The Week In Motoring #2

Ferrari 250 TR Becomes the Most Expensive Car Ever Sold In Britain

Don’t you hate it when you bid for a car but someone pips you to the post by offering more money? Well, our bid for the Ferrari 250 TR was slightly improved on by an anonymous bidder who snapped up the racer for £24million. This 1950s beauty has a 3.0 litre V12 engine and 300bhp and can reach a top speed of 167mph.

The seller was 1961 Formula 1 World Champion Phil Hill who, along with Peter Collins, raced it to victory in the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring. The car also picked up victory at the 1000km Buenos Aires and raced in 1957 at Le Mans.

In 1967, the car was donated to the Ford Dearborn Museum where it lived for 30 long years.

UK Car Manufacturing at 6 Year High

Figures produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers show a 3.1% rise in UK manufactured cars during 2013, with 1.5 million cars coming off the production line. The figure is the highest since 2007 and is expected to keep rising with estimates suggesting over 2 million cars could be UK produced by 2017, making it the 3rd largest car manufacturer in Europe.

Business Secretary Vince Cable speaks very optimistically of the rise in UK manufacturing stating, “Today’s figures are another sign that the British Car Industry is going from strength to strength – with one vehicle rolling off a production line someone in the UK every 20 seconds.”

Around 80% of the cars produced were exported around the world which Cable says is “testament to the diverse, high quality of British Manufacturing.”

New Campaign Highlights Risks to Business Drivers

Surprisingly, it has emerged that 21% of traffic collisions in the North-East involve people driving for work purposes. This has caused members of the public to question why there isn’t the same attention paid to highlighting the dangers of driving for work as there is drink driving, which is accountable for a quarter less traffic collisions.

From 2008 – 2012, 74 people died as a result of collisions involving business-related travel in the North-East with a further 748 serious injuries and 8262 slight injuries.

These statistics have caused Road Safety North East to launch a new campaign warning businesses that they could be prosecuted if they neglect their employer responsibilities. Among the campaign are guidelines including paying attention to weather conditions, avoiding distractions and to allow ample time for their journeys. The campaign also reminds employers that they are liable under the Corporate Manslaughter Act if their policies are not up to standard.

Schumacher Slowly Coming Out of Coma

7-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher is having his sedation reduced as doctors prepare to bring him out of his coma. Sabire Kehm has stated that doctors are beginning the ‘waking up process’ but that bringing Schumacher out of his coma “could take a long time.”

Schumacher has been in a medically-induced coma since 29th December after suffering a serious head injury whilst skiing in the French Alps. His family have requested continued privacy from the general public but have expressed their “sincere appreciation for the worldwide sympathy.”

Car of the Week

Our car of the week this week is the fantastic BMW 1 Series 120i.

Price: £9,999

This BM1 Series Coupe is in excellent condition (both interior and exterior) and comes with a full service history, 3 month guarantee and 12 months MOT.

For further information, please call 01753 851561, or click here to view full details.