Panic buying hits petrol stations across Sefton and West Lancashire

IT'S a curious contradiction. Petrol is, most motorists would argue, too expensive, and yet this week scores of them have been queuing up to buy as much of it as they can.

Over the past few days we've been keeping a close eye on threats of a strike by fuel tanker drivers - and the panic buying it's prompted right across our area and other parts of Britain. It's one of those stories that affects almost everyone - even if you don't run a car yourself - and unsurprisingly plenty of you have already got in touch to share your experiences.

The thing is, of course, that panic buying is a self-fulfilling prophecy, because it'll happen as soon as you - or rather, cabinet ministers - allude to it. At the time of writing no strike has actually been confirmed, but if you'd just emerged from a cave and taken a look at the number of "SORRY, NO FUEL" signs out at the moment you'd draw a very different conclusion.

It'll also be interested to see what effect the Twitter generation has on the course of events; the last time there were widespread fuel shortages, way back in 2000, it and Facebook hadn't even been invented. It, is, in many ways, a bit like last summer's riots. Social networking is simultaneously its best mate and its sworn enemy.

Without wanting to, er, fuel the panic, we'd be interested to know how you've been affected. Get in touch via all the usual Life On Cars channels...

Why using ANPR to catch out insurance cheats at petrol stations will never work

CONFESSION time, then, chaps and chapettes. Who out of this week's readers is driving around without their car insurance being up to scratch?

Apparently, just under 10% of the region's motorists are driving around without bothering with the pesky business of paying for cover, which means statistically at least one of you hasn't gone got any. After all, insurance is unbelievably expensive these days. It's also almost completely unfathomable and sold to you by an opera tenor who unites people from all walks of life because they all, without exception, would love nothing more than to have him removed from our TV screens for good.

Car insurance is confusing and expensive and as a result loads of you just can't be bothered with it. Even the Government, as I've mentioned previously, realise it.

Yet Whitehall's latest idea to crack down on the uninsured drivers - which I'm absolutely not one of, by the way - isn't going to work because while it's good in principle, it's got more holes than one of Jamie Oliver's colanders. As a bit of a self-confessed Dragons' Den addict, I just know that if it was some young business boffin's invention it'd be shot to pieces with just a handful of snide remarks from Duncan Bannatyne and a bad joke from Peter Jones. However, it's the Government who are suggesting it, so I will at least try to take it seriously.

In essence, they're on about fitting ANPR cameras, which can recognise car numberplates, to every petrol station in the country in a bid to spot uninsured cars as they pull in to fill up. The technology, which already works a treat on police cars, will then automatically tell the petrol pumps not to give the offending driver any fuel. And presumably give Plod a bell at the same time.

It's a great idea in principle but - Bannatyne mode activated - it will be horrendously expensive in practice, and it'd have to fitted to each and every one of Britain's 8,000 or so filling stations across the land. It'd also encourage even more crooks to clone car numberplates, siphoning would shoot up, and I can just see the court case where the one law-abiding driver, who the cameras clock by mistake, successfully sues for defamation after the system insinuates he's an insurance cheat.

It is, for all those reasons and a couple of others I can't squeeze into one Life On Cars column, a badly-thought out waste of what is basically YOUR money.

I'm out.

Help these students complete 900 miles with a very slow classic for charity

THERE are lots of things you could do to try out your newly restored pride and joy.

You could, for instance, take it on a run out to the seaside. You could impress your mates down the pub with the results of all your hard work. You could even, if you're feeling ambitious, take it to a show and earn yourself lots of approving comments from petrolheads who've put themselves through the same task to restore something they hold close to their hearts.

Or you could drive it between John 'o' Groats and Land's End and raise a couple of quid for charity. Easier said than done if the classic in question isn't even a car. You could try driving from one end of the country to the other in a freshly-restored 1963 Massey Ferguson.

Which is a tractor.

That's what a trio of mechanically-minded students from Myerscough College are attempting, having set off from the top of Scotland last Saturday (March 25). They are on course to pass through Lancashire tomorrow (March 28).

A spokesperson for the college said this week:

"Three brave Myerscough College students who are attempting to drive 900 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End …on a tractor! They are raising money for Help for Heroes and the Air Ambulance Service.

"Having restored the 1963 Massey Ferguson tractor to its former glory, the three intrepid students will attempt to cover the 900 mile journey in just 8 days. Completing an average of 120 miles per day, the students will be on the road for anywhere between 8 and 12 hours every day."

