Month: March 2023

A 2003 Ferrari Enzo which is still wearing much of its original factory protective wrapping is heading to auction later this month.

The Enzo came about in 2002 to celebrate Ferrari’s dominance in Formula 1 in the early 2000s, and used a new 6.0-litre V12 engine alongside much of the same technology used in F1 at the time.

The ‘halo’ model for Ferrari in the first decade of the millennium, it’s also the only model in the Italian supercar brand’s history to ever use the name of its founder, Enzo Ferrari, who died in 1988.

Just 400 examples were produced, with the majority painted in Ferrari’s famous Rosso Corsa red colour. This example, however, is one of nine painted in Argento Nurburgring (silver) and is believed to have a unique ‘Cuoio’ brown leather interior.

Of more importance, however, is the fact this Enzo is believed to be one of the lowest mileage examples in existence, having covered just 141 miles in 20 years, with nearly all of these miles coming from factory testing before the car was handed over.

Described by RM Sotheby’s, who is selling the car, as a ‘time capsule’, and still features much of its original protective wrapping, and is said to have ‘remained largely out of sight for much of its life’.

Delivered new to a ‘significant’ Japanese collector, who has owned it ever since, this Enzo has never been registered and now resides in Ontario, Canada.

It is being sold with RM Sotheby’s ‘Sealed’ online bidding platform, with the auction opening on March 15 and closing two days later.

No estimate has been given, but given far higher mileage examples have sold for £2.5m in recent months, it’s expected to make well in excess of £3m when the auction closes.

Hundreds of thousands more potentially unsafe vehicles could remain on UK roads this month because their owners cannot afford an MOT test, a motoring company has warned.

Halfords commissioned a survey of 2,006 motorists which suggested that one in six (17%) drivers whose vehicles’ MOT is due in March say they will not be able to afford it.

The majority (71%) of those people say they will continue to use their vehicle anyway.

Halfords warned this could lead to around 406,000 additional vehicles without an MOT being driven on UK roads.

Among the respondents who said they will not be able to afford their next MOT test, two-thirds explained that this is because they have to prioritise their spending elsewhere.

Drivers in Britain can be fined up to £1,000 for using a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate.

Continuing to use a vehicle deemed “dangerous” by an MOT test without rectifying the issues can lead to a fine of up to £2,500 as well as a driving ban and three penalty points.

The tests check a number of parts such as lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes to ensure they meet legal standards.

Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton said: “The data shows that March is set to be the worst month we have ever seen when it comes to cars on our roads without an MOT.

“MOTs are vital annual safety checks. It’s not about ticking boxes.

“The fact that so many could be driving their kids to school in vehicles without an MOT is a genuine worry.

“The bottom line is that it is not worth the risk, not just of a fine and points, but of endangering yourself or others.”

Antony Kildare, chief executive of road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “Households up and down the country are being forced to cut back on everyday outgoings to balance the books, but it’s extremely worrying to learn that such a large proportion of motorists are opting not to have their annual MOT.”

The Department for Transport is consulting on proposals to require new cars, motorbikes and vans in Britian to have their first MOT test four years after they are first registered, compared with three years currently.

After the first test, MOTs are required every 12 months.

– Halfords commissioned research company Mortar Research to conduct the survey in February.

A legendary classic car known as ‘The Beast’ is set to head to auction next week.

Starting off as a rolling chassis built by Paul Jameson in 1966, The Beast began life with a 27-litre Meteor engine from a tank under the bonnet. Requiring a bespoke gearbox for it, James spoke with transmission specialist John Dodd, who would later buy the chassis and engine.

However, it was Dodd who took things forward by having a fibreglass body created for the huge chassis. Sadly, a fire on the way back from a journey to Sweden saw The Beast wrecked, but rather than scrap it entirely, Dodd chose to restore it and fit a new engine – a 27-litre Merlin V12, in fact.

