The number plate ‘K1 NGS’ was the registration number that really set the precedent for personalised plates, having sold for £231,000, with personalised plates now a booming market. Depending on the rarity of the number plate, the price of the plate can vary widely, from a mere £50 to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The question everyone has is; is it worth the money?

Private registration numbers are purchased for different reasons. Some registration numbers hold sentimental value, and are truly a cherished number plate for the owner, which could include number plates with names or dates of birth. Buyers are quite often willing to pay large amounts to get a plate that has a specific meaning to them. Other plates are purchased for show and the prices paid tend to depend on the appeal of the plate, or simply on the buyer’s budget.

There’s also a small group of individuals and companies who buy number plates to invest in, or to sell on at a profit. Quite often, these plates are purchased at DVLA auctions and later sold, as soon as the public realises the appeal of the particular registration number.

Whatever the reason for buying private registration plates, you can always be sure that the registration plate remains yours, and won’t be reassigned to another owner or vehicle unless you agree to sell it. This does not necessarily mean that you will get your money’s worth when you decide to sell, so you need to carefully consider whether the significance or appeal of the unique number plate, is really worth the money.

If you are looking for a change in career and you are interested in becoming an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) then there are a number of things to consider first. There are many driving schools in Liverpool that  offer training to become an ADI, when you decide to look for one it’s advisable to look into more than one company so you can compare to see which offers the best service.  You will probably be familiar with some that you see advertised on TV such as RED, AA and BSM however there are many others out there.

If you want to become an ADI then you need to firstly have held a clean Driving Licence for 4 out of the last 6 years (sometimes points are allowed but you need to discuss this with the Driving Standards Agency),  you then need to undergo and pass a Criminal Records Check . Then finally successfully pass a three part qualifying exam which is a theory test, a practical test of your driving ability and a practical test of your ability to instruct.

When you look to become a ADI you need to decide if it will be worth while spending all this time and money, do you want to be part of a driving school in Birmingham or start out on your own as an individual. Some people find being part of a large driving school such as RED, AA and BSM means you have to ‘fight’ to get pupils especially if there is a high number of instructors in your area but a low pupil take up. Learning to drive is quite an expensive and set to get more so and many people now are finding that it is not such a necessity if you can’t afford it, so being an ADI can be quite competitive.

One of the manufacturing sections of the Fuji Heavy Industries Group in Japan is Subaru, well known all over the world for its wide variety of top quality cars. Presently, all models of Subaru cars are being offered for leasing and contract hire. One can choose from the available Subaru cars for leasing at the most competitive rates in the UK.

Subaru’s wide selection of car models offers something for everyone. Models include the Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Impreza, Subaru Justy, Subaru Outback, Subaru Legacy Estate, and Subaru Tribeca.

Subaru car leasing or contract hire is similar to long-term rental, which includes maintenance and service, replacement car and breakdown cover. The monthly charges are inclusive of VAT but can be retrieved 50% for personal vehicles and 100% for commercial cars. The calculation of the car’s monthly rental is based on the term of the contract and the miles driven. At the end of the term, the car is returned back to the leasing company, which is treated as an “off balance sheet funding” in the accounts of the company. Aside from a no-risk car package, leasing is less expensive than outright buying due to the supports and extra discounts granted by the manufactures. Subaru car leasing is cost effective, and VAT efficient with low advance payment and monthly installments.

Prices of Subaru car leasing for personal and business contract hire are the best in the UK. All cars are delivered directly from the franchise dealers of Subaru with a complete warranty. Leasing a Subaru car can help a person save lots of money.

Cadillac’s BLS chassis offers a cunning disguise for the Saab 9-3 beneath it, but it is certainly no less of a car for that. A little quirky in appearance or strikingly designed, depending on your tastes, the BLS is General Motors’ first foray into the UK market. Whilst leg-room is ample in the front and better than adequate in the back, a slight element of discomfort arises for rear passengers from the sloping roof. If the latter aren’t very tall, they’ll be OK; but every extra inch of height may bring a small increment of neck strain, especially on a longish journey.

Cutting to the chase, we Europeans are inclined to be somewhat sceptical about the design quality of American cars, but the Cadillac BLS is built to European standards by Saab and is exceptionally reliable. Performance-wise, the range’s top dog is undoubtedly the impressive 2.8 litre V6: with 255 bhp, it’ll catapult you from 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds – not bad for a small saloon. The 1.9 litre diesel delivers a respectable 150 bhp, but it doesn’t feel quite as highly-torqued as the best German counterparts.

Whilst the handling is not in the ‘Award with Distinction’ category, it is more than adequate and you’ll experience a creditable comfort factor in your drive. Boot size is relatively generous at 425 litres and is has a sensibly designed shape, too. The diesel models manage to yield around 45 mpg and the petrol models a not-to-be-scoffed-at 37 mpg .

