To qualify for the retention scheme, both the donor vehicle and the receiving vehicle must be available for authenticity inspection. Only testable vehicles are valid for participation in the scheme, which means that vehicles such as tractors and battery-operated vehicles, for example milk floats, cannot participate. A valid MOT certificate, if the vehicle is three or more years old, must be submitted along with the application for retention.
Vehicles must hold or be in the process of acquiring, a valid licence (tax disc). Applications may still be considered if the licence expired less than six months from the date of the application. However, this concession will not apply if the licence was surrendered voluntarily for a refund.
The retention document, V788, is only valid for a twelve-month period. If, during this period, the number plate is assigned to a vehicle then a replacement tax disc will be issued and the MOT certificate for the vehicle will be endorsed with the new registration mark. The DVLA will also issue new registration documents to the registered keeper detailing these changes. It is imperative that your insurer is immediately notified of the changes.
If you are planning to sell a vehicle with a private registration plate, which is subject to a retention application, it is necessary to await receipt of the documents confirming that the process is complete before you do so, otherwise you may lose entitlement to the mark.
When you are purchasing a vehicle in the UK there are many things that limit your choice, from the range of vehicles types available in dealerships to the added cost for extras that come as standard available abroad. If you live and work around the capital and require a premium vehicle you can be limited to a poor choice from many local dealerships, especially if you want a specialist vehicle to a high standard and specification for business use when visiting and transporting important clients.
However there is an alternative option that you may not have previously considered like, purchasing a left hand drive vehicle, some of the most luxurious cars are available can be purchased from a specialist left hand drive 4×4 London based dealership. You will find that they sell some of the most luxurious high end 4×4’s like, the Range Rover Sport, Mercedes Benz ML350 and the BMW X3 Sport. Many of these 4×4’s although available in right hand drive offer much better specifications as standard in the left hand drive format saving you £1000’s, meaning you can spend more on higher class models with that added extra luxury and comfort to enjoy.
On top of the improved choice you also get the peace of mind that your imported vehicle, normally direct from the factory will be delivered to you with all the vehicle regulation complied to, so you won’t have to worry about reading through endless regulation documents and can get to driving your high class luxury left hand drive 4×4 London as soon as possible.
The Skoda Fabia, with its simple, sturdy appearance is not only an eye-catcher – it’s a darned good little car to boot. The tall body induces a feeling of lavish spaciousness inside and, for a small vehicle, it gives an amazingly quiet ride. The engine is very well insulated and the suspension can make you feel that you’re driving a cloud. The adjustable driving position adapts to all heights and body-girths and the seats are comfortably firm. There are abundant interior storage options, better than average boot space and relatively generous leg room all round. It only comes as a five door hatch, but its modest external dimensions make it an ideal city run-around, enabling you to slip into the tightest parking spaces whether at the side of the road or in a multi-storey.
The engine is not a charging stallion, but then such a beast would be jarringly out of place in a car like this. The basic model is a 1.2 litre, 60 bhp petrol, which does struggle to get to the 60 mph mark; but your inner Lewis Hamilton will not be providing the motive for selecting this car in the first place. There are, however, progressively livelier engines on offer: 1.4 litre petrol and diesel, a 1.6 litre petrol and a 1.9 litre diesel. The latter two are certainly spirited enough for more zippy acceleration.
The car handles surprisingly well, with steering that has a certain softness to it which makes you think you’re driving a much bigger car.
Prefix registrations are easily recognisable by the single year identifying letter at the beginning of the plate, which is followed by one, two or three digits and three letters. An example of a typical prefix registration plate is T9 WTB.
Originally, the final three letters were used to identify where the registration was issued. In the case of this example, the WTB indicates that it originated from Liverpool.
The numbers in prefix registrations have no other purpose than to differentiate one registration plate from the hundreds of others with the same prefix and suffix letters.
The prefix on this type of registration plate is used to identify the year the vehicle was manufactured. With regards to the example registration, T9 WTB, the ‘T’ identifies the year of manufacture as 1999. An ‘A’ prefix identifies the year 1983, B identifies 1984 and so on. From 1999 onwards, there were two registrations released each year. The prefix letter format ended with the Y registration in 2001. There were no I, O or U prefix registrations, while the ‘Q’ prefix indicates that the age and origin of the vehicle is unknown.
