It’s a safe little design, conservative in the best VW tradition, and will eventually have alternative powertrain systems as well as the high-efficiency petrol one at launch.

But what does the name mean? Okay so there can be advantages in having a concept car with an odd name, because people remember it. And there’s no doubt that the up! is as close to the concept we first saw a couple of shows ago as makes no difference. There’s a clue in the grades to be offered—’take’, ‘move’ and ‘high’.

Yes, the lower cases are official. So you’ll be driving a ‘take up!’, a ‘move up!’ or a ‘high up!’. Are any of those what you’d like to be answering the question ‘what do you drive’ in party-time conversation?

Daft Names

Chrevolet Luv

Anyone raised to ‘proper’ writing will have difficulties with proper names that don’t have a capital, and where punctuation marks are put in strange places. For instance, ’smart’ as a car name never seems to be right compared to ‘Smart’, and the affectation by BMW of ‘MINI’ rather than ‘Mini’ always jars on a page. As for Kia’s otherwise excellent ‘cee’d'…

Still, it could be worse. The history of naming cars is littered with stuff that is odd, daft, inappropriate, and often downright hilarious.

For instance, did you hear about the Honda Life Dunk? Or the Yamaha Pantryboy? Or what about the Chevrolet Luv? Maybe the Isuzu GIGA 20 Light Dump? Fortunately, none of them ever got to this side of the world. Though we did have the Invicta Black Prince Wentworth. (Actually, the ‘Luv’ wasn’t American spelling to the bottom, but an acronym for Light Utility Vehicle.)

Oops!

Mazda Laputa

Creating a global car model is fraught with cultural traps. For instance, Ford’s Pinto, Buick’s LaCrosse, Opel’s Ascona, and Mitsubishi’s Pajero all have sexual connotations—mostly unflattering—in some languages and even in slang in English. Which is why they are renamed (Mitsubishi Shogun, for instance) in some markets.

Even when they try to be classical—the Mazda LaPuta was actually named after a city in Gulliver’s Travels, but means something entirely different (and easily understood) in Spanish.

And when Chevrolet in the US tried to market their Nova compact car in central and south American countries, the Spanish translation into ‘Won’t Go’ wasn’t a big help in making it popular.

Getting it right

Some do work well, though. Land Rover, for instance, does exactly what it says on the sheet metal, and the model names—Defender, Discovery, Range Rover—generally been well chosen. Even the Evoque is probably pretty good for the urban market it is aimed at.

Lamborghini Diablo

Aggression helps. Nissan’s Bluebird never caught the imagination, but Plymouth’s Barracuda and Ford’s Mustang both pulled at the macho-strings of their mainly male buyers. Equally Dodge’s Viper, and Lamborghini’s Diablo (did you know that Lambos used to be named after renowned fighting bulls, such as the Murcielago which killed a matador in the late 19th century?).

Finding names for cars these days is big branding business, and there are companies which specialise in creating them, for very big money. Lippincott Mercer in New York created Infiniti as the luxury brand for Nissan, for instance. It breaks a rule that anything longer than three syllables rarely works well as a car name, but all the ‘i’s give it a flow.

There’s a story that in the brainstorming for a Toyota luxury brand, women’s names were being bandied around. ‘Alexis’ was heard by one person as ‘A Lexus’, and thus a carmaker name was born.

Toyota’s ‘Prius’ was deliberately chosen from the Latin ‘to go before’, or ‘first’, to indicate that it was the first hybrid production car. It might seem strange to use a dead language, and probably very few owners relate it to Latin. But it worked. ‘Mondeo’ also sounds Latin, but it is a totally made-up word that was designed to suggest a ‘world’ car, which the original version was supposed to be.

As a nameplate it has worked well for Ford. Which we hope up! will do for VW’s probably excellent small car.

As long as we don’t get fed up! explaining it to our friends.

Related posts:

1. Tequila Fuel Sunset in Ireland, The Smooth Taste of the New B-Class and Fishing for Next Years Buyers
2. Car Recalls – Just How Common Are They?
3. Pictures from the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011

If you fancy something that’s a bit of a head turner and value your leg room then a Hummer H2 Chrystal Limo could be just the job!

Costing €160,000 when first registered these Hummer H2 Limos have very low mileage and come with a Full Service History, Electric Windows, Central Locking, Front Fogs, CD / CD Changer, Automatic, Cruise Control, Full Leather, Heated Seats, Electric Seats, Phone Kit and Parking Distance Control………

This exclusive trade only auction continues until 3:00 pm on Monday the 30th May. Unfortunately members of the public are not able to bid but there’s nothing stopping you finding a trader to bid on your behalf!

If you’d like to make an offer – leave a comment below and we’ll put you in touch with someone who’s registered to bid on your behalf.

Lot 1

If you’d like to make an offer – leave a comment below and we’ll put you in touch with someone who’s registered to bid on your behalf.

Lot 2

Reserve:	NONE
Finishing at:	30-05-2011 at 15:00hrs
Year/Registration:	07 [W]
Make / Model:	Hummer / Pink Playboy Limo
Details:	EW, CL, AW, FF, CD, ACC, CC, HS, PDC
Exterior Rating:	Very Good
Interior Rating:	Very Good
No. of doors:	5
No. Owners:	1
Colour:	Pink
Mileage:	27k    [ KM's: 43k ]

Related posts:

1. Tequila Fuel Sunset in Ireland, The Smooth Taste of the New B-Class and Fishing for Next Years Buyers
2. Car Clocking Grips Northern Ireland
3. Car Clocking Costs Irish Consumers Up To €40 Million

Another great milestone reached at Motorcheck HQ today.

We’ve just finished linking over 65,000 vehicle data types with 25 million individual records to our automotive database.

This newly linked data service is the product of over 15 years of intensive research by our good friends at Jato Dynamics and marks another first for Motorcheck.ie.

Another First For Motorcheck

Founded in 1984, Jato provides the world’s most timely, accurate and up-to-date information on vehicle specifications and pricing, sales and registrations, news and incentives.

Motorcheck.ie is the first and only car history company to obtain a licence for Jato’s current and historic data and we’re very excited about the delivery of their data alongside our VRM (vehicle registration mark) lookup.

What does this mean for our customers?

Customers of Benchmark Automotive, the company behind Motorcheck.ie can now access the Jato specification and pricing information that relates to any vehicle registered new in Ireland since 1994.

This means that we are able to provide our customers with data that includes original information from the manufacturers brochure such as

• The vehicle’s original list price
• Actual pictures of the model
• Up to 350 items that came as Standard Equipment
• A complete list of the Optional Extras and their prices that would have been available on the car

Case Study – Autodirect.ie

The first company to utilize this data in Ireland will be the online car supermarket Autodirect.ie. Each advertisement on Autodirect.ie is compiled by the vehicle registration number to deliver a feature list unlike anything seen on any other website.

Autodirect.ie

Commenting on the impact this has made to their business Anthony Gaffney at Autodirect said “Customers choose AutoDirect.ie because of our low prices, excellent customer service and crucially, the remarkably high level of vehicle information available to them on our award-winning website.

The days of walking around a car with a clipboard, taking down the specifications and extras are gone – through Benchmark Automotive we can be sure we are giving our customers accurate and specific data for every one of our cars, helping them to make a fully informed decision about their next car purchase“.

Innovating with data

Visitors to Motorcheck.ie will soon be able to experience Ireland’s first new car search engine that allows the user to find a new car under a plethora of new search options.

The service will deliver all kinds of interesting ways to navigate the new car market and promises to be another market leading innovation in automotive data. It’s in beta testing at the moment with an expectation of going live this month.

Sample Advertisement

The following information was taken from an advertisement on Autodirect and shows just how rich our data can be for a used car listing. If you’re interested in finding our more about this data or would like to learn more about the suite of services available from Benchmark Automotive you can visit us online at www.benchmark.ie or call us directly at 01-8839230.

