiat had seen its capital stock increase to a massive 12 million Lire, it now had 2,500 employees and had manufactured a total of 1,215 cars. Even the First World War did not hamper them, as this meant a conversion to military production of army trucks, ambulances and engines for submarines, to name just a few. During this time, Giovanni Agnelli still had a vision of a bright future for Fiat based on car manufacturing. Following fact finding missions to the USA, Fiat then started to plan a new factory based on what they learned from the states. Fiat’s aim was to match the technology of America.

By 1948, mainly thanks to money received from the Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, it was the primary program during 1947-51, of the US for rebuilding and creating a stronger economy for Europe) factories had been rebuilt. The number of workers employed by Fiat increased by ten thousand. In 1946 Fiat recorded a loss. But the upward trend resumed two years later. As manufacturing output recovered in the years after the war, Fiat introduced the Fiat 500B, which was available to customers as a sedan or as a station wagon. When the 500C was released it offered for the first time, heating and ventilation installed as standard equipment. The first vehicles that were equipped with a diesel engine were driven off the assembly line in 1953.

Almost 60 years on from that first diesel engine FIAT is still going strong even though it has had its ups and downs.

Tags: Car Insurance, Cheap Car Insurance, FIAT, Italy, Motor, motoring
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Safety, Cheap Car Insurance, FIAT, Italy, Savings | No Comments »

Passing your test does not mean the learning stops

July 22nd, 2010

Anyone who is looking for a way to lower a motor insurance quote can do worse than taking an advanced driving course. One such course is the Pass Plus scheme which is aimed at making new drivers become better drivers. To join the Pass Plus scheme finding an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) to do the training will be the first thing needed. An Approved Driving Instructor will help complete all six of the training sections needed to pass the course. The Pass Plus scheme is an established training course aimed at new drivers. It was designed by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) with expert input from driving instructors and insurers.

Statistics clearly show that a new driver is much more likely to be involved in an accident during the first two years after passing their test, due in some part to lack of driving experience. This is where Pass Plus comes in; it will build the new driver’s skill and knowledge. It will teach how to anticipate whilst driving, plan for and deal with different hazards, helping the pupil to become a more confident driver. It is possible to take a Pass Plus course at any time, but its main function is firmly aimed at all new drivers in the first 12 months after passing the driving test.

The Pass Plus scheme has six areas where experience will be offered. The six areas are motorways, duel carriageways, driving at night, experience on rural roads, driving in town where traffic is increased and finally driving in different weather conditions. The course will take around six hours but can take a little bit longer if the instructor deems it necessary.

The Pass Plus scheme is a practical course and all six sections should be practical sessions. However, the time of year along with weather conditions could mean that some of the six areas will need to be given as a theory session. For example a theory session may need to be given on motorway driving in some rural areas. More often than not all but 30 minutes should be spent in the car. No test at the end of the course will be required because a continual assessment will be done during each of the six sections. The instructor will have been completing a training report form during each part of the scheme which will need signing and dating when the required standard is reached in each section. To pass the whole course a satisfactory standard will need to be reached in all the course sections.

On successfully completing the training course a Pass Plus certificate is issued which will help the owner claim a discount on a motor insurance quote. Getting a Pass Plus certificate does not mean the learning ends. Consider working towards passing an Advanced Driving Test. Because passing this test would take the driving skills to a much higher level, and also provide further financial benefits. Apart from the obvious benefit of taking the advanced driving test there are other reasons to consider an advanced test. Car insurance companies will often offer a reduced premium to those who have passed this test and it is also possible to reduce the maintenance costs because being a better driver should mean that less wear and tear is caused to the vehicle. Passing the Advanced Driving Test is not easy, but if the right guidance and instruction is given, it is a worthy addition to anyone’s driving CV.

Tags: Car Insurance, driving test
Posted in Car Insurance, Car Safety, Cheap Car Insurance | No Comments »

The birth of the Beetle

July 21st, 2010

Anyone who has phoned up an insurance company to insure their Volkswagen Beetle may be blissfully unaware of how and when the Beetle was first thought of. And they may also have no idea which infamous leaders vision it was to have an affordable car. The VW Beetle Car was born in Germany and is produced by the company Volkswagen. Translated from German to English, Volkswagen simply means “People’s Car” The VW Beetle has outsold every sort of automobile that has ever been made. Its origins go back to the early 1930’s and its history grew as it continued to be produced. A Volkswagen Beetle called Herbie was a character that was featured in quite a few Disney motion pictures, starting with the 1968 feature film ‘The Love Bug’. Herbie had a mind of its own and was capable of driving itself, and was a serious contender in the racing competitions during the film. Before the 1930’s there had been quite a few attempts at selling simple cars that everyone could afford but none were successful. Almost all cars that were designed to be cheap enough for the average German to afford ended up costing more than the average worker earned in 12 months. Then along came Ferdinand Porsche who designed a prototype of the Beetle Car. It was basically a streamlined Sedan with an engine at the back so that the drive shaft could be shorter. The prototype was built by a motorbike producer called Zundapp and was test driven in 1932. It did not go into production because Zundapp decided it was financially better to keep making motorbikes as they were in still high demand.

