If it ain’t broke…

Seems that EBAY have created a new form for adding details. The great new system crashes while uploading pictures and no longer remembers payment details. So I host the pictures myself and then the slide-show won't work either. It has 'Curbed My Enthusiasm'

Also an item I am bidding on is defintely being bid up by the vendor (or friend) it's just so obvious. First of all the item sold on Buy It Now to someone who seems like a regular buyer from them, then it comes back online (he probably realised it was too obvious) but the new high bid is about what he told me he wanted for it. He's about as good at this as Michael Schumacher is at parking his Ferrari at La Rascasse!

We have lift off…

Good news that the company who host my website have completed their maintenance. Accordingly my latest acquisition Renaultsport Clio Trophy 306/500 has been valeted and photographed for the site. Enjoyable Saturday morning introducing a car I located for a customer to it's new owner as well as perhaps selling the lovely red and black MINI Cooper Chilli I have for sale. I have priced some interesting stock for a number of dealers, but true to form, the phone's been fairly quiet as ever during a Summer Bank Holiday Weekend.

 

Gremlins

Delivered a very nice BMW 318i SE Touring today and trained it back into West London to collect a Clio Trophy. The dealer had someone on the BMW before I even handed the keys over! Obviously being a Bank Holiday I'd like to advertise the Clio Hot-Wheels on my website but we have Gremlins. Hence no pictures here and an error message in lieu of a website right now. Hoping it will be fixed pronto.

The Renaultsport Clio Trophy is #306/500. One owner and 15500 mainly motorway miles, FSH serviced at 12000 by Renault, unmarked apart from one innocuous 8-10mm scratch on the nearside front alloy wheel. These are such fabulous cars to drive. Offered at £11995 will consider part-exchange as ever if it helps.  

One that got away..

Found this 2000 W Reg Lotus 340R on Autotrader and thought it looked a lot of car for the money. Huge list of options and a rare beast, just 340 were made and a maximum of 200 remain in the UK. This particular car had the 190 bhp Lotus engine upgrade, just 9000 miles, a recent service , four new Yokohama AO38R tyres (£800) and about £5000 of additional carbon fibre body panels and tonneau etc. Advertised for £18495 I should have bought it because this week it sold on eBay for £22100!

You live and learn.

Car magazines for sale

A friend is selling part of his collection of car magazines on EBAY. Here's some links if you're interested.

Car Magazine

Thoroughbred & Classic Car (Now simply Classic Car)

Forza (USA Ferrari magazine)

Motorsport Magazine

These mags are great not only for the car articles, but also for the nostalgic adverts that in the main are far less glossy than nowadays – but still work!

As they say, "Happy bidding!"

From 21 to 65

In an era when newspaper articles generally put a negative spin on the younger generation I was reassuring to sell a car this week to a twenty-one yer old, full time employed chef who had saved for a couple of years at least for his new car (and probably a further year for the insurance!). I should have asked what his original goal was as this car wasn't produced when he started saving. Not only was he focused enough to see this task through, in conversation he explained that he had also had to give up his hobby of motor cycle trials riding as it clashed with his working hours. Now he has the car I got the impression that a house was next on the agenda. That industry obviously throws up some very hard working and motivated individuals – I've met one who could be snapping at the heels of Gordon Ramsay in the next few years.

At the other end of the (current) working age scale, I read today that General Sir Mike Jackson, Chief of the General Staff and head of the armed forces in the UK is soon to retire. In the article he was explaining how our contribution to the training of new Iraqi army officers was creating about 750 new young leaders a year and generally painted a far brighter picture for the future and security of that country than we usually see. A fact confirmed by a journalist friend who visited the South of Iraq a few weeks ago. To me he has an air of integrity missing from many of our politicians and it's a shame that someone of his calibre hasn't got another few years in the role to influence the situation.

Broad spectrum

Priced some interesting cars over the last twenty four hours. If they strike a chord please contact me before I move them on. All really good value cars.

2005 (05) Audi 1.8T Convertible Multitronic Auto. Silver / Blue Hood / Blue Leather. Sports Pack, Symphony Hi Fi. Only 2500 miles and one owner. Available circa £20995

2004 (04) Renault Grand Espace 2.2 dCi Automatic. Hessian Metallic, 7 Seats, Panoramic Sunroof, Privacy Glass, Reversing Sensors, FRSH, 24000 miles One Owner. Available circa £13995

2002 (52) BMW 318i SE Touring Estate. 2.0 Auto/Tiptronic. Panoramic Sunroof, 17" Alloys, Bluetooth. Silver with Black Leather. 46000 miles One Onwer and FBMWSH. Lovely clean car and available circa £12995

1999 (V) Renault Clio Alize 1.4 5Dr Hatchback. Metallic Monaco Blue, Air Conditioning, Sunroof, Power Steering, Electric Front Windows. Nice spec all round and 56000 miles two owners. Good service history and well worth £2995 with a new MOT. The cambelt, front discs and pads have all recently been attended to.

2005 (05) Renaultsport Clio 182 with both Cup Packs and also highly desirable Recaro Seat option. In Inferno Orange Metallic and Anthracite Grey wheels what a car! Only 9000 miles and one owner, this car has really been looked after. Would be available for £10995.

2005 (55) Renaultsport Megane 225 3 Dr Sport Hatch with Cup Wheels and Suspension settings. Full Leather and Xenon Headlights. In Steel Grey Metallic. Really fabulous looking and a real driver's car. Would be available for £14995 which is a huge saving over a new one which lists at over £20000 for this specification.

