Mini Clubman, Maximum Celebrity
I drive my Mini Cooper and I feel souper dooper.
Oh dear, not the most inspired of musical lyrics but Madonna’s nonetheless. She obviously feels so strongly about her Mini Cooper S that she felt the need to include it in the songwords of the American Life song.
After racking up an estimated 50 parking fines in her Mini and BMW 7-Series it seems she is not the only celebrity to not want to park her treasured car too far out of sight. Singer Lily Allen has recently been reported to have had slanging matches outside her London home over parking her Mini in the street. Apparently, simply owning a Mini is enough status to not need to feed parking meters - or so she thought!
Other celebrity owners include Elijah Wood. Ok, he may be a hobbit but thats not a necessary requirement for owners of the new Mini Cooper D Clubman. With a huge 930 litre luggage capacity space is not compromised for style. And this version has style by the shed load!
Double doors at the back mirror the original estate but many innovations have been included on this Mini to bring it bang up to date. A split drivers door and folding back seats allow for easy access with plenty of storage and with the seats in the upright position, the Mini Clubman can comfortably accommodate 5 adults.
Its sporty reputation has not been lost and standard equipment to back this up includes; Dynamic Stability Control for optimum traction, a sophisticated suspension system, the latest ABS system, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, brake assist, cornering brake control, 4 disc brakes and run flat tyres. With low ground clearance, a top speed of 120 mph and lively acceleration, this model looks and feels as sporty as you would expect it to.
As far as the exterior is concerned, subtle updates include double rear wipers and chrome handles. As ususal, the Mini Clubman comes in a choice of designer colours and a choice of roof design including the nations favourite - the Union Jack - and also a fun heli-pad design. Bi-Xenon technology is integrated to provide twice the output from the dazzle free headlamps and this comes as an optional extra.
Inside, various colourways can be chosen to include black, cream, blue, yellow or red as well as that classic oak trim which can be substituted with brushed alloy, fluid silver, fine white silver or piano black - if you really had to. Sports seats, rain sensors with automatic headlight activation, heated seats and bluetooth control on a leather steering wheel are very cool optional extras to make even short journeys a true driving experience.
Safety is of optimum importance to Mini Clubmans and to this end six airbags, an ultra rigid chassis, crash boxes and highly efficient restraint systems are all incorporated.
Despite its quite pricey tag of 16,000, pounds long term this will be a very economical car. Immediately saving money on tax with its impressively low emissions at 109g/km of Co2, all due to the auto stop/start function. Fuel consumption is also set at a staggering 68.9 mpg. So fill up, go forth and enjoy!
Expert car dealer Shaun Parker looks into the new Mini Clubman and checks out its assets. To find out more please visit http://www.coopermini.co.uk/
A Blessed Wedding Anniversary
The year was 2005 and my parents were coming up to their milestone 70th wedding anniversary.
The family got together to discuss what we could do to mark this auspicious occassion and the first option we looked at was the age old tradition of using a listed material. Unfortunately, the celebration material for reaching 70 years of wedlock was a disappointing platinum. Not an unpleasant metal in itself but still just a metal.
We discussed a surprise party with a platinum coloured theme. This was rejected as being not so easy or special! In fact, a surprise party hardly seemed like a good idea at all. After 70 years parties are no surprise. We wanted something more tailored to themselves. Something to mark the occassion more memorably was called for so we did a little research.
It turns out that our parents had got married in a beautiful little church in the Scottish countryside. This was not only where they lived for the early part of their marriage but where they both grew up to work at the Rolly Royce factory in Hillington. Whilst looking to hire a wedding car, their boss had kindly lent them the Rolls Royce Limousine Cockshoot.
This gave us an idea of a step back in time theme for their wedding anniversary. We found the church was still functioning and booked a blessing for them. We even booked them a couple of nights in a very old nearby hotel. But we were still looking for something a little more special.
My parents had moved before my siblings and I came along to a town 50 miles away from Hillington and were still there now so we decided to look at special ways of getting them to their blessing. We decided luxury car hire was the way to go and researched wedding cars on the internet. Many choices were available for wedding car hire and we managed to find a 1930 Rolls Royce Limousine Cockshoot in primrose and black. We felt this would be quite special as there are only two originals left in existence.