Specifications

Below is a list of the key specifications.
MAKE Opel
MODEL Astra
VARIANT Exclusiv 1.4I 16V 5DR
BODY TYPE Hatchback
TRANSMISSION Manual
FUEL TYPE Petrol
COLOUR Grey
YEAR 2008
MILEAGE 53,785 miles / 86,559 kms
ENGINE SIZE 1.4
NO. OF DOORS 5
NO. OF OWNERS 1
REGISTRATION NUMBER 08D#####
NCT DUE DATE 13 March 2012
TAX EXPIRY 31 January 2011
CO2 RATING (G/KM) 146 g/km
CO2 TAX BAND C
CAR TAX PER YEAR €302

Top Features

Alloys
Antitheft System
CD player
Central Locking (Central locking – remote)
Cruise Control
Front Fog Lights
Heated Seat
Immobiliser
Isofix
Metallic Paint
Multiple Airbags
Power Steering

Equipment

Driver and passenger power heated body color door mirrors
12v power outlet: front with 1 outlet(s)
Leather covered multi-function steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment
Front power windows with two one-touch
Power steering electro-hydraulic
Front / rear power windows: Front power windows with two one-touch @Available
Electrically adjustable / heated door mirrors: Driver and passenger power heated body color door mirrors @Available
Power steering (vehicle speed proportional): Power steering electro-hydraulic @Available
Tilting adjustment / telescopic adjustment Steering wheel: Leather covered multi-function steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment @Available
Central door lock operated by: remote
No of speed: 5

Comfort

Bucket driver seat with height adjustment , bucket passenger seat
Seating: five seats
Manufacturer’s own RDS audio system with AM/FM and CD player CD player reads MP3
Luxury trim alloy look on center floor console and alloy look on dashboard
Facia trim: alloy look
Central console trim: alloy look
Height adjustable driver / front passenger seat: Bucket driver seat with height adjustment , bucket passenger seat @Available
Rear seats type: bench
Rear seats folding: asymmetrical

Exterior

Center high mount stop light
Gloss paint
Rear view mirror
Part galvanized non-corrosive body
Body side molding
Body color front and rear bumpers
Windshield wipers
Front fog lights
Fixed rear window with intermittent
Tinted glass on cabin
Coefficient of drag: 0.32
Front and rear conventional tires with 205 mm tire width, 55% tire profile and H tire rating official brochure tyre size
Front and rear steel wheels with 16 inch rim diam, 6.5 inch rim width and structure wheel wheel covers
Front tyres: 205/55 HR 6.5×16”
Rear tyres: 205/55 HR 6.5×16”
Bumpers: painted
Door mirrors: painted

Safety

Four disc brakes including two ventilated discs
Driver and passenger front airbag
Four-wheel ABS
Electronic brake distribution
Isofix preparation
Brake assist system
Front side airbag
Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
Twin projector beam lens halogen bulb headlights
Headlight control with internal height adjustment and time delay switch-off
Cornering brake control
Height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side with pre-tensioners , height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on passenger side with pre-tensioners , 3-point reel rear seat belts on center side
Two height adjustable active head restraints on front seats , two height adjustable head restraints on rear seats
4-wheel ABS : Four-wheel ABS @Available
Brake assist system: Brake assist system @Available
Electronic brake distribution: Electronic brake distribution @Available
Cornering brake control: Cornering brake control @Available
Disc brakes (ventilated): 4 ( 2 )
Halogen Headlights: Twin projector beam lens halogen bulb headlights @Available
Front fog lights: Front fog lights @Available
Front fog lights: Front fog lights @Available
Driver Front Airbag / Intelligent: Driver and passenger front airbag @Available
Passenger Front Airbag / Intelligent: Driver and passenger front airbag @Available
Front side airbags: Front side airbag @Available
Roof Airbags: Front and rear roof airbag
Front seat belt pre-tensioners: Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners @Available
Active Front head restraints: Two height adjustable active head restraints on front seats , two height adjustable head restraints on rear seats @Available
No of Rear seats head restraints: 2
3-point center rear seat belt: Height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side with pre-tensioners , height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on passenger side with pre-tensioners , 3-point reel rear seat belts on center side @Available
Isofix preparation: Isofix preparation @Available

Performance

3-way catalytic converter
Multi-point injection fuel system
Front-wheel drive
Strut front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs , torsion beam rear suspension semi-independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs
Emission control level EU4 – carbon dioxide level (g/km): 146
Performance: maximum speed (mph): 111, maximum speed (km/h): 178 and acceleration 0-100 km/h (secs): 13.7
1,364 cc 1.4 liters in-line 4 engine with 73.4 mm bore, 80.6 mm stroke, 10.5 compression ratio, double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder Z14XEP
Power: 66 kW , 90 HP EEC @ 5,600 rpm; , 125 Nm @ 4,000 rpm
Fuel consumption: ECE 99/100 urban (l/100km): 8, country/highway (l/100km): 5, combined (l/100km): 6.1, urban (mpg): 29, country/highway (mpg): 47 and combined (mpg): 39
Engine liters / cc: 1.4 / 1,364
Engine configuration: in-line 4
Number of valves per cylinder: 4
Gearbox: manual
Number of speeds: Manual five-speed transmission with shift lever on floor, 3.73:1 first gear ratio, 2.14:1 second gear ratio, 1.41:1 third gear ratio, 1.12:1 fourth gear ratio, 0.89:1 fifth gear ratio and 3.31:1 reverse gear ratio manual @Available
Transmission type: manual
Driven wheels: front
Fuel: unleaded
Maximum speed (km/h): 178
Maximum speed (mph): 111
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s): 13.7
Fiscal HP: 0
Maximum power hp/PS: 90 @ 5,600
Maximum power kW: 66 @ 5,600
Maximum torque ft lb: @ 4,000
Maximum torque Nm: 125 @ 4,000
Carbon dioxide level CO2 (g/km): 146
Emission control level: EU4
ECE 99/100 urban fuel economy (l/100km): 8.0
ECE 99/100 country fuel economy (l/100km): 5.0
ECE 99/100 combined fuel economy (l/100km): 6.1

Dimensions

Load restraint hooks
Rigid cargo area cover/rear parcel shelf
52 liter, 13.7 gallon main fuel tank for unleaded
External dimensions: overall length (mm): 4,249, overall length (inches): 167.3, overall width (mm): 1,753, overall width (inches): 69, overall height (mm): 1,467, overall height (inches): 57.8, wheelbase (mm): 2,614, wheelbase (inches): 102.9, front track (mm): 1,488, front track (inches): 58.6, rear track (mm): 1,488, rear track (inches): 58.6, curb to curb turning circle (mm): 10,850 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 35.6
Fuel tank capacity (l): 52
Fuel tank capacity (US gal): 14
Overall length (mm): 4,249
Overall length (in): 167.3
Overall width (mm): 1,753
Overall width (in): 69.0

General

Anticorrosion warranty: duration (months): 144 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Road-side assistance warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Full car warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Powertrain warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Paint warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Standard delivery charges: 0
Main service: distance: 30,000 and period (mths): 12
Five-door hatchback body style; RHD GM 3300
Trim level: EXCLUSIV
RetailPrice: €21,495.00

Related posts:

1. Are the Upcoming Changes to the NCT Really Necessary?
2. Winter Driving
3. Motorcheck.ie Introduces New VRT Calculator

Merlin Car Auctions hold auctions three times weekly in their Naas and Kylemore premises with over 1,000 cars up for auction. Every car is checked by Motorcheck prior to auction and the auction website at http://www.merlincarauctions.ie carries a Motorcheck certificate for every car sold.

Highest Levels of Business Performance

Recognising indigenous Irish companies across the island of Ireland that are operating at the highest levels of business performance, the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme seeks to identify best-managed companies through an evaluation process that extends beyond financial results.

Merlin Car Auctions underwent a number of phases in the competition and benefited from the advice and feedback from coaches from Deloitte and Irish Life Corporate Business during the process.

Merlin were also singled out among the 20 winning companies and awarded a diploma from the Irish Management Institute. Each IMI diploma is a nationally recognised qualification, accredited and awarded by University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork.