Both new shape model one private owner. 2006 (06) Renaultsport Megane 225 3 Dr Sport Hatch Cup model in Inferno 1800 miles available around £14995 and a rare Renaultsport Megane 225 3Dr Sport Hatch 'F1 Team' in Blue with F1 Decals. Only 1400 miles and £16995. (see picture below) 

Finally, 2005 (05) Renault Laguna 2 Sport Tourer 2.2 dCi 150 Initiale 6 Speed Manual. Storm Blue Metallic. Full Leather. Bluetooth Nav Comm system. It's the very latest model with 18000 miles and demo plus one private owner. Just had the 18000 mile service done. List price a year ago in region of £23000. Available for £12995. I call that a bargain (the best I've ever had? Townsend lyric impulse there!) What a car for the money!

The point of the majority of this list is that many main dealers are struggling with their stock, complaining that they cannot buy these cars due to having similar already or 'not buying right now'. The remedy is to buy them anyway and offer some lovely cars via my own advertising and website. If you're looking for a bargain, register your requirement or interest and let's see what we can find. I'm pricing many cars a day from £2000 to £30000.

To contact me regarding any of these cars or to search for specific models click the hyperlink. Thanks. 

MINI Cooper Chilli Ready To Go

Here's some pictures of a MINI which arrived yesterday and now looking very shiny indeed. I used a polish recommended to me, Meguires Polymer Tech Wax and it really does give the car a deeper shine than others I've tried. This one has the gloss black roof and this polish gives it a glass like appearance, which is ideal as it has a Panoramic Sunroof too. The wheels are cleaned courtesy of Autoglym Clean Wheels and the tyres Autoglym Instant Tyre Shine. I've put the car away in the unlt to prevent a) birds aiming at it and b) that Scandinavian? dust that seems to have covered all the cars over the last few days. It's looking good in there now and subject to a check over, Ready To Go.

One of the things that makes cleaning the stock yourself worthwhile is that you notice every blemish and imperfection along the way. Pleased to report that this 38000 mile one owner car has been really cared for, with only a few very light stone chip type touch-ins to do. The other thing that stands out when you have a good look around a BMW MINI is the build quality. The panel fit, operation of the doors and locks, quality of carpets, trims, controls and switches are all as good as anything else in the range right up to £80000 of 6 Series Coupe. It's certainly a case of buying into that brand. When you drive one you realise how canny they were in engineering the better of the original Mini traits into the new car too. The style of the switches, vents and dials (e.g. Glowing red line on Tacho) are a nice touch too. When you drive them, they are very firm on the road and the steering very direct. Of course, there's absolutely no other comparison, (drummed home to me as I have a '86 D Reg Mini Piccadilly in stock at the moment – but it is a blast to bomb around in) other than the name and the overall shape. I doubt these will rust like the originals either!

For more details of MINIs in stock, please click here.

 

Cheap Car Alert

Want a really nice specification diesel MPV for that European family holiday or trip to Center Parcs? Try this, it's being offered at a bargan price. 54 Plate SEAT Alhambra 115 1.9 TDI Diesel Stylance (latest high specification SE model) 7 Seater MPV in Metallic Red. It's the more hard to come by Automatic / Tiptronic version so ideal for motorway, where you crawl along! and City driving. Features include: Alloy Wheels, CD Tuner, Cruise Control, Climate Control Air Conditioning, Heated Front Seats, Parking Sensors, Roof Rails and more…The car trades in Glass's Guide at £13800 at 20000 miles, it's covered only 10000 miles so books trade around the £14500 mark. List price for this one around the £22000, offered at only £13995.  

This link will take you to the SEAT website – just click the model in the range for more info.

To contact me about this or any other car described just click here.

[Avant] Time Flies

Four days since my last post and seems like four hours. Many cars have been valued, offered, placed and even purchased for my own stock. Some examples include very high specification MINI Cooper, Cooper S and even a ONE Convertible with Full Leather, Air Conditioning and CD Upgrade already listed on allvehicles.co.uk used car pages Also a couple of lovely low mileage rare machines were offered and are due into stock:

2002 (52) Renault Avantime 3.0 V6 24V Automatic in the cool Iliad Blue with Silver. Full leather and Satelite Navigation. Described as clean throughout and only 25000 miles with two owners and Full Renault Service History. Featuring full glass panoramic sunroof and pillarless body, it's possible to have all the windows down and the roof open too. A real head turning car with very high standard specification. These were acclaimed 'Beyond Cool' on the Top Gear 'Cool Car Board' - Probably only a Citroen DS is as Avant Garde as the Avantime ! A future classic no doubt. Offered at £9995

1999 (V) Volkswagen Polo CL 1.4 16V in Chagal Blue. Automatic with Power Steering and Sunroof. Two owners and only 18500 miles, super low mileage and described as condition to match. Long MOT and Full Service History to substantiate the lovely mileage. The CL model is well equipped and drives beautifully. This car is one of the very robust early new shape models – another true classic shape. Offered at £3995

These will have the usual pre-sale checks and a good quality warranty. Tomorrow I will post details of other cars offered to the trade that remain available and really are fabulous value. In the meantime here's a Renault Avantime in Iliad Blue which will forever remain 'Beyond Cool'!

Please contact me for any further information regarding these or other cars in stock or due in.