Adolf Hitler had a vision of his fellow Germans being able to own a cheap car and also had plans to create a great network of roads to be called ‘autobahns’. Hitler invited Ferdinand Porsche to draw up a design for this people’s car, with the orders that the car had to be cheap, economical, fast, and have the capacity to accommodate two adults and three children. In January 1934, Ferdinand Porsche gave Adolf Hitler his proposal for the vehicle, and within six months work had begun. The German Auto Dealers Association funded some of the cost to help pay the bills. The car was designed to be as simple as possible, so that there was less that could go wrong. Much of the VW Beetle’s design was inspired by the advanced Tatra cars of Hans Ledwinka who sued VW, but the lawsuit had to be stopped when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. However the matter was not forgotten and was in fact re-opened after the Second World War resulting in VW paying Tatra 3,000,000 DM (Deutsche Marks) in 1961. Porsche and Ledwinka knew each other personally, and were known to have exchanged ideas.

Volkswagens were first sold in the USA in 1949 and in its first year sold just two cars. When first on sale to the U.S. market, the VW was for a short period sold as a “Victory Wagon”. Volkswagen of America was formed in April 1955 and production of the Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle increased dramatically over the years and of course is still in production today.

Tags: Car Insurance, Germany, Motor insurance, Volkswagen
Posted in Car Insurance, Germany, Volkswagen | No Comments »

Segway scooter to have its day in court

July 15th, 2010

It is not often these days that motorists are charged with offences that have been on the statute book over 150 years, but it happened this week in South Yorkshire.

Philip Coates, from Barnsley, was charged under the 1835 Highways Act of riding a motor vehicle on the pavement and in pleading not guilty to the offence, has opened up the possibility of a new type of vehicle being allowed on the roads of the UK. Mr Coates was riding a “Segway” and has been riding one around the streets of Barnsley since bringing it home from a family holiday in Florida.

A Segway can best be described as a motorised scooter, if you imagine the scooter to be the type you had as a child, but instead of the wheels being situated at the front and back, the wheels on the Segway are on each side of the axle. The wheels are also very big, about the size of the wheels on a moped, and in fact the Segway has been around for almost 10 years. It doesn’t come cheap though, the average price is somewhere around £5000.

The Segway is already accepted on the roads in many states of the United States of America and also quite a few countries in Western Europe, Italy and France amongst them. The many supporters in the UK have actually been hoping for someone to be prosecuted so a challenge to the charge can be made and the legal position can be ascertained, it is expected that this case will instigate such a challenge.

There are definite problems in actually getting a legal definition, as the Department of Transport have pointed out. It cannot be described as a bike because there are no pedals; it has a motor, but no seat and would definitely fall foul of many road safety regulations as it does not have lights or the capability to inform other drivers of its proposed direction through indicators. At the moment then the Segway is confined to private roads which means that owners of them will not be looking for a motor insurance quote and it will remain that way until Mr Coates has his day in court.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Rise in UK car sales not expected to last

July 8th, 2010

Britain’s car market was stronger than expected in June, showing a surprise 10.8% rise in registrations, meaning not just a rise in people getting a motor insurance quote for a new car, but also that the car market in the United Kingdom was stronger than expected according to the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). However analysts forecast that demand for new vehicles will go back to a negative number during the last six months of the year, with the £2,000 scrappage incentive, which boosted demand among buyers ending. The new business secretary Vince Cable, last week told one newspaper that the emergency in the car making industry was now over and that the car industry could no longer count on any direct government aid.

Registrations of fleet vehicles were 25% higher than in the same period 12 months ago, which shows a continuing recovery in demand from companies, according to the SMMT and whose chief executive Paul Everitt said “The results indicate improved business confidence and a strengthening economic recovery. The industry still expects challenging economic conditions in the second half of the year and government action to improve access to credit for consumers and businesses will be important in sustaining the momentum of recovery. There is some inventory building going on. During the depths of the recession most companies cut back quite a lot on inventory so we’re seeing some impact there. But also, this time last year there was such a big rush in scrappage scheme vehicles and private vehicles being sold that that crowded out some of the fleet market.”

The SMMT also reported that the Vauxhall Astra was Britain’s best selling car in June, the first time for almost two and a half years that it has been placed in the number one position. The Astra replaced the Ford Fiesta, which had the highest registrations during the first few months of 2010. Registration of AFVs (alternatively fuelled vehicles) equalled their biggest ever market share, at 1.2%, in June. The number of AFVs increased by 157.4% in the month, and has increased by more than 150% in four of the last six months. Diesel sales have also increased which has helped to sustain total market growth with the Nissan Qashqai continuing to be popular and was the best-selling diesel in June.

Tags: Car Insurance, car sales
Posted in Car Insurance, selling a car | No Comments »

Was the Allegro really the worst car ever?

European cover should not be overlooked

Vehicles will become much lighter in the future

Technology to make driving safer

Future of cars is changing

Over 100 years of experience

Passing your test does not mean the learning stops

The birth of the Beetle

Segway scooter to have its day in court

Rise in UK car sales not expected to last

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