Things couldn’t have gone better. On the day, the wedding car hire company turned up at my parents house to whisk them off to the church. It turned out that this was exactly how they first met! Both of my parent s were working on the very first Cockshoot vehicle ever made when they met. Thanks to the restoration and care the wedding car hire company had paid to this vehicle my parents were able to have a wedding anniversary to remember.
Expert chauffeur Shaun Parker looks into the use of wedding car hire for other occassions. To find out more please visit http://www.aaexecutive.co.uk/
Where Does A Used BMW Go?
Because of the way a BMW will hold its value, most used BMW’s are re-sold but, like anything, they do have a life span and at the end of that they’re on the scrapheap.
Or are they?
BMW are the most environmentally friendly car manufacturer in existence. Their South Carolina plant in the US has been named a charter member of the US Environmental Protection Agencys National Performance Track. They have recieved this prestigious accolade because of their recycling initiative when it comes to used BMW’s.
A recycling centre for used BMW’s at the end of their life has won the 1992 Best Recycling Innovation Award. 85% of a scrapped vehicle is recyclable, going back into creating the next BMW on the production line. The other 15% is re-used. Tyres are sent to cement kilns for fuel and even paint sludge is used as waste energy. Outside recycling companies used are subject to regular audits from BMW to ensure they are doing exactly what they claim to.
But the environmental concerns of this company are not confined to used BMW’s. It starts right at the beginning. The BMW South Carolina plant is leading the way in protecting the very air that we breath. Before building even began on their factory, consultants and experts were brought in to assess the risk of construction on surrounding wetlands and wildlife. Bird and bat houses were installed in surrounding woodland as well as an on site butterfly garden.
The South Carolina Plant of BMW is called the Information Technology Research Centre and in itself is a green building. Wherever possible, environmentally friendly materials have been used and every supplier involved with the construction project was subjected to sustainability evaluations to ensure they complied with the BMW environmental ethos.
Long term assessments from BMW have found that the company produces 17.8 million pounds worth of waste per year but through an aggressive recycling programme across the board, 14 million of that waste was recycled.
All 3,600 tonnes of cardboard that goes through the BMW plant every year is recycled along with all paper, every piece of scrap metal, all surplus wood, plastic, rubber, paint sludge, fluorescent light tubes and oil.
Its all very well being able to recycle the waste products of a business but what about the environmental impact of actually using the materials not wasted? BMW have taken this into account too, actively moving forward in all aspects.
Their landfill gas to energy project is years ahead of rival companies. Where other companies create energy at the landfill site then project it down wires to their business, thus creating more emissions, BMW use local landfill sites and pipe the methane gas directly to the plant. This process fuels 23 paint shop oven burners and supplies BMW with 63% of its total energy needs. The reduction in carbon monoxide emissions is equivalent to taking 61,000 cars off the US highway every year.
Moving down the production line, reducing the water used in the BMW factory was an area of concern, specifically in the paint shop. A reduction of 10% was aimed for but 30% was the actual achievement saving 9.5 million gallons of water per year. This equates to enough water to supply every single citizen in the US with a 4oz glass of water.
Down to the very last detail, BMW is forging ahead with looking after the environment. From recycling their rags to make insulation under the interior of their vehicles to ensuring food and drink containers in their canteen are bio-degradeable, it is so much more than just recycling a used BMW.
Expert environmentalist Shaun Parker looks into the used BMW re-cycling scheme at the South Carolina plant. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
Bling Up That Used BMW
A new BMW is a treasure not to be touched. Built to perfection, there is nothing that can be done to improve it and neither should you try.
However, buy a used BMW from an approved dealership and the world is your oyster to customise and personalise with as much bling as your bank account sees fit.
Many BMW fans have started down the road of personalising their used BMW and, realising the attention it draws from onlookers, they become positively obssessed. Starting with replacing plastic interior trims for chrome trim is a relatively cheap way to start. Door handle covers, inside and out, trunk lid trim, gauge rings and light trims can all be replaced with chrome alternatives as well as gear knobs and tax disc holders.
Aluminium chequer plate mats for the footwells are a popular addition among the younger used BMW owners, along with replacement metal foot pedals. However, once they get this far they then want to draw attention to the adaptations they are making and begin to think about lighting. LED footwell lighting is a start to draw attention to those aluminium plate mats.
