Why are we so conscious of the car we drive

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Whilst motorists in other countries do attach importance to the type of car they drive, in the UK the car appears to be of far more importance, even in some cases more important that the type of house someone lives in. Britain sells on average 2,500,000 cars per year and the contract hire and leasing industry has been built as a result of the British motorist acquiring a new car with such frequency.

So why have our motoring habits changed so much from say the 1950’s, when everything one bought was built to last? Whether it was a fridge, oven or motorcar, it was expected to last if not a lifetime, certainly 20 years or more, it changed subtly and the public didn’t realize that they were slowly but surely being drawn into consumerism.

In the 50’s cars were sturdy and definitely built to last. Unlike today, very heavy gauge steel was used in the body panels; it took quite an impact to dent a car panel. Head on collisions were best avoided. The cars were heavy; there was very little give in the panels.

People in England didn’t travel much in the 1950’s but they heard told of the American throw away culture and it all appeared quite disgraceful, buying products knowing that they would not last, indeed not wanting them to last, so they could acquire a newer version.

It didn’t take long however before the British found themselves going down the same road; seeking out the more modern and newer designs of just about everything. Slowly but surely we followed the American consumer in wanting newer and more modern, in preference to durability. All this seemed to reach a peak in the late1980’s when something more than a year or two old, seemed to be viewed as a relic. Many motorists today choose a 2-year contract hire term rather than 3 even when all the indications are that a 3-year contract hire term is more appropriate for their circumstances.

During the last war the British learned to repair things if they went wrong and this culture continued long after the war; many motorists used to maintain their own cars, cars had the potential to last forever. A toolbox in the boot of the car was considered an essential item for many motorists. The better off would use the AA or RAC who would patrol on motorcycles and sidecars. When they spotted a member who would have an AA or RAC badge on their grill, they would salute. Nowadays heath and safety would have something to say about them taking the hand off the handlebars to salute. So how did they call the breakdown service if their car went wrong? Strategically placed at the roadside were boxes with a telephone inside, so that the motorist could phone for help. But of course only those who were members could use them; they would have a key to open the box, how the world has changed.

After years of building cars to last, it dawned on the manufacturers that this might not be the best way to sell more cars. Why would someone go out and buy a new car after three years when their existing car was still the latest model ten years after buying it and it was running perfectly, perfectly that is for those days. Mechanical breakdowns were very commonplace; a typical Sunday when families went out for a drive, would see the roadsides strewn with cars with steam pouring from under the raised bonnet.

The 50’s saw the launch of Ford’s Mark 2 Zephyr which followed the American design style but of course was a much smaller version of the typical American car. Vauxhall introduced the Cresta, it’s style was very American right down to its white wall tyres and tail fins and it appeared to be a copy of the Packard. Two-tone paintwork was introduced with this model, which was popular. Class was not the first word that came to mind when describing this car but there were no shortage of buyers.

It also had the effect of making the cars around it, which were mainly black in colour look rather dull. The body panels of these new American style cars were thinner than they had previously been manufacturing.

A new style vehicle registration plate was launched in 1963 the last digit was the letter A. It was 60 years after number plates were first issued in Britain in1903. At first the new registration plate was only issued in certain parts of the country, but it wasn’t long before it became nationwide.

It looked rather odd at first, then some motorists decided they quite liked the idea of showing everyone that they had a brand new car. So they bought a new car and proudly drove around in their smart A registered car but, in what seemed like no time at all, the B registration was introduced and then they weren’t so proud and this was the start of the “latest registration” trap that many motorists found themselves in.

This system changed in 1967 when the E registration came out in January but only lasted seven months and was then replaced by the F registration. August was set as the new month for vehicle registrations, which must have been a bit frustrating for the motorist that bought a new car in January 1967 thinking that he was going to have the latest registration plate for the next twelve months.

Manufacturers discovered that with the number plate changing each year and more frequent model changes, motorists who otherwise would have stuck with their car, where being persuaded to change them. The new registration date wasn’t ideal, the 1st of August was chaos; everybody wanted their new car delivered on that day. Although in those days most motorists were expected to turn up at the dealership to collect their new car, rather than have it delivered.

During the 90’s it was reported that new cars were being stockpiled in various remote parts of the country, in old farm buildings, aircraft hangers and fields. This was done in preference to manufacturers cutting production levels. Apparently this resulted in some motorists buying a new car to get the latest registration plate, and yet getting an older car than the one they were disposing off.

During the Thatcher years of the 1980’s, people appeared to fall further into the trap of having to have the newest and latest of everything and cars were certainly no exception. People felt under pressure and some motorists found that it was a lot easier to just buy a personalised number plate and avoid being judged for not having the latest registration plate, or at least until there was a model change.