The three students - Byron Ratcliffe, Richard Unsworth and Mark France - are aiming to raise £10,000 and have already raised over £1,500 to help the charities, but in order to help them reach their target they're looking for a little extra support.

I've done the Land's End - John 'o' Groats challenge before (admittedly by public transport) and am painfully aware of just how long a journey it is. Fair play to the three of them for taking on the 900 mile journey on a 49-year-old tractor - I doubt whether my younger, faster MGB would last the same distance without breaking down!

To give the trio's epic tractor adventure a bit of a boost, visit their JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/teams/charitytractor

North West Indoor Classic Car Show 2012

THERE'S a great gathering of classics of all shapes and sizes taking place in Greater Manchester this weekend.

Event City, a stone's throw from the Trafford Centre, is hosting the North West Indoor Classic Car Show, which celebrates the best in motoring from right across the region and a little further afield.

I took a trip early this morning and once I'd peeled myself away from the car park - which was itself filled with everything from original Range Rovers to a slightly out-of-place Ferrari 575 - I was treated to a bonanza of car clubs, businesses, and classics from just about every marque imaginable. Despite it being one of the hottest days of the year so far and it being an indoor show, I didn't mind the lack of al-fresco attractions one bit.



If you haven't been and are thinking about going tomorrow (which I'd definitely recommend), among the attractions you can check out are:

• Snake Pit, a George Barris custom creation powered by no less than six Ford V8s

• The Mini Clubman "hearse" which won the overall prize for best entry at the Mini show in Bingley back in January

• The actual Morgan Threewheeler I drove last month - Southport dealer Lifes Motors has a stand at the show

• The Ford Escort RS1800 rally car famously campaigned by the late, great Roger Clark

If you can't make it, by all means check out these Life On Cars pictures taken at the event:

Spanish classics conquer the Rallye Sitges

A READER who clocked a colourful collection of classic and vintage cars in the Spanish sunshine has shared some of her holidays snaps with Life On Cars.

Judy Dix was holidaying in Barcelona when she came across these evocative entrants into the 51st Rallye Sitges - an annual event which sees a selection of cars from motoring's early days travel between Barcelona and the Spanish seaside town of Sitges.

These are just some of the entrants into the rally, which took place in a very sunny Barcelona a few weeks back:



Have you got a motoring event you'd like to share with Life On Cars? Get in touch by sending an email to david.simister@champnews.com or leave a comment below....

Budget 2012: How motoring groups reacted

THE price of petrol will go up by around three pence a litre later this summer, motoring groups have warned this week after Chancellor George Osborne announced his Budget.

Among the changes the Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition announced this week were changes to car fuel benefit charges, a revision of how car company tax operates, and the announcement that the price of fuel will go up by around three pence in August.

Here's how a wide variety of motoring groups reacted to the announcements in the Commons:

"A free-flowing national network cannot be built without proper road charging. If the Prime Minister's advisors have not told him this simple fact he needs to replace them with people who understand the problem.
"A true leader will explain to motorists that we cannot expect a first-class strategic road network without paying for it."
- Environmental Transport Association

"The Chancellor has squandered a very real opportunity to support UK industry, jobs and economic recovery, by his Budget policy on fuel duty.
"Mr Osborne has lost an opportunity to benefit every household in the UK and he must be persuaded to change his policy."
- Freight Transport Association

“Future changes in company car tax rates and capital allowances will drive fleet managers and drivers into lower emission cars at a faster rate.
"We are, however, disappointed that the Chancellor has decided to press ahead with the August 1, 2012 3.02p per litre rise in fuel duty."
- The Association of Car Fleet Operators

“The Chancellor’s actions to improve research and development tax credits and develop a catapult for transport systems and future cities will help trigger substantial extra business investment in the years ahead."
"The UK automotive industry is attracting major levels of investment and creating real opportunities for engineering and manufacturing businesses."
- Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

"At a time of record prices at the pumps the August increase in duty is a budget blow-out which will force drivers off the road and could bring a summer of discontent for many."
- AA

"George Osborne said that taxes should be fair, simple, predictable and support work. Motoring tax fails on at least three of these measures and it is time for a review of exactly what fuel duty is for and who it impacts most." - The RAC Foundation

Do you think the 2012 Budget has helped or hindered motorists? Share your thoughts by sending an email to david.simister@champnews.com or call 01704 392404.