Dateless number plates can be hard to find and are very expensive, but they’re more flexible than the recent 2001 type plates, with plenty of affordable ones available.

The problem with standard number plates is that there are tough restrictions on the sequence of numbers contained in the plate number, which is mostly because there are millions of cars on the road, each requiring a unique number plate. Dateless number plates refer to pre-1950 number plates, when the quantity of cars on the road was less of a concern, and assigning a unique number to every car was not so difficult.

Thankfully the fact that number plates can be reassigned means that dateless number plates are still available, but are only sold by number plate dealers, each of which may have a different inventory, although there are websites that offer a collated list of number plates, compiled from multiple sources.

Dateless number plates differ in length, ranging from ‘A 1’ to ‘JON 35Y’ with the shorter registration numbers commanding the higher price. If you are looking for a short dateless plate spelling, say, ‘SAM 1’ you could be faced with an impossible task, as these plates are unlikely to be sold by their owners considering their inherent value.

If you’re willing to be a little flexible with having, say, your name in the middle of the plate with numbers on the side, you could find it easy to obtain a suitable dateless plate, for example ’22 S8M 21’ for ‘SAM’ . This is where an online registration plate search engine could be helpful in finding that near-perfect match.

As, with many other 17 year olds, you want to get a provisional licence and learn to drive there are a few things you should do to keep you safe and legal. You can apply for your provisional driving licence three months before your 17th birthday or 16 if you are disabled and receiving mobility allowance. You will not be able to drive legally on public roads in the UK till you are 17, even if you receive your provisional licence before then. You can however start practising on private land as long as the site has a gate and is away from public roads.

Another good thing to check before you book your driving lessons is your eyes. You must make sure that you can read a number plate from about 5 car lengths away; if you cannot read it then you will need your eyes tested by an optician before learning to drive. If you already wear glasses or contact lenses you must wear them at all times when driving even if you do not need to wear them all the time.

When you are practicing driving in a car that is not a driving instructors you will need to display ‘L’ plates on the front and back of the vehicle (Wales requires ‘D’ plates instead); you must ensure that they can be seen by other drivers and pedestrians easily. The ‘L’ plates must be taken off or covered up if a fully qualified driver takes the wheel.

Once you have sorted these things out you can be safe in the knowledge that you are legal and safe to drive and start booking your driving lessons with a driving school in Newcastle, a driving school in Sunderland or one that’s local to you.

Cadillac has long been known as one of the best luxury car manufacturers in the world. A subsidiary of General Motors based in Detroit, Michigan, the company offers sleek, elegant, and efficient, high-end luxury cars such as the Cadillac XLR, Cadillac STS, and Cadillac SRS. However, recent economic reports show that Cadillac is in an unstable position due to the drop in its sales. Aside from the effect of the poor economy on the manufacturer, high-end luxury car customers have also been hit by this dilemma. Thankfully, with the advent of the car leasing business concept, Cadillac manufacturers and customers can now have an avenue for their goals to be accomplished.

Cadillac leasing is defined as a financing scheme of Cadillac vehicles over a given term. Here, potential Cadillac lessees must agree to pay the actual purchase price of the vehicle with interest, which will be proportioned on a monthly basis. After every requirement has been covered in the initial contract phase, the customer can freely drive away in a new Cadillac. At the end of the term, he will be granted the option of buying it, provided that he has properly paid all the payments on time. Another thing that creates interest in the scheme is the Residual Value feature it offers. Residual value is the difference between post-use value and the car’s price prior to the start of the term. In Cadillac leasing, not only can a car-lessee prevent the headache of car depreciation, he can also shift to driving the latest Cadillac model when the contract has formally expired.

As the world continues to apply practicality to its day-to-day living, people may discover that Cadillac leasing is one great deal, delivering flexibility and convenience beyond compare.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) must be notified immediately whenever you sell a vehicle.  They must be notified of the exact date that the sale and transfer were completed by using the car registration certificate or document (V5C Registration Certificate).  Both the purchaser and you need to follow all procedures accurately and correctly because you will be the one who is still liable for the vehicle until the DVLA has updated their records about the vehicle.

The DVLA needs to be notified immediately and the appropriate section on the V5C needs to be filled out accurately and correctly.  Depending on the type of car registration certificate or document that you are holding, this will mandate which section of the form  is filled out.  Make sure that you keep a separate document with the purchaser’s name, address, and any other pertinent personal information that may apply.

In order to determine the sections of the car registration certificate or document which will need to be filled out when selling your vehicle, you will need to determine which one of these DVLA registrations are in your possession at the time of the sale.  There are normally three different forms so you need to determine which one you have.  They are:

- 2-part V5 registration document
- 3-part V5 registration document
- V5C Registration Certificate

More information is available at the DVLA website regarding the procedures you need to follow.  However, we will be covering all three in ensuing articles.