Announcing the special award Dr Tom McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Irish Management Institute (IMI) said, “Each year we try to identify one company from among the 20 Best Managed that shows in a practical way how they embody the current theme of the programme and award them a place on one of the IMI’s suite of Postgraduate Diplomas. These courses range in subjects from Management, Strategy & Innovation, Leadership, Strategic Human Resource Management, Business Finance, Marketing with Digital Marketing to Executive Coaching and allow these already high performing companies continue to develop their people and ultimately their organisation’s management capability.

This year we looked at how the companies had worked to reassess their business models and worked to transform those models in order to grow the company in a sustainable way through the difficult operating conditions they currently face and beyond. As in previous years, the task of identifying one company from among the winners was not an easy one.

Innovation a key source of future growth

Merlin Car Auctions showed that they had re-evaluated their business model, focusing on innovation as a key source of future growth as well as developing their talent strategy to help them identify the right people from the start, bringing them into the business and developing them and in turn the company, as they progress. It is the way in which Merlin Car Auctions were able to put a mirror to the company and identify these key areas to prioritise that made them stand out and allow them develop a crucial advantage in developing and growing their company in a sustainable way.”

This is the third award that Merlin has received in recent months. The company received the Innovation of the Year award at the Irish Motor Industry Awards in November. This was for the introduction of the Merlin Live Online facility to their website which has revolutionised auctioneering by allowing interested parties to log on from anywhere and partake in the auction taking place in Naas or Kylemore.

David Byrne

Merlin Car Auctions Managing Director, David Byrne said, “We are delighted to have received this prestigious award. We have been working hard to keep our company operating at the highest standards for our customers at all times. We continue to push the boundaries of innovation. Just last week we held our first exclusively online auction which was a fantastic success. Our objective for our online sales is to extend our service to reach more people and make buying a car online a simple and convenient purchase.”

He went on to say, “The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards programme is unique in that it recognises the efforts of the entire company, not just one individual. Our success has been achieved through the hard work of our team over the past few years to deliver an exceptional service to our customers.”

Deloitte’s Ronan Nolan, who acted as Merlin’s mentor in preparation for the awards commented, “I was most impressed with Merlin’s management style from our very first meeting with David Byrne and his colleagues. They demonstrated a very clear approach to planning and communication, and in particular have a great ability to adapt to challenging business conditions. I believe they are very worthy winners of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Award.”

Related posts:

1. Audi R8 to Go Under the Hammer
2. Motorcheck.ie Shortlisted at 2010 Blog Awards
3. The Future of Electric Motoring in Ireland…

His email to Motorcheck.ie serves as a timely reminder to us all about just how quickly something like this can occur.

The Car is an Audi A4 registered 05D88450 in the colour ‘Dolphin Grey’. It has-line badges to front, rear passenger doors and back under TDi badge (added after the pictures shown). Any assistance in tracking down the car would be most appreciated.

Hi Motorcheck,

Can you help me please?

My Audi A4 was stolen from my driveway the morning of the 19th @ 7.55am in Tyrrelstown Dublin 15.

I was putting clothes and bags in the car for my 2 sons and went to get the baby from my wife to put him in the car. I came out to see a stranger in the car (it took about 10 seconds to realise that there was someone actually in my car). As far as I remembered I had the keys in my pocket but they must have fell out.

Stolen Car - 05D88450

I have a 12 year old son who has been traumatised from this and is currently staying with my mother and father and refuses to come home. I can’t help thinking about what might have happened had the baby been in the car when this happened. I have been living trouble-free in Tyrrelstown for 7 years. There is a sense of a great community spirit here and I would like to thank all of the neighbours from the Tyrrelstown forum for all their help and kind gestures.

Not only did I lose my car but I’ve had to have my house locks changed as well as the locks in my wife’s car (her spare key was on my keys). Baby’s bags, car seat, my eldest sons school bag with all his books in it, baby’s buggy, driving license, etc. all lost.

Would you mind adding my car to your stolen car database? It may be offered for sale to someone using Motorcheck.ie.

Stolen Car - 05D88450

The Chassis No is: WAUZZZ8EX6A######

It has 2 built in 10″ DVD monitor headrests and an iPhone connect cable mounted in black.

Related posts:

1. Stolen Irish Cars disguised as UK Cars
2. The Real Risks of Buying A Stolen Car
3. Stolen Cars Seized in Balbriggan as part of Garda Operation

Whilst the industry is understandably encouraged by the success of the scrappage scheme other commentators point out that the Government’s tax return might not be as good as it could have been.

Paddy Comyn - CompleteCar.ie

Incredible Value

Speaking about the scheme, Alan Nolan, Director General of SIMI says, “With close to 17,500 scrappage cars sold last year, the Government Scheme provided the Industry with a real boost which saw overall business increase by over 50%. Ending the year with car sales up 55% on 2009, there is no doubt that this was directly due to the stimulus provided by the Scrappage Scheme.

With the continuation of the scheme for the first six months of this year SIMI predicts that a further 10,000 cars are likely to be sold under the Scheme. “It will again, offer customers incredible value and will deliver significant additional revenues for the Exchequer. Last year, Scrappage Scheme cars alone generated €57m for the Government.” said Mr. Nolan. “Although it is very early days to be drawing any conclusions, so far this year, footfall in showrooms has been strong, again largely due to the Scrappage Scheme, and this bodes well for the year ahead.”

Tax Take to Decline

However Paddy Comyn at CompleteCar.ie points out that it’s not all about the revenue generated day one. The ongoing returns from Road tax will continue to drop as more and more buyers opt for vehicles in band A and B, the cheapest bands for annual road tax. “In 2010 the Government gained an extra 17.5 per cent on VAT and VRT on new cars, but this is after a horrific time in 2009 when there was an 85 per cent collapse in VRT receipts in January of that year compared with January 2008. The other difficulty is that imports have more or less dried up and as a result, the government has actually lost significant amounts on this too.”

Listed below are the latest statistics for purchases under the Scrappage Scheme

Related posts:

1. Car Sales Slowdown after Scrappage Boost
2. Scrappage Scheme Costing Dealers Millions
3. Essential Guide To Car Scrappage Scheme: Is your car fit for ‘Scrap’?

Not only does he manage to write and film content for his own website, he’s a prolific ‘tweeter‘ (@smokerspack – 2,269 tweets last time I checked) and contributes regularly to online motoring forums. All that and now I hear he’s writing for men’s website Joe.ie as well!

Bob dropped into Motorcheck recently to tell us about his website and why he believes his own personal style is winning over Irish motoring enthusiasts.

Related posts:

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2. Motoring Show Revs up on TV3
3. Motorcheck.ie Calls For National Recall Database

Once the habit of a small minority of black market sellers armed with a cordless drill and a certain amount of ‘DIY know-how’, the introduction of sophisticated software that can tap into a cars on-board computer and change the mileage reading has made ‘Mileage Correction’ a readily available ‘Service’.

Motorcheck was the first to establish a national mileage register for Ireland and since its inception we have seen a steady rise in the detection of clocked cars. It’s still too early to determine if this is because clocking is on the increase or simply a result of an improving detection rate as the database grows.

Stronger Deterrent Required

One of the major problems facing the industry is the lack of a suitable deterrent for would-be ‘Car Clockers’. The only organisation willing to investigate claims in an official capacity is the National Consumer Agency and even in an ‘Air tight’ case the outcome was a lenient ’formal undertaking’ that the Chief Executive hoped would “help send a clear message to other dealers that they cannot mislead consumers by selling clocked cars and expect to get away with it”.

Motorcheck.ie experiences increase in clocking

This was back in 2008 and judging by the evidence we encounter at Motorcheck, the undertaking never had the desired effect. However it looks as if some members of the judiciary have decided to adopt a significantly harder line on car clockers.

Yesterdays Irish Independent reported that one upmarket car dealer was jailed for a year for ‘clocking’ cars imported from the UK. Hopefully this is the start of a tough stance on the illicit practise that will make anyone selling a car think twice before interfering with its odometer.