An interior is not completely souped up without consideration to the upholstery. Sports seats, harnesses, leather seats and leather trim in various colourways are all optional extras to make your BMW personal.
This obsession soon migrates to the sounds emitted from their used BMW and a new sound system is a must. CD changers, if not already installed, are a must. The latest banging tunes are a definite head turner. And where better to install mega wattage colour coded speakers than in the boot, the aluminium lined boot , that is.
But what is the point of all this if the exterior doesn’t look the business? Custom paint jobs are an attractive look that are the ultimate in customization. Virtually any design can be transferred onto the vehicle body and for those for whom money is no object, Swarovski crystals will bling up that BMW to an absolutely star studded head turning creation.
Staying with the exterior, a plethora of alloy wheel trims can be fitted at a reasonably low cost. Body kits and suspension lowering systems for low ground clearance will really soup up your used BMW. Once again, the right lighting is essential and LED is the way to go. Angel eyes ring marker, or halo lights, will install a ring of light around the existing light and can be used in a choice of different colours.
LED ground lighting kits are made from polycarbonate which is the same virtually indestructible material that riot shields are composed of.
So, you’ve purchased your used BMW from an approved dealership which means you know you’re getting a sound investment to start with. Now to customise it!
Picture this. The seats are replaced with sports seats covered in Imola Red leather. This matches the red leather trim on the doors and red LED lights illuminating the aluminium clad footwells. Light bounces from every chromed surface on the interior and as you fire up the souped up, customized engine on comes the sounds. With the bass thumping out from the aluminium lined boot you flick on the exterior lights. LED angel eyes and downlighters emit a warm red glow, just enough to show off your black paint job, applied with the highest shine possible of course. The headlights from other cars are picking out your personally designed picture, composed entirely of red Swarovski crystals on the bonnet and you cruise off down the road turning every head, young and old.
Expert BMW enthusiast Shaun Parker looks into the choices for the cutomisation of a used BMW to make it unique. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
Cherish That Used Mini
I’m about to write an article on Used Mini’s and already I’m chastised for using the wrong term!
Apparently the term is ‘Mini Cherished’. What is the difference I ask myself?
Open any used car magazine and there will be used Minis for sale in various degrees of condition and age. Speak to any Mini owner and you will find that their vehicle has been cherished for many years. Many of them are given names by the owner to personalise them - strange but true.
The Mini has been in production since 1959 and is still going strong. Spares are still available and restoration projects are going on all over the world, tucked away in garages and barns as enthusiasts on-going projects.
Races are organised throughout the year at Brands Hatch and Snetterton with categories such as Standard Mighty Minis, Super Mighty Minis and Xtreme Mighty Minis for the hardened racers. Miniworld owners club arrange events throughout the year such as the British Mini Fair set for January 2008 which will include trade stands, pride of ownership display, club displays and competitions.
Festivals, shows, meetings and action days are structured well in advance and the London to Brighton race, set for May 2008 promises to be the event of the year.
So, it is apparent that Mini owners don’t just view their vehicle as a means of getting from A to B. They truly cherish them and take every opportunity to show them off. In fact, owning a Mini comes with a whole social structure of its very own.
But if all Minis are cherished what of the Mini Cherished official label?
BMW have taken over the production of Minis since 2001 and therein lies the cut off point for Used Mini. Owners of this treasured little car that makes such a big impact everywhere it goes now have the choice to market their Mini through Mini Cherished.
The Mini Cherished Programme won the Used Car Scheme 2006 from Auto Express magazine for their service to Mini owners. All Minis advertised through this site have had a full health check carried out by official Mini technicians. If the car is not up to the standards that keep Mini up with the best, the technicians will fix it with genuine Mini parts, ensuring its 12 month MOT and MOT cover. All paintwork and trim will be restored to suit its age and mileage and a full valet will be carried out.
A full service history, as well as an independent vehicle history with mileage checks, accompany an unlimited mileage minimum 12 month warranty. Mini Cherished will offer advice on optimum tyre replacement and treatment as well as their own emergency service. They can also arrange test drives and help to obtain insurance quotes.