Always one step ahead the manufacturers started to bring out facelift models: This involved making small but noticeable changes to the design. This was a lot less expensive than introducing a new model and still had the desired effect; making those who had the pre facelift model, feel that their car was getting old.

September 2001 saw the next change to way registration plates were laid out;, showing the month and the year of registration. An example of the new plate would be GL 52 FGD. The idea being that it would ease some of the pressure from manufacturers and dealers of having to deliver such large numbers of vehicles in August. Perhaps also making people less aware of the number plate, well perhaps but contract hire and leasing companies say they find it very difficult to get anyone to take delivery of a car in February and August.

The Manufacturers found other ways to discourage motorists from holding onto their cars for too long; engines are no longer straightforward, very few problems can be solved without diagnostics. Very often special tools are needed to do the simplest of jobs and even checking the gearbox oil levels often cannot be done without diagnostic equipment from the manufacturer.

These changes are pushing the small motor mechanic out of business and the owner of a particular marque towards the main dealership to have work done. This is making second hand cars more expensive to maintain and is a factor in people changing their cars, once they are outside the manufacturer’s warranty.

Another consequence of this change is that the life span of second hand cars will become shorter, when owners discover that they cannot work on their own cars. As maintenance costs go up, cars will be scrapped sooner. This is what the manufacturers would like to happen, because it is an essential part of the cycle, for there to be buyers of the second hand cars coming onto the market, when they are replaced by new cars.

There will however always be some smaller workshops that specialise in a particular marque such as BMW; they will have the tools and the diagnostic equipment and will survive after other small garages have gone out of business. Their charges reflect the fact that they have had to invest in special tools and diagnostic equipment but they are nevertheless, less expensive than the main dealership.

Once a vehicle is outside its warranty, it can certainly be worth considering a specialist garage. Sometimes it means travelling to find the nearest one but the savings can make travelling worth while. The marque they have chosen to specialise in is generally the cars they love, so they are often real enthusiasts and still know how to repair, rather than just replace items.

Complicated electronics in cars today is another example of how manufacturers have cleverly pushed the motorist into changing their car more frequently. Motorists are, with justification, fearful of having electronic problems with their car once the warranty has expired.

Certain manufacturer’s vehicles have become increasingly unreliable and many motorists fear having one of those electronic faults that in spite of all the diagnostic equipment, the dealership cant seem to cure and dealerships charge you for diagnostic time, as much time as is necessary to find the fault.

It occurs to many motorists whose cars that are outside the warranty, that they could find themselves in the situation where they have such a fault that nobody seems to be able to cure. Although they often cost in the order of 1,000 per annum or more, at least you have peace of mind if you take out the manufacturer’s warranty.

There are many people who would like to be less conscious of the car they are driving and not be led into buying the latest model and having the newest registration plate. However they are unlikely change unless everyone else does. But everyone else isn’t going to change, human nature is what it is; cars are very important to many motorists’ image and self esteem.

The motor industry has been very smart in the way they have changed how we buy cars; It is now quite unusual for someone to chose a 4 year term when taking a car on contract hire .Gradually they have changed our perception of what is an old car from 15 to20 years to 5 or 6 years old, without us noticing it was happening.

Should you have any queries or questions with regard to Fleet Management, Licence checking Contract Hire, Personal Contract Hire, Lease Purchase or vehicle Hire Purchase, please do not hesitate to contact us. Bowater Price plc 01494 536 536. www.bowaterprice.com.

Home Renters – Dealing With Good And Bad Tenants

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With the shape of the economy today, more people are losing their homes and renting. So this very short article is about home renters being able to deal with good and bad tenants when it comes to your real estate property.

Be particular about your tenants because you are essentially handing over possession of your house or apartment to a stranger. You may know a little about your tenant but you still wont know as much as you should. We know that most bad tenants pay late or not at all and can destroy your property.

Even worse, their bad behavior can cause good tenants in the same building to depart and completely downgrade your property. When your property is going down hill somehow it gets around to other people.

If you’re not using a management company to screen tenants, check the prospective tenants credit and business references. If you are using a management company, they can also run credit checks through the major credit bureaus.

Most landlords won’t rent to people who smoke or have pets. Prospective tenants who have children tend to stay longer than individuals or couples once they settle in and have their children in school.

To help prevent a situational problem in the future, strictly enforce the late fee clause in your lease. In fact, enforce all the clauses in your lease. Otherwise, you could be asking for trouble down the road if you need to enforce the terms and evict a tenant for noncompliance.

A good rule of thumb is to treat all your tenants the same. Be professional and courteous at all times. That way, tenants will feel that you’re being fair with everyone and will be less likely to cause any trouble later.

Look on the bright side of things, most tenants will be honest and cause no problems for you. Just make sure your tenants are screen to the best of your abilities so you can feel comptable with renting your property out from the start. If a managment company is involved, make sure you keep in touch so you can continue to feel good about what is going on with your property.