Dealer Jailed for One Year

Aoife Nic Ardghail reported that Jeffrey Beere sold three cars for around €20,000 each between June and November 2008 through advertising on car sales websites.

Beere (28) of Monkstown Mews, Newtown Park, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to falsely altering the odometers of an Audi TT, Volkswagon Golf and Audi A4 in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, on dates between June and November 2008.

The dealer has eight previous convictions for minor road traffic matters.

Detective Garda Will Saunderson revealed that Beere sold an Audi TT which showed 50,000 miles on the clock when it was later discovered to have been sold to a UK car trader with a reading of 76,893 miles the previous year.

Det Gda Saunderson told the prosecution that Beere sold a Volkswagon Golf for €20,000 to another buyer with 28,000 miles on the clock when it should have had a reading of more than 60,000 miles.

He said this buyer rang Beere over forty times but got no answer when his car experienced mechanical problems.

Judge Delahunt accepted Beere’s early guilty plea.

Related posts:

1. Car Clocking Costs Irish Consumers Up To €40 Million
2. Motorcheck.ie Highlights Car Clocking on RTE News
3. Car Clocking Grips Northern Ireland

J. Donohoe in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford have supplied our leasing business with a number of cars this year and I jumped on the opportunity to drop in for a chat with Tommy Davitt, General Sales Manager of the BMW division.

Over coffee, Tommy and I chatted about what car he thought would be the most popular seller in 2011, his experiences with recent changes to the payment of VRT and how the electric revolution was going to take over Enniscorthy in years to come (maybe).

Afterwards Tommy gave me a sneak preview of the new Mini Countryman and the 5 Series Touring but more about those later. For those of you thinking of ordering a new 5 series, Tommy would be delighted to answer any questions you may have. You can reach him at 087-8201710.

Further information on the dealership available at www.jdonohoebmw.ie.

Related posts:

1. Mini Countryman Now Available in Ireland
2. Car Dealer Jailed For Clocking Cars
3. Renault Dealers On Top With 286 Sales Per Dealer

Many consumers recognise the value in purchasing used cars, in particular 2 to 3 year old cars that have depreciated on average by 25-35%. The 2 to 3 year old used car has been a popular purchase with consumers over the past 10 years and has offered great value and there has been significant choice.

However, with a 3 year old car market that is expected to drop by 58%, the consumer will have much less choice and prices may rise. Consumers will no longer have their pick of vehicles that are 2 to 3 years old, in terms of volume and in terms of type and specification.

With a strong move towards lower emission vehicles in new car sales, in 2012 the customer will have less choice of specialist vehicles such as 4×4’s, estates, petrol cars etc.

Higher Prices

As we all know, supply and demand greatly effect the price, so if the used car market available is 58% lower, inevitably this will lead to higher prices for certain vehicles. Traditionally the used car consumers traditionally has a large choice of used cars of the same age and spec.

Lower volumes will reduce their choice significantly along with their ability to bargain, as there will be higher demand for the cars available.

The anticipated Aftersales market changes will also affect consumers. If consumers continue the trend of having the older cars, over 3 years old, serviced outside of the franchised main dealers they may run into some of the following problems:

• Lower number and less choice of authorised franchised workshops
• They will miss out on specialist knowledge only available in these workshops
• A saving of €10 or €15 euro on a service bill with a “Fred in the Shed” workshop may prove to be penny wise and Euro foolish! As only the approved workshops have the expertise and specialist training to maintain modern vehicles
• Greater use of Safety technology in modern cars requires greater investment in workshop equipment to ensure these safety items continue to operate.
• Only franchised workshops are audited and guaranteed to operate to high standards with the correct equipment.
• Using non-authorised repairers will lead to lower resale values

Given the current property and banking crisis, we all know, making the right decisions greatly affects our future.

Choices & Decisions

The Motor Industry needs to make the right choices now to ensure they change the business model for their aftersales business to ensure they attract in the older vehicles. Choices need to be made in terms of the price and service offering to consumers. Many Industry leaders have already begun to address this issue and are beginning to see the benefits.

The Government need to make the right decisions now to ensure they maintain and improve their fiscal position and deliver a fair and equitable trading environment for the consumer and the Motor Industry.

The 3 simple steps mentioned previously can be implemented in the 2010 budget, these decisions are fair and they should not be political. If they are serious about the economy, the consumer, jobs and the environment these are 3 simple steps to help achieve their goals.

Related posts:

1. Industry Crisis – What Can Government Do To Help?
2. 2012 – A Disaster Pending for the Industry?
3. Car Clocking Costs Irish Consumers Up To €40 Million

From their renewal date in 2011, all taxi and hackney licences (irrespective of when they were first issued) may be granted only to vehicles that are less than nine years old.

This means that a significant number of taxis currently operating on Irish roads will no longer be able to do so when the new regulations come into force in January 2011. We’re still awaiting confirmation from the regulator on the number of vehicles that this new rule will effect but data to hand shows that up to 10,000 cars could be forced to retire from active duty.

Destined for the private market?

It is expected that many of these cars will be disposed of in the private market meaning buyers should be extra vigilant when appraising cars with a 2001 registration or older.

Thankfully, Motorcheck can tell you if a registration number was EVER used as a Taxi, Hackney or Limousine. If you have the registration number you’d like to check just enter in in the box below.

Disabled expected to travel in older vehicles

They point out that “The disabled are expected to travel in vehicles over nine years old which, if they were other than wheelchair accessible would automatically be deemed unfit for use due to age while existing operators of standard taxis over nine years old regardless of condition must replace their vehicles.

Wheelchair Accessible Taxis Exempt from 9 Year Rule

Wheelchair accessible taxis also operate as multi passenger vehicles (up to eight passengers) when not transporting a wheelchair user, a standard taxi service for more than four passengers so, why the disparity?”

The current Wheelchair Accessible fleet will have to meet standards set out for passenger car M1 certification from 2012 but will remain exempt from the nine-year rule. Once M1 certified these vehicles must simply continue to undergo and pass the National Car Test (NCT) and Société Générale de Surveillance Ireland Ltd (SGS) visual assessment on a yearly basis to remain in service.

Standard taxis of comparable age and condition must be taken out of service as taxis but these vehicles may be resold as family cars.

Related posts:

1. SIMI Addresses Market Failings? New Used Car Website – beepbeep.ie
2. GE to Order ‘Tens of Thousands’ of Electric Vehicles
3. BOSI Motor Finance to Withdraw from Irish Market

With the recent dramatic changes in New Car Sales volumes, we need to identify what impact this will have on the industry in the future. When sales volumes drop by 71% in as little as 24 months this will have serious short term impact. Whilst we have all seen the short term impact on the Motor Industry in terms of business closures, job losses and cost cutting, I believe we have as hard a storm to weather in 2012.

This pending storm will have consequences for the Industry, Government and the consumer. In this post I’d like to look at the consequences for the Irish Motor Industry in particular.

The Industry Challenge

To explain this scenario, let me give you some information on how the motor trade has performed traditionally. On average, 75% of the vehicles maintained in franchised main dealers are approx 3 years old or less. So obviously the newer vehicles up to 3 years old is a crucial market for aftersales in franchised main dealers. Effectively this is the pond the industry fishes in every year for aftersales business for service, maintenance and parts.

Up to now this has been a great model, as new car sales reached new records each year, the 3 year old pond just seemed to get bigger and bigger.
Just look at the size of the 3 year old vehicle market during 2009. This includes all sales from 2008, 2007 & 2006, a total of 567,291 units.

Broken Model

However, this model is broken and it’s not going to work in the future. If we skip forward to 2012 and see how this market looks, we will see the pond the industry fishes in will have reduced by 58%. The new car sales volumes expected for 2009, 2010 and 2011 is approximately 240,000 units. If we keep the same model, how can we expect to feed the same overheads on a market that is 327,000 units less than we expect?

Quite simply, the Industry will not survive unless the business model changes and this means attracting larger numbers of vehicles older than 3 years old into the workshops. This is no easy achievement as a number of factors including price conscious customers, price perceptions and poor service are going against the Industry.