And just for fun, Mini Cherished offer access to the MINIstry of Ownership. This is an exclusive area which can offer information on fun events, chat rooms, route planning, driving tours and financial assistance. Accessories can also be obtained to personlaise your cherished Mini perhaps avoiding the need for a name!
Expert Mini enthusiast Shaun Parker looks into the Used Mini market. To find out more please visit http://www.coopermini.co.uk/
Going Topless In The Best Possible Taste
A driver hired by the UN to rescue a wounded war photographer from hostile territory drives through a hail of bullets in an attempt to get his charge safely to the border. Despite his efforts, on arrival, the driver finds that one of the bullets reached the photographer through the seats and has fatally wounded him. The driver continues on his journey to deliver the photographers dog tags to his elderly mother - the photographers dying wish.
This was the plot to one of a number of action-packed short films, produced by BMW exclusively for the internet and starring Clive Owen as the driver . In this particular film, a BMW X5 was the vehicle chosen to withstand such a pounding. A whole different story would have been told if they used BMW’s Dixi 3/15PS! It’s unlikely the photographer would have been found in time, let alone making it as far as the border!
The meaning of Dixi is ‘I have spoken’ and when used it usually translates to ‘I have said all that I had to say’. Quite a statement and well deserved! Launched in 1928, the Dixi was the first of BMW’s open topped cars. Built under license from Austin it was powered by a 743cc 4 cylinder engine producing 15hp with a top speed of 50mph. The first 100 Dixi’s were supplied in kit form and were available with a range of different body shells. Not exactly dynamic but ground breaking stuff nonetheless. The Dixi is the vehicle responsible for seeing BMW through the difficult years of the Depression.
And further research has led us to today’s offering of the latest convertible from BMW - the One Series. The world’s first premium convertible in the compact segment incorporating all of BMW’s reknowned economical assets without compromising on high performance. As expected, environmental concerns are taken into consideration with all of BMW’s know how on minimizing emissions.
The roof of this gorgeous baby opens and closes in a tiny 22 seconds and at speeds of up to 25mph. With our ever increasing global warming becoming a factor in every day design considerations, sun reflective leather now comes as standard, reducing the interior surface temperature up to 20 degrees. This new technology is currently exclusive to BMW.
With aesthetics in mind, a sporty look has been aimed for with a re-designed front valance, re-profiled sill panels and a rear diffuser integrated into the bumper. A new design for the roof accompanies the new model. A fabric roof with tiny metallic anthracite fleck interwoven brings a new look. The in-built air conditioning sensors will respond accordingly with the roof down to act more on outside temperatures.
New safety measures have also been implicated with the new BMW in the form of two roll bars activated by sensors which register imminent danger and extend from behind the rear seats in a fraction of a second, protecting the occupants.
With all these innovative new additions, it’s a shame BMW no longer produce their short films.
Expert BMW enthusiast Shaun Parker looks at the latest BMW Coupe released. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
Euphemisms For BMW
After months of saving, I’ve finally bought myself a wonderful but used BMW! My boss is a miser with the wonga so it’s taken some time but now I have this fantastic babe magnet to woo the ladies.
My only problem at the moment is that because I wanted to bling up my wagon, I’ve gone and blown the rest of my moolah on new wheels. However, I have the best mum in the world and she’s lent me the money to go to the pub. I drive down and pick the best spot in the car park, choosing to hang around outside and show off my car.
My best mate emerges from the pub looking wasted. Usually a belligerent, miserable workaholic, he’s had the benefit of massive quantities of whiskey which have turned him into a big mellow wuss with a brilliant merry wit. And he’s going to need it in the morning!
Recently, he’s been mixing with birds that are a bit mental and whacky but this one takes the biscuit! He sees a beautiful, mysterious woman where I see a belching minger in wellies with a black moustache that needs waxing. However, he is besotted with his marvellous wench called Bella Marie West but if you ask me she looks more like Bombay Mix gone wrong. He doesn’t even notice the bogey-like mouth wart!
They’ve brought out bacon butties which she munches, giving herself wind. Unable to stomach any more of her burping, moaning and wheezing I head inside to chat to my favourite barmaid.
Some time ago, she made a bizarre marriage wager and is now very unhappy. She’s half way through her second bottle of Muscadet wine and we talk over the barmaid’s marital woes.
