ShareThis

15th July 2011

VISIT SURETERM DIRECT AT LRO BILLING TO WIN A DAY’S OFF-ROADING WORTH AROUND £600

From 15 – 17 July 2011, Sureterm Direct will be on stand M1 at the 21st LRO Billing event, offering one lucky person the opportunity to spend a day off-roading at Rockingham Castle. The lucky winner of this special prize worth £595, will learn the skills necessary to tackle some of the most challenging off road terrain and be introduced to the exciting world of off road driving.

Ross Barrington, operations director, Sureterm Direct, said: “The LRO Billing show provides us with an ideal opportunity to meet many 4×4 owners and enthusiasts. We are encouraging visitors to drop by our stand to take part in our free prize draw and meet our experienced and helpful team”.

LRO Billing is located at Billing Aquadrome in Northampton and is an opportunity for Land Rover enthusiasts to see the latest developments in the market, meet up with old friends and enjoy the company of other Land Rover owners. Boasting a wide variety of trade stands, club stands, an autojumble, arena action, off-road course and camping, the three-day show runs from Friday to Sunday, giving visitors plenty of time to relax and enjoy themselves.

Sureterm Direct can arrange insurance for your 4×4 insurance or Land Rover insurance policy. Call Sureterm Direct free on 0800 999 2030 or click here for an online 4×4 insurance quote.

ShareThis

NYTimes.com has reported that GM “had been trying to sell Hummer for nearly two years, and struck a preliminary deal with Tengzhong in June. The two companies had planned to complete the $150m deal by the end of January, then delayed the deadline by a month in the hope of receiving approval from China”. However the deal reportedly collapsed because of “problems convincing the Chinese Government that Hummer’s range could be made sufficiently friendly”.

Although the brand Hummer will slowly disappear, GM have said they will continue to honour existing Hummer warranties – and or course the 4×4 legacy will live on. PistonHeads.com reports that discussions between GM and Tengzhong had led John Smith, Vice President of GM to say “we are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed but GM will still work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner” – meaning existing customers will still receive a high level of service and support.

Over the years the Hummer name has achieved a powerful status, with celebrities endorsing the brand by being chauffeured around in one of these hefty 4×4 vehicles. However more recently the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger (who once owned ma fleet of Hummers), described the brand as “prime evidence of the Detroit automakers’ failings”.

Danny Hill, the general sales manager of the Texas Classic Hummer branch commented on this end of an era saying that Hummer “had a great concept and it’s a real shame that it’s going away, because the people who own Hummers just love them”.

To ensure it’s not the end of the good times for your 4×4 insurance, call Sureterm Direct free on 0800 999 2030 or get a tailored 4×4 insurance quote online here.

ShareThis

“Growing concerns about the environment and fuel security are inspiring a concerted push by Government and manufacturers to bring electric cars back into the mainstream”, reports The Open University. The push to be green has existed as far back as 1913, and at the time electric cars seemed like a serious contender, however the petrol and diesel powered rivals proved “cheaper and have ruled our roads almost unchallenged for nearly a century”.

Fuelled by the growing demands and increasing concerns about the environment, a “total of 1,300 plug sockets will be installed around the region over the next three years”, which means they will be easily accessible on streets, in car parks, at homes, businesses, shopping centres and even tourist attractions – which is no surprise seeing as the project is costing £7.8m.

The Independent first reported on the strategy which stretches back to the start of 2009, and reveals the plan is to build “the world’s first zero emission, electric 4×4 vehicle”. Liberty Electric Cars, based in Oxford, said “it would invest £30 million into the venture” to create a plug-in electric Range Rover, which is likely to top “1,000 vehicles annually and contribute more than £120 million a year into the local economy”.

Barry Shrier, Chief Executive of Liberty, said: “The Liberty Electric Range Rover takes electric vehicle technology into a new sector, to large luxury cars that people aspire to drive, particularly in cities and urban environments where environmental controls are becoming increasingly tighter”.

The Milton Keynes electric pilot scheme is just one of the major global project areas that will include extensive evaluations of consumer attitudes, which will enable the Energy Technologies Institute to determine the cost effective infrastructure and driver incentives, which InvestMiltonKeynes.com reveals will “help to develop a self sustaining mass market”.

If you want to be part of a scheme that works, let Sureterm Direct provide you with a tried and tested 4×4 insurance policy. Call free on 0800 999 2030 or click here for a tailored 4×4 quote.

ShareThis

Volvo on the other hand has excelled in producing low emitting cars, with the “introduction of 119g/km versions of both the S80 executive saloon and V70 premium estate”, reports Motortorque.com. President and CEO of Volvo, Stephen Odell comments on the success by saying “now that we have bought two of the larger models in below the magical 120g/km limit, few of our competitors can now match us”.

The recent findings reported on the Times Online have found that the scrappage scheme has “caused consternation among green campaigners”, who initially welcomed and encouraged the scrappage scheme and believed this would be an ideal way of reducing emissions by “encouraging drivers to opt for newer, more fuel-efficient cars”.