Rewards

However, the potential reward for the Industry is significant. If the model can change and the fishing pond is expanded to capture vehicles up to 6 years old, the potential market size will rise from 240,000 units to 807,000 units.

Given the unlikely return of the sales volumes from the Celtic Tiger, this is a challenge the industry must meet and address and it will be crucial to the survival of many businesses and thousands of jobs.

Increased Service Levels

Change will be difficult and it will mean ensuring consumers are offered superb service at a reasonable price with exceptional convenience. Some market leaders have already begun to address this issue with lower labour rates, reduced parts prices and special campaigns for older vehicles.

For the dealers and distributors that address this issue immediately they are creating a much improved trading environment for 2012 and beyond.

Related posts:

1. Industry Crisis – What Can Government Do To Help?
2. The Consumers Challenge
3. Two More Main Dealers Forced to Close

The graph below makes grim viewing for anyone involved in the sale of new cars as it reminds us of the dramatic fall that occurred in 2009 where the previous years total of 148,669 new cars registered fell to a new low of 55,578.

This created an unprecedented drop of 63% and led to thousands of jobs being lost in a sector that has been slow to recover.

New car sales in Ireland

However the motor industry relies on more than new car sales to survive. Servicing the national fleet of 1.9 million cars with Used Car Sales, Repair & Maintenance Services and Parts Retailing are all important areas of a successful dealership and are directly linked to new car sales as the embryo for our national fleet.

What does this mean for our used car market?

The 63% fall in car sales in 2009  is only now beginning to show its effects in the used car market. Small numbers of new cars being registered means small numbers of used cars entering the market as part exchanges which in turn contributes to a knock-on effect for the supply of used cars for years afterwards.

Our UK neighbours are experiencing similar problems and a recovery in sterling against the euro has hampered our ability to jump across the water and simply import the required quota.

All this points to an increased demand for quality used cars.

Benefits for Buyers and Sellers

This means that Irish sellers can expect to see;

• an increase in the amounts being offered as ‘Part Exchange’ against a new car purchase
• more and more activity amongst used car dealers offering ‘Cash for Cars’ (try this google search)
• a premium being offered for band A or B cars in the dealer and private market.

Unfortunately for buyers this will mean;

• greater difficulty in hunting down a bargain
• a rise in the number of used car scams as criminals attempt to cash in on buyers desperate to find the right car

Your Experiences

If you’re currently selling a used car privately or considering a part exchange against a new car we’d be delighted to hear about your experiences.

If you’ve been approached by a dealer offering you close to your asking price or you sold your car quicker than you expected feel free to tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Related posts:

1. Budget 2010 – Scrappage Scheme, Should YOU buy?
2. Mooney’s Have Cash Waiting for Your Car
3. New Car Registrations Rise 90%

Bring your VISA card and you might even bag an Audi R8 at a bargain basement price! Sold new with a price tag in excess of 200,000 Euro, the people in the know at Merlin expect the car to fetch between 90 and 100,000 – a steal!

Even in the heady days of the Celtic Tiger the R8 remained an aspirational car. There were 18 registered in 2008, 0 in 2009 and 1 in 2010 (a demo car that I had the privilege of driving earlier this year) and with none registered as UK imports in the last three years it looks like the R8 was destined to be a UK footballer / popstar’s badge of honour (Cheryl Cole sold hers recently).

Merlin have run 5 ‘Prestige’ car auctions so far this year. Some of the more flamboyant cars to be sold included 2 Aston Martin DB9’s, a Bentley Continental, a Ferrari S430, numerous Range Rover’s and a plethora of Porsche 911’s.

Who’s Selling?

Most of the high-end cars are sold on behalf of finance houses (the cars are either returned voluntarily to the bank for disposal by the owner or in the case of a loan that’s gone into

David Byrne

default they may be repossessed) but a small number of car traders will also submit a car or two when there’s a high profile auction like the one coming up this week.

Either way any finance outstanding on the car will be removed once it’s sold at auction leaving the successful bidder with a bargain and the previous owner with a bill for the difference.

Who’s Buying?

According to David Byrne, MD at Merlin Car Auctions, the type of individual buying the prestige car is someone with a passion for the exotic and a bargain in equal measure.

However the Audi R8 is a special car and he hinted that there may be more than one famous face in the crowd on Wednesday night.

The complete range to be auctioned is available to see at http://www.merlincarauctions.ie/prestige but if you’re thinking of making a bid be sure to bring a 500 Euro bidding deposit (yes – it’s refundable) with you.

Bear in mind the road tax on the R8 is over 2,000 Euro per annum but if you’re going to drive an R8 I think it’s fair to say that this would be the least of your concerns.

Auction Catalogue

Results

Listed below are some of the results of this evenings auction.

07 E200 – 17.2K
06 CLS 250 – 22K
06 350 – 23.5K
08 CL500 – 71K
08 S500 – 47K
07 S320 – 37.5K
05 A4 CABRIO – 13.1K
08 A6 2.0TDI – 23.5K
08 R8 – 76K
04 520I – 7.3K
07 520d – 17.1K
04 X5 – 11k
90 911 – 10.4
03 CAYENNE – 7.4K
06 TOUAREG COMM – 9.4K
07 GTI DSG – 14.4K

Related posts:

1. Merlin Car Auctions is Ireland’s Best Managed Company
2. Does Cheryl’s Audi R8 have the X-Factor?
3. Need something with a bit of extra legroom?

Identifying a ‘lemon’ from a genuinely reliable car is something even the professionals can make mistakes with and they appraise trade-ins every day of the week.

When you consider that buying a used car is something the average person does once every three years, it’s not surprising that thousands of us make costly mistakes every year when choosing a ‘newsed’ set of wheels.

One person who knows more than most about spotting a lemon is PJ McKenna. PJ is one of Ireland’s largest wholesaler and underwriter of used cars,4×4’s and LCV’s and has handled 10’s of thousands of vechicles in his 36 years of buying and selling all sorts.

When it comes to spotting a bargain he’s the best in the business, so if you’re thinking of braving the classified listings in search of a bargain at home or abroad, here are some tips from PJ’s Golden Rules.  Advice he gives car salespersons under the mantra ”Better appraisals = Better profit”.

Take Your Time

Schedule your appointment with enough time to cater for the car you’re inspecting.

Remember that a VW Golf 1.4 is a lot easier to appraise than a Subaru Impreza 2.0 STI, so if you’re talking to the seller prior to setting up an appointment, ask them to allow enough time for you to go through the vehicle properly.

It never pays to rush an inspection and could cost you dearly further down the line.

While we’re on the subject of ‘time keeping’ it can be useful to avoid needing a second viewing of the car. If it’s a genuine bargain it will probably be snapped up so ask the seller in advance to bring all the relevant documentation, VLC, VRC, service history, handbooks etc. so you have everything you need on site later.

PJ’s Tips

Bring someone with experience

If you are not technically proficient, get someone who is to help you, preferably someone with mechanical or bodywork experience.

See Everything (before you part with your hard earned money)

Never examine a car if it is dirty, while it is raining, still wet, or in bad light.

Take Notes

Try to use a professional appraisal form. It’s a useful record of any damage when your totting up sums later.

Test Drive the Car

It may sound obvious but be sure to test-drive the vehicle. Check the vehicle on full lock for velocity joint and steering/suspension problems. Take the seller with you. They will be impressed if you adopt a thorough method of appraisal and treat any subsequent offer you make seriously.

If for whatever reason you cannot test drive the vehicle, start the car, leave it running, after a few minutes “rev” the engine to 3000-3500 rpm check for excess smoke from exhaust or abnormal sounds from the engine. If in doubt revert to Golden Rule 1.

Double Check Documentation

Establish the exact model e.g. is it an L, a Freedom, an LX or a Ghia? Do not take the sellers word – check the documentation and compare it against a Motorcheck report. Establish how many owners the vehicle has had (again double-check the documentation)

Check the Bodywork

Slowly walk around the car, several times if necessary, taking note of paintwork abnormalities, panel alignment and gaps. Look down both sides of the vehicle, on your hunkers, to get a better view of shopping trolley type marks/dents “dings” as we call them in the trade.

