28/05/2012
Britain producing cars again, but they don’t come cheap
Against the background of the Eurozone economic crisis, surging unemployment and rising car insurance costs, it is good to hear some positive economic news, however short-lived it might prove to be.
It was recently revealed that Britain was at last a net exporter in cars and car parts for the first time since 1976. Although Britain’s once mighty automotive industry might nowadays be in the hands of foreign owners, at least we’re busy producing vehicles and parts and sending them off to Russia, America and the emerging economies of China and India.
What do Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Range Rover, Lotus, McLaren, MG, Mini, Rolls Royce, Vauxhall, as well as the less British seeming names of Honda and Toyota have in common? They’re all building cars in Britain, bringing jobs as well as pride and status back to the British manufacturing sector.
Another thing that strikes me about the list is that, generally, these are not cheap cars. Compared to the average family vehicle, these are high-end models that come at a real premium both in the showroom and when it comes to buying car insurance, which, in the main, is a positive I guess.
When manufacturers look for a really first-class product, it seems they know they can rely on Britain to produce them. The only question that remains is, will our economy bounce back in such a way as to give the average Briton a good shot at buying one?
It was recently revealed that Britain was at last a net exporter in cars and car parts for the first time since 1976. Although Britain’s once mighty automotive industry might nowadays be in the hands of foreign owners, at least we’re busy producing vehicles and parts and sending them off to Russia, America and the emerging economies of China and India.What do Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Range Rover, Lotus, McLaren, MG, Mini, Rolls Royce, Vauxhall, as well as the less British seeming names of Honda and Toyota have in common? They’re all building cars in Britain, bringing jobs as well as pride and status back to the British manufacturing sector.
Another thing that strikes me about the list is that, generally, these are not cheap cars. Compared to the average family vehicle, these are high-end models that come at a real premium both in the showroom and when it comes to buying car insurance, which, in the main, is a positive I guess.
When manufacturers look for a really first-class product, it seems they know they can rely on Britain to produce them. The only question that remains is, will our economy bounce back in such a way as to give the average Briton a good shot at buying one?
Photo © sports-cars.fr via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Aston Martin, car insurance, cheap, compared, Honda, Jaguar, mini, Range Rover, Toyota, Vauxhall, vehicle
18/05/2012
Honda’s new…unicycle
Would you buy a car that had a top speed of 3.7mph? Can you cycle faster than a walking pace?Well if you answered no to the first and yes to the second, you might not be too gutted that Honda’s latest creation is not available for public purchase yet and has not been given a release date either.
The creation, the Uni-Cub, is a motorised unicycle. Riders can steer it by leaning to one side or another, just as you would on a peddle unicycle. The difference is that you don’t have to work your legs to move the machine and reportedly it is brilliantly easy to get the hand of riding one.
As clever an invention as the Uni-Cub is, I’m not surprised the manufacturer hasn’t come out with a release date yet. It doesn’t go any faster than 3.7mph – some people walk faster than that.
However, to give you a more balanced view of the machine, it apparently folds up into a carrycase, and is safe enough to use indoors.
I wonder how much it would cost to insure this strange machine? Would it even need insurance?
Photo © Gamma Man via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car, cycle, Honda, insurance, insure, machine, motorised, rider, top speed, Uni-Cub, unicycle, walking
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