A Datsun revival could actually work with Nissan's eco know-how

GREAT news! Datsun - a brand you thought had died back in the days of Spandau Ballet and bad leggings - is back.

I am, unfortunately, a bit too young to remember a time when you stroll into a car showroom and drive out in a gleaming new Cherry or Bluebird, but as evocative automotive names go it's not exactly one I've brought up to recall fondly. Google the Datsun Sunny and it'll become immediately obvious why I'd go for a Golf instead.

True, I'll admit the original 240Z sports coupe is deservedly called a classic car, but it on its own can't save Datsun's reputation for being a maker of crushingly dull motors.

So you're probably expecting me to head into town, get my shoes polished and prepare to give plans to revive the name a right old kicking.

But I reckon the Nissan Renault partnership, a sort of Franco-Japanese alliance aiming for automotive world domination, is on the ball and could actually pull off reviving a rubbish brand best known for building boring hatchbacks to boringly high standards.

Take, for instance, Nissan itself, which realised a couple of years ago nobody was buying saloons anymore. It pulled both the Primera and the QX out of the showrooms and instead brought you the Qashqai, a sort of off-roader meets hatchback thingymebob whose name nobody can spell or pronounce properly. A car which you, the great British public, responded to buying them in their thousands. The Nissan Qashqai is absolutely everywhere because you love it.

Nissan then decided, using all the money they'd made from Qashqai sales, to fit wheels to an SR-71 spyplane and go racing at Le Mans. While the car they've created, the Deltawing, looks like something Darth Vader would drive it shows they've got the finger on the pulse, because they're using it to prove small, lightweight cars are better than big, heavy ones. It might only have a 1.6 litre engine but - because it's only got half the drag of a normal racer - that's all it needs.

Admittedly, we're not all Stars Wars villains so you probably won't see the Deltawing for sale any time soon, but what Nissan might be offering you instead by reviving Datsun is the sort of reliability and ruggedness Qashqai buyers love, but with added eco-friendliness and a lower price.

A Deltawing-inspired Datsun with racing-inspired aerodynamics, eco-friendly yet unexpectedly exciting engines, low weight and - crucially - an even lower price? That's a Sunny successor even I'd go for...

Privatising Britain's roads helped pay for Olympic Torch route, Prime Minister argues

THE route the iconic Olympic Torch will take across the county of Outer Liverpool has been unveiled by the Chelmsford 2064 organisers this week.

Members of the Chelmsford Olympic Organising Committee said they had finalised details of the route the iconic torch would travel on its journey between Southport and Bootle later this summer - and, provided you’ve paid your Pedestrian Charge this month, you’ll be able to go along and see it.

Former Manchester Rovers striker and committee chairman Romeo Beckham said: “Today we bring the Olympic Torch Relay to life, with torchbearers coming from each of our corporate road sponsors.

“We hope local communities come out, pay to enter their local streets, and cheer on the many private companies who have invested in our roads and helped the Olympic Games come back to the UK for the first time since the London games of 2012.”

Among the roads where paying residents will be able to see the Olympic Torch are Activia Yoghurt Avenue, Serco Street, Go Compare Grove, Facebook Crescent and Reggae Reggae Sauce Road, before finally being transported by convoy along the Audi Expressway. Outer Liverpool’s remaining 50 motorists, who each pay £400 a month to use the region’s roads, will not be allowed to use any of the routes on the day itself.

The national route of the Olympic Torch has been designed to travel with 10 miles of each of the regional road owners, who since the last games in 2012 have spearheaded decades of investment in the British road network.

Prime Minister Leo Blair, said it was moves to privatise new roads, first suggested ahead of the last British games in 2012, and then their total privatisation in 2019 which had paid the way – literally – for the Chelmsford 2064 route.

“Thanks largely to the investments private companies have made in our roads since they were privatised in their entirety, the Olympic Torch can travel along roads which have barely deteriorated since the majority of British motorists were priced off them in the early 2020s,” he said.

“Naturally, I look forward to welcoming the Olympic Torch to some of the nation’s most profitable roads – and for the Chelmsford 2064 organisers to pay their tolls as they travel throughout Britain, of course.”