These types of marks are very difficult to repair and if there are several can result in the car not being “sharp” and difficult to sell on.

Under the Bonnet

Open the bonnet! You don’t need to be an expert to visually check for oil leaks, service stickers, timing-belt replacement markings. Cross check anything you find with the service book.

Inspect bonnet-mounting bolts and wing mounting bolts to see if have they been tampered with. Check side valances, headlamp mountings etc. for any abnormality. If in doubt, revert back to Golden Rule 1.

Check the Roof

Check the roof of the vehicle. If someone has walked across the roof, for example, it is almost impossible to repair properly, bar putting on a new roof-skin, which is hugely expensive or filling with ‘Isopon’. Both options depreciate the vehicle and most likely excluding it from retail sale. Maybe this is why it’s being sold privately????

Inside the Car

Sit inside car, check steering wheel for wear (shininess), drivers floor mat and pedal rubbers for excess wear, always a good indicator of a “high miler”.

Check cigarette lighter, has it been used?? If the car has never been smoked in, that’s a bonus. Check the roof cloth, interior trims for wear and tear, cigarette burns etc. Open the boot, lift boot mat and check for any abnormalities.

Is it an Irish Car?

If the car is an import, be extra vigilant. Double-check all of the above. Check the chassis no. (VIN) if it begins with SABTVRO it means the vehicle was previously registered in Great Britain on a “Q” plate, which means the authorities cannot verify its origin.

Spare key?? Make sure they have it or deduct accordingly. Replacing a key can cost anything up to €250.

Pay Attention to Detail

Always pay attention to number plate surrounds, rear window stickers, tax holder stickers, key rings, if they all match and are from a reputable dealer, good. “She came from a good stable”

Ask Questions

Always ask the seller if the car has had any bodywork or paintwork? There is a big difference. Ask what was the cost of any repair? Ask to see receipts.

Don’t be embarrassed to ask! Be warned if the vehicle was damaged, you are entering a minefield. Has it had light damage and was badly repaired?

Worse still, has it had major body damage and been expertly repaired.? Vehicles having had repair suffer from depreciation to some extent.

Check it’s history

Last but not least – don’t regret it, Motorcheck it! You never know what secrets the car may be hiding and getting a Motorcheck report is a great way of verifying its previous history.

Related posts:

1. The Real Risks of Buying A Stolen Car
2. Do We Put Too Much Faith in Tipp-Ex?
3. Stolen Cars Seized in Balbriggan as part of Garda Operation

The company has brought cult brands like Harley-Davidson and MINI on board for a cooperation called sponsored motifs. There are loads of real-life examples on the company website.

Worringly, the company also offers a ‘personal motif’ service. If you send them a picture of your family or a holiday snapshot they’ll turn it into a customised photo tarpaulin for your garage door.

No doubt the media moguls amongst you will be thinking up all kinds of uses but here are a couple of our favourites from the site.

Harley Davidson Road King

Speed Boat

Pit Stop

Mini John Cooper Works

Dumper Truck

To view all the vehicles click here. Have you got an interesting idea for a garage door? Let us know below.

Related posts:

1. Troublesome Oil Leak Failed the NCT Test
2. Do We Put Too Much Faith in Tipp-Ex?
3. Mini Countryman Now Available in Ireland

The ECC has said that the threat of cloned cars being sold in Ireland was significantly increased following the theft in 2006 of blank registration documents from the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea. A recent investigation by the BBC showed that vehicles worth £13m have been stolen as a result of the loss of thousands of blank DVLA log books.

Just how many cloned cars have made it onto Irish roads is unclear but possession of blank registration documents has allowed fraudsters to copy the genuine vehicles log book which makes the cloning much more difficult to detect.

Buyer Beware!

A recent TV programme looks at the problem of cloned vehicles on Irish roads.

ECC Ireland

According to Caroline Curneen, PR and Marketing Manager of ECC Ireland,

“This is a scam which may affect Irish consumers as they increasingly are choosing to shop cross border for larger items such as cars with many consumers discovering that it is often cheaper to buy a car in the UK and register it in Ireland.

A consumer may only discover that they have purchased a cloned car when they are issued a parking fine or speeding ticket. If you buy a stolen car, you risk losing the vehicle and your money even though you bought the car in good faith so it is imperative that consumers carry out comprehensive checks on any vehicle before purchase”.

You can perform an instant check on any vehicle registered on Irish, Northern Irish or UK roads by entering its registration number in the box now:

Motorcheck automatically includes the UK history with every imported vehicle so you don’t have to be concerned with finding its previous registration numbers.

Top Tips for Identifying a Cloned Car

The following tips have been complied by the ECC and will assist you in determining whether or not the car you’re looking at could be a clone.

• There are three main ways to spot a clone – check the log book, inspect the car and identify the VIN (vehicle identity number).

• Check the vehicle registration document (V5C). Buyers should not proceed with the sale until this document has been produced and they have examined it carefully. Look out for any obvious spelling mistakes. The registration document should have a watermark, the number plate should be clearly listed, the VIN and engine numbers matching those of the car should be listed as should the name and address of the seller. There should be no spelling mistakes or alterations. You can check the validity of the logbook by calling the DVLA.

• Check the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) plates for signs of tampering. A VIN is a car’s unique identity number. They are usually located in several places, under the bonnet, under the driver’s seat and on the chassis.
  

  Car Thief

  Some cars have the VIN etched into the glass on a window or sunroof so check to see if there are signs that the VIN number has been scratched off or that stickers are not concealing a VIN number. Make sure that all plates have the same number and look for signs that it may have been removed. When you decide what make and model you are interested in, find out where the vehicle identification number (VIN) is on that vehicle. You will then know where to look and check it’s correct.

• Check that numbers listed on the registration document match the car’s number plate, engine number and VIN. Be certain that the V5 certificate is genuine and hasn’t been changed in any way.

• Be on the lookout for stolen registration certificates. The DVLA has provided a range of serial numbers of known stolen registration certificates on their website. If you find one that is in the range of BG8229501 to BG9999030 or BI2305501 to BI2800000 do not proceed with the sale and contact the police.

• Carry out a vehicle check with a vehicle data-check company. This won’t be able to identify a cloned car, but it will tell you if a vehicle has been recorded stolen, written off, scrapped or has outstanding finance.

Related posts:

1. Stolen Irish Cars disguised as UK Cars
2. Stolen Cars Seized in Balbriggan as part of Garda Operation
3. Stronger Regulation for Written Off Vehicles in Ireland

Just when car sales start to rise another major player in the car finance sector has decided to quit the market.

This is bad news for consumers as a lack of competition in this area will mean higher interest rates, unfavorable loan terms and a ‘cherry picking’ attitude from the remaining operators.

Exiting Today!

The following update came into our offices this evening outlining Bank of Scotland’s plans to exit the motor finance market from today!

Official Statement

“Following a strategic review Bank of Scotland (Ireland) intends to reshape its business to reflect the continuing and very difficult economic environment, and to secure a viable future for the Bank.  As a result, the Bank plans to focus on its established strengths of corporate and commercial banking and is committed to maintaining a strong presence in the Irish market.

As part of this review, the Bank has announced its intention to withdraw from the Motor Finance, Asset Finance and Homeloans businesses in addition to the Halifax retail bank network in the Republic of Ireland.

As a consequence of this decision, the Bank will no longer accept any new business applications from today, the 10th February 2010.  Our online point of sale system will be deactivated with immediate effect.

Existing customers are not affected by this announcement and will continue to have a Bank of Scotland (Ireland) account for the duration of their agreement. Bank of Scotland (Ireland) will continue to operate in Ireland and manage existing asset finance customer accounts.

Bank of Scotland (Ireland) deeply regrets any inconvenience that this may cause and we would like to thank you for your support in the past and for your continued co-operation and assistance during this difficult period.”