I have noticed the big, manky witch in the corner has been watching me for some time but after numerous beers she has mutated with ease into a bootylicious minx with the wanton look in her eyes. She’s bringing my mojo well and truly back and before I know it, I’m begging her to be my wife.
My mother has sent my brother to look for me and he rescues me before my wittering gets any worse. I swear this bloke was born middle-aged and weird but I do agree with one thing. My brother’s mantra was always to back marvellous cars with banging music woofers. So, sitting in the car park, I demonstrate the beastly mega wattage on my baby’s multi-channelled wireless.
Concerned that my battery might wane, I turn the radio off and my brother’s mood worsens. The only way to cheer him up is to allow him to drive home my Bavarian Motor Works beauty.
Car expert Shaun Parker looks into the knock on effect of owning a used BMW and how it influences his life. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
The Stig Versus The BMW?
The Stig is the unidentified test driver of vehicles on the favourite BBC Sunday night programme, Top Gear. So far unbeaten, The Stig’s laptimes are breathtaking.
However, he came very close to being beaten last Sunday by Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton performed a lap in 1 minute 44.6 seconds in wet, oily conditions. This came in at a mere .2 of a second behind The Stigs 1 minute and 44.4. And his performance was in dry conditions.
Lewis Hamilton has thrown down the gauntlet to The Stig with a challenge for both drivers to compete in the same weather conditions.
Fans of Top Gear will undoubtedly have joined the debate over the true identity of The Stig. William Hill bookmakers have stunt driver Russ Swift as the hot favourite at odds of 2/1 with Damon Hill at 4/1. Ben Collins is a little known racer who has appeared on Top Gear as part of a parachuting stunt and this led to speculation over whether or not he was the secret Stig. However, bookies surmise that at just over 6′ tall, Collins does not fit the bill.
Maybe they are all wrong. Personally, I think The Stig is a woman. I mean, you only have to look at the driving skills coupled with the fact that there is a definite lack of accidents. It’s well known that women have far fewer accidents than men. Maybe its Sandy Togsvig or Dame Judi Dench? Well, anything is possible. Maybe that’s why they won’t reveal The Stig’s identity because it would dispel all myths about women drivers!
The Stig has set some of his best lap times in BMW’s. With an amazingly rapid 1 minute 26 seconds in the BMW Z4M, closely followed by 1 minute 28 seconds in a BMW M3 CSL, this has to be one of his favourite cars. With its smooth handling, precision cornering and ultimate power, all the BMW’s tested by The Stig have come in at under 1 minute and 32 seconds per lap.
Viewers of this week’s Top Gear would also have been among the first to witness the test drive of a new BMW currently being developed. This BMW is unique in the fact that on board computers can ‘learn’ a route and then drive itself. After only one drive around the track by presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the car was able to memorize the route and then take over.
Looking petrified, Clarkson let go of the wheel, removed his feet from the pedals and shrieked as the BMW took off, braking at the last minute on bends. The BMW completed the lap leaving Clarkson in one piece. However, the general feeling was that it would be extremely difficult to trust this on the road. Not due to any problem with the car but simply human nature to want to be in control of such power.
So, Top Gear team, make the Hamilton challenge more interesting. Let’s see The Stig take on Lewis Hamilton and a woman driver, in dry conditions, in a BMW.
Motor racing expert Shaun Parker looks at lap times set in a BMW by a TV celebrity. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
The Link Between Water Mills And A Coat Of Arms
Peugeot and Vauxhall car manufacturers have had mixed success over the years but today are both so far up on the popularity list that some suppliers have decided to combine the two into joint Peugeot and Vauxhall dealerships.
Peugeot have enjoyed steady success since their inception into the motor industry in 1898 with their steam powered tricycle, considered the first automobile, and Vauxhall have played a very triumphant game of catch up.
Jean Pequinot Peugeot originally enjoyed success building water mills but not content with this, and using his obsession with wheels and cogs, he and his company then went on to produce coffee grinders, razors, sewing machines, roasting spits, watch springs, clocks, garden furniture (not sure how that fits!), saws, bicycles, tricycles and gramophones.
In the early years of Peugeot a gold engraver was commissioned with designing the lion trademark for steel articles manufactured in Peugeot Brothers factories. The durability, quickness and suppleness of a lion is comparable to that of steel and so the company logo was born.
