06/06/2012
A gold medal for British drivers!
The Queen’s impending Diamond Jubilee celebrations together with the countdown to the London 2012 Olympics seem to be having a real impact on all of us, including the British motorist.
And while you can be sure that there’ll be a fair amount of enthusiastic flag waving taking place over the summer, there are other ways we’ll be showing our patriotism.
Perhaps surprisingly, given the economic austerity we all find ourselves in, more than two-thirds of drivers intend to purchase a car over the next six month – and, most surprisingly, 58% of these say that the vehicle they buy will be British.
And while around half of these drivers that they will do it out of a conscious desire to boost the UK economy, nearly as many say that they will do it out of a pride in our British heritage.
It’s great to hear that people are thinking outside of a purely individualist mentality and looking to, by their actions, bolster Britain.
And while not everyone may be able to afford iconic British vehicles such as the Range Rover, Aston Martin or Jaguar, many of us may still be able to invest in brands such as Mini and Vauxhall.
Here’s a gold medal for effort!
And while you can be sure that there’ll be a fair amount of enthusiastic flag waving taking place over the summer, there are other ways we’ll be showing our patriotism.Perhaps surprisingly, given the economic austerity we all find ourselves in, more than two-thirds of drivers intend to purchase a car over the next six month – and, most surprisingly, 58% of these say that the vehicle they buy will be British.
And while around half of these drivers that they will do it out of a conscious desire to boost the UK economy, nearly as many say that they will do it out of a pride in our British heritage.
It’s great to hear that people are thinking outside of a purely individualist mentality and looking to, by their actions, bolster Britain.
And while not everyone may be able to afford iconic British vehicles such as the Range Rover, Aston Martin or Jaguar, many of us may still be able to invest in brands such as Mini and Vauxhall.
Here’s a gold medal for effort!
Photo © foshie via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Aston Martin, British, drivers, Jaguar, mini, Range Rover, Vauxhall, vehicles
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
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