Both the S80 saloon and the V70 estate produced by Volvo, fall into Vehicle Exercise Duty Band C, which means it will only cost motorists £35 a year. Volvo believes fuel savings could reach as much as 60 litres a year – which is as much as a whole tank of fuel.

The economic success of the scheme however, is unarguable; car sales rose 30% last month and the government has extended the scheme until the end of March. This is added to the fact that according to BusinessGreen.com, “average emissions of a new car in the UK have fallen, thanks to technical innovation from manufacturers such as Volvo, coupled with changes in consumer spending habits”.

Sureterm Direct specialise in providing competitive 4×4 insurance, classic car insurance, caravan insurance, motorhome insurance and kit car insurance. Call free on 0800 999 2030 or for an online quote click here.

ShareThis

To quote Andy Wood’s words:

“We lived in St Neots as youngsters and knew a fair few people who worked at the Old Mill in St Ives and Kings Parade in Cambridge on Sinclair products – such as the Spectrum.  We knew the electric car was coming and was pretty excited to see Sir Clive demonstrating the vehicle at Alexandria Palace.

It was as cold as it was today and quite frankly did not help the battery performance – but I’m not going to go all scientific here (it would have also helped having some form of fast charger or recharging dynamo etc) but needless to say they unfortunately failed.  If you call failed selling 12,000 units.

Chris Curry (another local hero and Ex-Kimboltonian) helped develop the motor (and helped with the ARM chip that’s in your mobile phone) before leaving some years earlier to set up Acorn Computers down the road.

So once you have one – two has to be done and I am on the lookout for one more – one for each of the children.

At the Classic Car Show, I’m pleased to report that I actually met Sir Clive’s son, Crispin, who as it turns out is not the mathematician that his father is! But he is a Petrolhead, has a DB6 and into Property, so I guess if you want a property go to www.sinclairdirect.com!”

So why go to Brooklands  on the 10 January 2010?  Are you going to see Andy trying to race round a last remaining piece of track in a classic Bentley??

Er no – the Sinclair C5 is 25 years old and what a place to see them – See http://www.sinclairc5.com/

ShareThis

“The group intends to separately develop the Geely and Volvo brands until an appropriate time when we might combine their operations,” Mr. Gui is reported to tell reporters after a Geely shareholders’ meeting.

Following the sale of Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin, Volvo is the last of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group (PAG) brands to go and will give the Chinese firm a vital foothold in the European market.

Volvo has long been regarded by many as being at the forefront of safety engineering and has brought us several milestones. Of note is the Volvo PV544 classic car which in 1959 was the first car to feature three-point seat belts, and the first to have any kind of seat belt as standard equipment.

Sureterm Direct specialise in the insurance for classic cars. Call us for FREE on 0800 999 2030 and speak to one of our specialists today.

ShareThis

Over its lifetime, Saab has produced several models that today are considered true classics. Of particular note are the Saab 900 Turbo, Saab Sonett and the 7-seater Saab 95.

GM has promised to continue honouring warranties, and the company’s debts will be settled, according to GM Europe President Nick Reilly.

‘Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has become very clear that the due diligence required to complete this complex transaction could not be executed in a reasonable time. In order to maintain operations, Saab needed a quick resolution,’ said Reilly.

Parts of the Saab business have already been sold including the car and engine technology to Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation (BAIC) in a deal that allows the Chinese company to make its own brand models in China.

Saab will follow other GM brands Pontiac and Saturn into the proverbial car graveyard, leaving Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Holden and Vauxhall/Opel in the portfolio.

Sureterm Direct specialise in the insurance for classic cars. Call us for FREE on 0800 999 2030 and speak to one of our specialists today.

ShareThis

The interior of the car is fully leather which can be refined with Alcantara elements. It has an ergonomically shaped sports steering wheel and wood trim sets or carbon-fiber trim panels for the dashboard, doors and center console. The back of the front seats have an integrated seven-inch LCD screen and a DVD player.

The Brabus sets a new level for SUV’s but at a combined cost of around the total for a Range Rover, Merc SL63 AMG, and a Bentley GTC, is it truly worth the money? Let us know your thoughts.

Sureterm Direct specialise in 4×4 Car Insurance. Call today for a no obligation quote on 0800 999 2030 and speak to one of our specialists.

ShareThis

Citroën C3 Picasso
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Opel/Vauxhall Astra
Peugeot 3008
Skoda Yeti
Toyota iQ
Volkswagen Polo

On the 30th November 2009, the final results were announced and the top 3 cars were:

1st Place: Volkswagen Polo
2nd Place: Toyota iQ
3rd Place: Opel/Vauxhall Astra

The Volkswagen Polo took 3rd place in last years competition and is the first Volkswagen to win the Car of the Year award in 18 years (the previous winner being a Golf in 1992).

More details about the award and why the Polo was chosen can be found at: http://www.caroftheyear.org/winner/2010_41/coty

ShareThis