Prefix number plates can only be applied to a vehicle of the same age or older and it is not possible to use a prefix registration to make your vehicle appear more recent than it is. Therefore, the example registration T9 WTB could be used on a vehicle manufactured in 1999 or later. It could not be applied to any vehicle manufactured prior to this date.
More and more people choose to spend all or part of their year living abroad with nearly half a million migrating all around the world in 2008, some to seek out better weather, some for tax purposes and some for business and family commitments.
If you are living in a European country and find that you are frequently travelling to and from the UK by car it can be worthwhile to think about what car you drive, as many people lack confidence when driving on foreign roads. Most of Europe drives on the right hand side of the road and the UK on the left so driving a right hand drive car on European roads that you are unsure of can be quite daunting, so it can be worthwhile visiting a left hand drive car London dealer and purchasing a car to drive both here in the UK and across Europe. With being more confident on the roads here in the UK it won’t take too long to get used to a left hand drive car, then when you cross over the channel the adjustment will be a bit easier than in a right hand drive car.
When looking for a car for use both at home and abroad a specialist left hand drive car London dealer is the best to visit, with a wide range of cars available from Europe at better prices than the right hand drive counterpart, you will be able to find the car for you. As well as the choice you will also get peace of mind from buying from a UK dealer able to understand easily all the requirements needed to drive both here abroad as well as all documentation professionally completed in compliance with vehicle regulations.
Inspired by the Volkswagen Golf, this chunky hatchback has an unmistakeably American machismo about it, which some may find a little brash, comical or off-putting. It looks more like an SUV than a hatchback at first sight. This reviewer happens to rather like its appearance, however; if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, perhaps quirkily appealing retro-eccentricity is, too.
Whilst it clearly doesn’t like cornering above modest speeds, it does offer a very cushioned and comfortable general ride. One can’t help noticing, however, the somewhat feeble suspension. Combined with the front-wheel drive design, the score for handling doesn’t really get out of the mediocre range. With that said, despite its slightly lumbering appearance, the 2.0 litre diesel reaches 60 mph from stationary in a creditable 8.8 seconds.
For a solid-looking, larger than average hatchback, the Caliber is a tad disappointing vis-à-vis the amount of space it delivers; whilst not cramped, you expect more than you actually get when you clamber inside. The boot space, though, is exceptionally generous. The car also is more fuel efficient than it looks, and its CO2 emissions are by no means unrespectable.
Passers-by will notice it as you drive along, but you may not be altogether sure that you’re always attracting looks of admiration. As American-spec cars go, however, it isn’t bad, even though it would be exaggerating to claim it as taughtly engineered beauty.
In 2008, the demand for Mazda cars from leasing companies and contract hire in the U.K. increased by two-thirds. These rocketing orders have placed the brand and the newly appointed Director for Fleet and Remarketing of Mazda Company, Peter Allibon, in a positive mood for the coming year.
A strategic overturn from Mazda’s short-term daily leasing business was offset with the increase in ‘true’ sales fleet to end-user fleets and leasing. This strategic reverse accelerated the sales to 6,000 units for the previous year from 4000 units in 2007; such is a record breaking phenomenon.
The company’s director is confident that in spite of changing and tough economic conditions, the significant and increasing demand for Mazda will still continue. This is evident with the coming of the revised Mazda6 in the showrooms that also sees the pioneering onset of diesel engine capable of loading 2.2 litres. Its derivatives are realigned with the specifications on both Mazda2 and the newest Mazda3 among other models scheduled for lease in 2009.
Mazda was also successful in bucking the total double-digit fall in the sales of new cars. Mazda also secured remarkable successes among fleets in the public sector and among retail customers during the previous year. Additionally, the company’s new initiative, which is intended to encourage driving schools to purchase Mazda’s new supermini, has been successful too.
Mazda is focused on cost management; thus it expects to maintain its fine reputation for car delivery with strong and competitive wholelife costs and residual value, respectively.