Related posts:

1. Are Dealers Still A Credible Source For Car Finance?
2. Thousands of Ex-Taxis to Flood Used Car Market
3. Scam Warning for Irish Motor Trade

Motorcheck.ie has identified gaps in the current methodology which could lead to thousands of cars operating on Irish roads without notification of urgent repairs called for by the manufacturer.

Mr. Teskey has called for the establishment of one central database where each manufacturer would record details of past, current and future recall campaigns. A similar system operated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the UK (VOSA) carries details in excess of 5 thousand separate recalls, many of which could have been relevant for Irish drivers.

“The present system which relies mostly on written correspondence from the manufacturer to the registered owner is flawed and liable to leave thousands of affected car owners uninformed about the urgent repairs required” he said.

European legislation requires that vehicle recalls are administered by the most competent authority in the state. In Ireland this duty falls to the Department of Transport that manages the National Vehicle and Driver File.

When a ‘Recall Campaign’ is deemed necessary, the Department provides the manufacturer with the recorded names and addresses for the present registered owners who are subsequently informed by writing of the remedial action required.

There are many reasons why this important information may never reach the current keeper.

• The owners current address may be different to that recorded on the government database
• The registered owner may not be the actual user of the car
• Title to the vehicle may have recently changed hands and the change of ownership not yet been processed
• The vehicle may have been privately imported and subsequently overlooked by the local distributor carrying out the recall

Usually, details of a recall campaign are communicated in writing to the registered owner and direct to the local franchised dealer tasked with carrying out the repair on behalf of the manufacturer. This way, important repairs are often carried out along with the normal servicing. However, In the current economic climate many consumers choose to have their cars serviced by non-franchise operators who may not have access to the manufacturers diagnostic equipment or internal communications. If the mechanic working on the vehicle doesn’t have the information, the repair could go undetected and cause serious trouble further down the line.

“The recent publicity surrounding recalls currently in operation with Toyota, Honda and Peugeot have drawn attention to a problematic area that requires immediate attention” says Teskey. “At Motorcheck we take matters of road safety and vehicle maintenance very seriously. Rather than wait for government to draft legislation on this we have decided to release our own National Recall Database. Adopting ‘best practice’ from the UK it will be hosted online at www.motorcheck.ie/blog/recalls and be completely free to use for both industry operators and concerned members of the public”.

Related posts:

1. Car Recalls – Just How Common Are They?
2. Are the Upcoming Changes to the NCT Really Necessary?
3. Do You Want Free Motorcheck Reports?

Toyota has recalled over 18,000 models in Ireland with estimates of over 7 million cars to be recalled globally. Honda has recalled 3,000 cars in Ireland (646,000 globally) and Peugeot recently announced a recall of 100,000 models over safety concerns similar to that of Toyota.

European legislation requires that manufacturer recalls are dealt with by the most competent authority in the relevant jurisdiction. In Ireland this duty falls to the Department of Transport who manage the National Vehicle and Driver File. When a ‘Recall Campaign’ is deemed necessary, the Department sends the manufacturer the relevant names and addresses for the current owner who are duly contacted (usually by written letter) and informed of the remedial action required.

Just How Common Are Vehicle ‘Recalls’?

High Number of Vehicles Recalled in 2009

The number of recalls processed by the Department of Transport in 2009 where the manufacturer deemed it necessary to write directly to the registered owner to advise a particular course of action is as yet unconfirmed but it’s expected to be a significant amount (greater than 100k).

The number of cases where repairs to your car are required but are not serious enough to require a ‘Recall Campaign’ is significantly greater. Normally these repairs are identified when your car is being serviced and completed as a matter of routine but what happens if you don’t get your car serviced at a main dealer?

It’s important to realise that the technician working on the car will rely on the manufacturer approved diagnostic equipment or an internal communication to alert the presence of a manufacturer recommended repair. If your technician doesn’t have the correct diagnostic equipment or access to the communication, the repair could go undetected and cause greater trouble further down the line.

This is why it’s always a good idea to make sure that your chosen garage has the correct equipment to perform the necessary work on your car.

Are Details Of Recall Campaigns Available To The Public?

Motorcheck calls for Recall Database

Unfortunately details of individual vehicles affected by recall campaigns are not currently publicly available in Ireland. This can present a problem for individuals who fear that their vehicle may have been involved in a recall but for one reason or another weren’t informed.

Moving home, having recently purchased your car or importing a car from another country can all be reasons for a recall notice not reaching 100% of the affected vehicles.

At Motorcheck we presently rely on information collated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the UK. This executive agency for the UK Department of Transport government provides details for every recall free of charge in the UK directly from its website.

We are in the process of contacting after-sales managers at each Irish distributor in an effort to establish a similarly dedicated database for Irish drivers. To stay informed on our progress you can follow us on twitter or visit the blog where we’ll be recording developments.

Related posts:

1. Motorcheck.ie Calls For National Recall Database
2. Are the Upcoming Changes to the NCT Really Necessary?
3. New Car Registrations Rise 90%

VRT Calculator

The Revenue Commissioners introduced its online VRT calculator a number of years ago to determine the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) and VRT for any car or motorcycle being imported to Ireland. The service meant that anyone could shop for a car in the UK and calculate the taxes due without leaving their computer.

At Motorcheck we are constantly looking for new ways to improve the quality of automotive data available to our customers, so it was with great enthusiasm that we embarked on a project to improve and enhance the way VRT Calculations are sourced on the web.

Saving You Time

Having looked at the Revenue calculator we realised that Motorcheck could automatically populate the majority of information required directly from the registration number.

Our UK vehicle database is the best of its kind and by harnessing the power of the registration number we were able to bypass all of the manual form-filling required by the Revenue.ie website.

Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator

Now instead of spending 5 minutes entering 14 different fields of information at Revenue.ie (which you may or may not have to hand), you can use the Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator.

Simply enter a registration number and odometer reading and Motorcheck.ie will do all the work for you. It’s absolutely free of charge and it takes less than 10 seconds to get your VRT figure.

Not only that but you can also get a full UK history on the car you’re thinking of importing from Motorcheck with one click!

Delivering Accurate Results

VRT Calculations in 10 Seconds!

The VRT estimate provided by the Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator carries the same disclaimer as the Revenue.ie service.

A different amount may be payable if the Open Market Selling Price has changed and/or if a different rate of CO2 emissions is applicable and additional VRT may be payable if the vehicle is fitted with chargeable enhancements/accessories.

What Is VRT?

VRT or “Vehicle Registration Tax” is chargeable on registration of a motor vehicle in the Republic of Ireland. Every motor vehicle in the State, other than those brought in temporarily by visitors, must be registered with the Revenue Commissioners and VRT paid by the end of the next working day following its arrival in the State. A vehicle must be registered before it can be licensed for road tax purposes.

What does the Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator do?

The Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator uses the registration number of a vehicle to determine its Make, Model and Variant as well as its first date of registration and its CO2 emissions. With this information it calculates the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) for VRT purposes and the amount of VRT payable. Please note that some Makes / Models / CO2 Emissions of vehicles are not included.

The types of vehicles that are included are typically:

Category ‘A’ Vehicles
Passenger Vehicles e.g. Saloons, Hatchbacks, MPVs, Jeeps, Coupes, Convertibles etc

Category ‘B’ Vehicles
Car Derived, Jeep Derived Vans, Crewcabs

The types of vehicles that are not included are typically Classic Collectable,  Motor Caravans (Campers), Kit Vehicles and vehicles that require to be assessed on an individual basis.

Category ‘C’ or Commercial Vehicles are not included in the calculator, but VRT is assessed at a flat rate of €50.00 on these types of vehicles.

Would You Like A VRT Calculator On Your Website?

If you would like a customised version of the Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator for your website please contact us at support@motorcheck.ie.

Try out the Motorcheck.ie VRT Calculator now!