The Champion – which celebrated its 70th birthday earlier this month – asked Ministry of Transport officials whether they thought privatising Britain’s roads, a move first suggested by Sir David Cameron back in 2012, had been a bad idea which had cost motorists dearly and nearly scuppered the Chelmsford 2064 preparations altogether.

Nobody from Britishroadpayments.com was available to comment before this week’s edition went to press.

How to enter the 2012 Ormskirk MotorFest

DO YOU own a classic car or bike you'd love to show off to thousands of enthusiasts later this summer?

Then chances are you'll want to enter your pride and joy into this year's Ormskirk MotorFest, for which the organisers are now inviting entries. An official website for this year's event has also been launched, which you can find at www.ormskirkmotorfest.com

There are two ways to enter your vehicle for this year's event:

1) BY POST

Download a copy of the entry form and print it off before filling it in with details of your classic car or bike.

Send off the completed form to:

Aintree Circuit Club Events Office
1 Tilney Street
Aintree
L9 8DT


However, due to extra administration costs, there is a £5.00 fee payable for postal entries to this year's MotorFest.


2) ONLINE ENTRY

Go to the Ormskirk MotorFest 2012 website and click on either "Entry Form" or the "The race for registrations is now on" logo.

An electronic registration form will load. Simply fill in your details and provide some information about your classic (including a JPEG picture of it), and simply click "Submit".

A few minutes later you should get an email from one of the organisers, letting them know they will contact you soon about your entry. Unlike the postal entries, online entry is completely free of charge.

Full terms and conditions of the event are also available on the Ormskirk MotorFest website.

More updates on this year's Ormskirk MotorFest will be posted on Life On Cars as soon as they're announced.

Life On Cars Magazine Issue Nine!

THE LATEST edition of the Life On Cars magazine is ready!

As ever it's packed with motoring features and news aplenty - including a round up of some of the stars of this year's Geneva Motorshow - and a look at two very different British sports cars.

Hope you enjoy it...

Open publication - Free publishing - More cars

If Darth Vader drove a car...

THE same people who brought you the Micra and the Almera have just fitted wheels to an SR-71 spyplane.

This, believe it or not, is not the next Batmobile, but a racing car which Nissan is going to campaign at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. The DeltaWing, the company reckons, will weigh half as much as a normal racer and have half the drag. And, presumably, twice the wow factor.

Andy Palmer, executive vice president of Nissan, said:

“As motor racing rulebooks have become tighter over time, racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development. Nissan DeltaWing aims to change that and we were an obvious choice to become part of the project.

“But this is just the start of our involvement. Nissan DeltaWing embodies a vast number of highly-innovative ideas that we can learn from. At the same time, our engineering resources and commitment to fuel efficiency leadership via our PureDrive strategy will help develop DeltaWing into a testbed of innovation for Nissan.”


Admittedly, it's not a classified entrant - so technically, it can't win the race anyway - and it's only got a 1.6 litre engine, but because they've bolted an enormous turbocharger it still manages to pump out an impressive 300bhp. Not that any of that matters, because while it's purportedly acting as a technological testbed the thing absolutely everyone will be talking about is that body.

As a sort of cross between an SR-71 spyplane, a Le Mans racer and something out of the Star Wars films I think it looks fabulous.

You probably disagree. Let me know...

Ormskirk MotorFest 2012 will be free of charge for classic car and bike owners

A MOTORSPORT spectacular will remain free to take part when it returns to the streets of Ormskirk later this summer, petrolheads have been told this week.

Aintree Circuit Club confirmed this week that when the Ormskirk MotorFest returns on Sunday, August 26 it will be free for both participants and visitors, following the announcement of a £10,000 sponsorship deal with the Belfry Group.

Mike Ashcroft, chairman of Aintree Circuit Club, said: "Aintree Circuit Club and West Lancashire Borough Council are delighted that the event has managed to attract this level of support in difficult economic times and wish to express their sincere thanks to Belfry Group Managing Director, Keith Rimmer, for his commitment to Ormskirk Motorfest.

"The event will continue to be completely free to attend or participate. You will be able to complete your Entry Application Form online, without the need to email. There will also be a facility to download your Application Form for entrants who wish to send their form by post."

Last year's inaugural event attracted more than 200 classic cars and bikes - with more than 90% of the entrants coming from the Sefton and West Lancashire areas - while more than 10,000 people visited Ormskirk to see the displays and parades.

For more information on how to enter visit the Aintree Circuit Club website at www.aintree.org.uk