With a similar looking beast representing the Vauxhall, the Griffin is based on the coat of arms of Fulk Le Breant, a mercenary soldier who, on marriage, was granted the Manor of an area of London, later known as Vauxhall. It also turns out that he had the Manor of Luton for services to King John and is therefore connected to both areas of Vauxhall production.
Peugeot did struggle at first in the bicycle market against the British but after stirring up some patriotic fervour, many competitors for the Paris - Nantes race in 1889 chose to use Peugeot cycles and were on the first five across the finishing line. Still riding on this success, the company endeavoured to set up a car hire firm in 1898 but this failed dismally.
Around the same time, Vauxhall were still building pumps and marine engines in Vauxhall, London. Their first car was released in 1903 swiftly followed in 1905 by the company’s move to Luton where they were well known for their sporty looking cars. General Motors bought the company in 1925 and their sporty look was tamed into a more conservative American styling.
Peugeot took over with the sports influence and began their life-long move into the world of Motorsport winning the Monte Carlo rally in 1931. Rallies and races all over the world have seen Peugot take the lead right up to today with races now being won in the Peugeot 908. This has kept them in the spotlight and Peugeot have enjoyed steady success.
Vauxhall have not found things so easy. Even with the Calibra Coupe of 1989, which was officially the most aerodynamic car in the world at the time, they have still struggled to overcome their reputation for corrosion.
However, it can’t possibly be all bad. They are now closer than ever to Ford in terms of sales figures and with their latest models veering back into sports mode they are becoming ever popular among the young. Personally, I have owned two Vauxhalls over the last 10 years. A Cavalier which proved to be very reliable and an Astra 2.0 which was a fantastic little car but did earn me 6 points for speeding!
Despite the differences in their history, Peugeot cars and Vauxhall cars are now on a par with each other to the point where dealerships are happy to combine the two.
Car expert Shaun Parker looks into the Peugeot and Vauxhall dealerships combined success. To find out more please visit http://www.dickensgroup.com/
House Attracts Car Fanatics
More than 10,000 visitors head towards an old farmhouse in the east Tacoma community of Lakewood every Saturday to see the most unusual car museum ever. You typically think of massive buildings containing a dozen or so cars when someone mentions a car museum. However, the one in question is actually at a normal five bedroom house in a small village. Visitors come from as far as Japan, Italy and Australia to visit the Harold E LeMay Open House which has been run by Nancy LeMay for the last 29 years.
The unusual museum was started by Nancy and her late husband Harold LeMay after he collected an astonishing collection of nearly 3,500 vehicles. Car fanatics can see anything from a Tucker which is only one of 50 to have been made, to a 1903 Buckmobile. The collection started when Harold toured America looking for special vehicles, many of which were produced in limited numbers which makes the collection even more special. He was interested in everything from how the cars are put together to classic car insurance. People from all over the world come to look at the fascinating collection of classic cars in a unique setting. People can wonder around in a relaxed environment and chat to other fans about car types, parts and classic car insurance.
Due to the large number of vehicles on display, they are housed between two different locations now. As well as the LeMay house visitors can find more classic cars at the Marymount Academy in nearby Spanaway. Visitors can enjoy the journey when they are taken between the two locations in a classic British double decker bus.
Unsurprisingly, Nancy doesn’t take care of all the vehicles on her own. The Ford Club is one of the many organisations whose members volunteer to help maintain and look after the cars. This includes cleaning and starting them, preparing the grounds for visitors, conducting the tours of the day and talking to visitors about things such as classic car insurance.
The collection which has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest privately owned automobile collection in the world will be moving soon. It is going to go to a new ultra - modern facility on a nine acre site beside the Tacoma Dome and Interstate 5. It will be the largest automobile and transportation museum in the world.
Proving how popular the museum is, it nearing the goal of raising the 150 million dollars needed to break ground next year. America’s Car Museum is scheduled for a 2008 opening and is likely to continue to be a success. People can carry on looking at classic cars, meeting fellow fanatics and maybe even finding classic car insurance.
1 Answer offers a selection of insurance deals and promise that you will not find a cheaper quote or you will get your money back. http://www.1answer.co.uk/Classic.html has all the information you need to help you find the cheapest insurance for you.