Related posts:

1. Motorcheck introduces a ‘new’ New Car Search Engine
2. VRT Calculator
3. Motorcheck Saves Bill Cullen 40,000 Euro.

Have you been to the dealership and filled out all the proposal forms only to be rejected for finance? If so, don’t be overly concerned. 9 times out of 10 it’s not you that’s causing the problem and unfortunately there’s very little the dealer can do to help. Yes, being rejected for finance can be a humiliating experience but it’s one that’s becoming all too regular in Irish showrooms.

No Competition?

The majority of cars sold in Ireland (over 600,000 new and used cars change hands annually) are subject to one or another kind of finance arrangement. It used to be a very lucrative business for banks and retailers alike so why are dealers now reporting an unprecedented rise in the number of applications that are being declined?

With car repossessions on the increase, a shortage of inter-bank lending and a car sales industry in crisis, a number of finance houses have taken the decision to leave the intermediary market altogether. In the last 12 months alone GE Money, Friends First and Lombard Ireland have all left the market with most of the garage business now being underwritten by Permanent TSB or Bank Of Scotland Ireland and to a lesser extent Bank of Ireland and AIB.

A smaller number of operators means that competition for business from dealers has all but dried up. This lack of competition means higher finance rates and a more conservative approach to approving finance for the consumer.

Dealer Finance – Still an option?

In the heady days of the boom most car dealerships would have had a finance manager that could organise finance for you directly from their showroom. A good one would have had a relationship with a number of different banks and been able to source finance on a new car within an hour!

It’s a different story now though. Dedicated finance managers have become something of a rarity. It’s more likely today that the attending sales person will ask you to complete a proposal form before sending it to one (maybe two) banks in the hope that you will be the exception to the rule.

Dealer finance no longer guaranteed

If you are ‘lucky’ enough to be approved for finance bear in mind that the garage will be entitled to make commission on any finance secured on your behalf. In the past, finance commissions were a very important part of the car dealers business.

In some cases a dealer could make more on the sale of car finance than the sale of the actual car but today the focus has shifted firmly onto moving metal – at any cost. Don’t be surprised if the sales person is more excited about your loan approval than you are!

The most common finance product arranged by your garage will be a ‘Consumer Hire Purchase Agreement’. Hire Purchase (HP) is a relatively common way of buying a car but there are some quirks of the agreement that you should be aware of. The main characteristic of HP is that the lender still owns the car until you pay the final instalment on it – up to that point you are only hiring it.

Because a HP Agreement has the car as collateral against the loan it should be in a position to offer a more competitive finance rate than a Personal Loan (PL). You wont know though unless you ask the dealer what the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is.

Hire Purchase – Still popular?

Sourcing finance by Hire Purchase over 60 months with 1 payment in advance used to be relatively straight-forward. Today however, the main lenders are looking for at least 25% of the car’s value in advance as a deposit. And if that wasn’t tough enough – rates have also shot up to over 9% APR.

25% Cash Deposit now required by most banks

So if you’re thinking about buying a car for 25,000 euro you’re going to need 5,000 euro in the form of a cash deposit and be prepared to pay approximately 408 euro per month for 60 months (that’s another 5,000 euro in interest).

If you’re unlucky enough to have a trade in that has more money owing on it than the amount being offered by your dealer in part exchange things can get really difficult. In the past dealers would have had latitude to ‘roll’ any negative equity into the purchase of your new car and finance the final cost of purchase in one agreement.

The reality today is very different. Banks have adopted an extremely conservative approach and will reach their own conclusions on the value of your trade in before agreeing to a new loan.

This means that if you’re carrying any ‘negative equity’ in your current car you will find it very difficult to purchase another under finance without a cash payment that resets the balance in the bank’s favour and removes any residual risk in the approved agreement.

Balloon Payments – Negative Equity!

One method employed by lenders to make the monthly repayments on a HP Agreement as small as possible was to introduce an inflated final payment at the end of the agreement. Commonly referred to as a ‘Balloon Payment’ this had the effect of reducing your monthly repayments but it meant that the ‘loan to value ratio’ on your agreement was skewed.

Inflated balloon payments increase negative equity

Calculating ‘balloon payments’ is akin to staring into a crystal ball. Lenders will make a guess as to what the value of the car will be at the end of the finance term and try to make sure that the final payment will be less than the forecasted value.

Common in the early part of the decade, balloon payments have become a big problem for those of us who purchased petrol SUV’s that dived in value after the introduction of CO2 linked VRT and road tax.

When somebody decides that they can’t or won’t continue with the repayments on a car that’s not worth the finance owed, the bank is forced to repossess the car or accept its return under the terms of a ‘voluntary surrender’. Usually these cars are sold by auction and the bank continues to seek payment for settlement on the loan from the customer.

The number of cars being repossessed under these conditions has risen dramatically during the economic downturn. Consequently lenders are not entertaining any large balloon payments in any finance agreements being put together today.

Manufacturer Finance – Competitive rates?

All this tightening up means that it’s considerably more difficult for garages to ‘move metal’. In response some of the bigger manufactures have opened finance companies to cater for customers who wish to purchase their product.

Volkswagen for example now offer finance through ‘Volkswagen Bank GmbH Branch Ireland’. Currently advertising a hire purchase APR of 6.75% they still require a deposit of 25% but one would expect the approval level to better from a VW bank lending for VW products.

Other options

Other common methods of sourcing finance for a car include the ‘Personal Loan’ (PL). The APR (Annual Percentage Rate) on a PL is usually higher than that of HP but the finance is not secured against the car which means you own it outright from day one. PL’s tend to be more flexible than HP as you have the option of paying off a PL earlier than anticipated, whereas HP is operated over a fixed term.

PL’s cannot be supplied by the car dealership. You should contact your own bank or credit union directly to enquire about terms and rates.

Related posts:

1. BOSI Motor Finance to Withdraw from Irish Market
2. Settling Early on a Hire Purchase Agreement
3. Court Rules on Side of Consumer Against GE Money

Bargain?

Whilst all eyes are on the 2007 Jaguar XK Coupe (view it’s Motorcheck report here), there are a number of 08 registered Volvo S80’s and Hyundai Santa Fe’s that could be worth taking a look at.

If you’re in the market for a new car and fancy putting your bidding skills to the test, why not pop out to EP Mooney, Concorde Industrial Estate, Naas Road, Dublin 12, Ireland. Viewing is open from 9am – 5pm Thurs 21 Jan / Fri 22 Jan and from 8am Sat 23 Jan 2010.

Auction Catalogue

Related posts:

1. Meet Qashqai’s Little Brother
2. Motorcheck & Jato Dynamics Join Forces
3. Strong Start for New Car Registrations?

Expanding Niche

The number of websites offering sellers (private and dealer) advertising services is growing continually. Only last week BuyAndSell.ie launched a new cars portal, and sites like donedeal.ie and gumtree.ie are chock full of advertisements, and the classified ads segment seems to be expanding daily with new entrants like BenDunne.com ready to slash prices to grab market share. So will beepbeep.ie be able to survive in such a competitive space?

Industry frustrated with ‘rogue sellers’

Reading through the site I found this quotation from the warranty information page interesting:

SIMI Quote

Here’s the plain text extract of (my) highlighted text in that image:

As an industry, we have become increasingly frustrated (as we know you have) with the lack of a quality assured used car website for Ireland[...] No more wondering what consumer protection you have as you pick your way though the private and rogue sellers that can appear on other sites.

I’m not sure that it’s fair to put private sellers in the same bracket as ‘rogue sellers’. Granted, when looking for a used car you have very little protection under the law when buying privately but that’s not to say (if you follow certain guidelines) you can’t pick up a great car at a great price.

Increasingly Sophisticated Buyers Armed with Sophisticated Tools

Buyers are much more experienced these days with a growing number insisting on a full Motorcheck report before committing to a purchase. The number of people taking advantage of our full technical inspection continues to grow, and our experience tells us the vast majority of private sellers are completely legitimate.

While it’s great to see the industry doing more to protect the consumer I can’t help but wonder will the new site have what it takes to make an impact with Irish buyers?

Related posts:

1. New FuelCard Website & 2 Special Offers
2. Another Recruitment Site for Motor Industry
3. Thousands of Ex-Taxis to Flood Used Car Market