Car and Classic – which is selling The Beast on March 9 – states that Rolls-Royce ‘wasn’t happy’ about one of its grilles being used on the car, but that Dodd hid the car and travelled to Spain with it after a court case saw Dodd sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to pay a fine to Rolls-Royce following a court ruled that he had committed trademark infringement.

As well as featuring in an episode of Top Gear, The Beast was named in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most powerful car in 1977. The V5 is still present and John Dodd is still listed as the owner. Sadly, Dodd passed away last year.

The cabin features just two seats, while a bank of red rocker switches controls the starter functions for the huge Merlin engine. The steering wheel is bespoke to The Beast too and features a ‘JD’ boss in the centre.

In full running order, The Beast is set to go under the hammer on March 9, with seller Car and Classic stating that it ‘believes’ that it qualifies for MOT exemption. It currently has just over 10,000 miles on the clock.

The number of parking tickets issued by private companies in Britain soared by 24% in the second half of 2022.

A record 5.7 million tickets were handed out between July and December, analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data by the PA news agency found.

That is an average of around 31,000 every day and is up from a total of 4.6 million during the same period in 2021.

Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total annual cost to drivers could exceed £1.1 billion at the current rate.

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

In July 2022, the Government withdrew a long-awaited code of practice aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst actions following a legal challenge by parking companies.

The DVLA figures show the number of records obtained from the agency by companies chasing car owners for alleged infringements in private car parks such as at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway service areas.

They do not include car parks run by councils.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “If only the rest of the economy was booming like the private parking sector, perhaps we’d all be feeling more prosperous.

“Private parking looks set to be a billion pound-a-year business, if it isn’t already, with demands for up to £100 a time being sent out to drivers at the rate of more than one every three seconds.

“There’s widespread agreement that the Government should be setting up a regulatory framework for the industry, but it is nearly four years since the relevant law was passed.

“These numbers surely suggest that what’s needed is action now.”

The code of practice, which was due to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023, stated that the cap on tickets for some parking offences should be halved to £50.

The withdrawal pending a review of charges could lead to a further delay in its implementation.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokeswoman said: “We are determined to create a new private parking code of practice which will bring in a fairer system with motorists’ interests at its heart.

“We’re working with industry and consumer groups to introduce the code as quickly as possible.”

Some 184 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records between July and December.

ParkingEye was the most active, buying 1.1 million records.

The DVLA charges private companies £2.50 per record.

The agency says its fees are set to recover the cost of providing the information, and it does not make any money from the process.

– Here are the number of vehicle keeper records obtained from the DVLA by parking management companies in the second half of every year since 2017:

2017: 3.4 million

2018: 3.5 million

2019: 4.3 million

2020: 3.0 million (affected by the coronavirus pandemic)

2021: 4.6 million

2022: 5.7 million

More than a third (36%) of people admit to feeling nervous overtaking lorries while driving, a survey has found.

The same proportion of respondents to the poll of 2,000 British adults commissioned by National Highways said they do not know how many blind spots heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) have.

Lorries are fitted with additional mirrors to aid visibility, but they do not eliminate blind spots at the front, rear and each side of the vehicle.

National Highways, the Government-owned company responsible for England’s motorways and major A-roads, has launched a campaign to boost awareness of the areas lorry drivers cannot see.

Department for Transport figures show 216 people were killed in collisions involving HGVs in Britain in 2021.

Road safety minister Richard Holden said: “We have some of the safest roads in the world, but we are not complacent and are always looking at ways to make them safer.

“Making motorists aware of HGV blind spots will help prevent road collisions and support our ambitions of building a safer road network.”

National Highways head of road safety Jeremy Phillips said: “Safety is our number one priority and we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe when driving.

“Our advice to motorists overtaking a HGV is simple: avoid tailgating the HGV when considering an overtaking manoeuvre, and as the Highway Code states, do so quickly and safely to avoid staying in an area of limited visibility.”

– The survey was conducted by research company ICM in February.