News

Classic Cars Worth Millions Found On French Farm

We recently told you about a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS that was found buried in the front garden of a property in Los Angeles. Well, now we hear that 60 classic cars have been found in various outbuildings on farmland in the west of France.

Apparently, they have been there for around 50 years having been purchased by entrepreneur Roger Baillon over a lengthy period thought to be between the early 1950’s and late 1970’s. He passed away 10 years ago and left them to members of his family who, until recently, were not aware of their worth.Multi Classic Car

It was not until the family invited auctioneers to come and look at the cars that it became apparent just how valuable a collection Mr Baillon had put together. Their value is estimated to be in the region of £12 million.

He had intended to restore them and put them on display in a museum but was unable to do this as his business was struggling.

Some of the cars that were kept under newspapers in buildings on the farm are in need of restoration work having suffered with rust. It is believed that there are a number that are beyond repair.French Classic Car

Amongst the varied treasure trove are some real finds in the collection. For instance, there is a Ferrari 250 GT California SWB likely to fetch several million Euros. This car which was one of only 36 ever manufactured was used in the filming of Les Felins back in 1964 and was sat in by no less than Jane Fonda. In fact, Chris Evans, the Radio 2 DJ, owned one reportedly to have paid around £5.5 million for the exquisite sports car. It is estimated that the one found on the French farm could go for about £9.5 million.Classic Ferrari

John Collins who deals in classic Ferraris has been on the lookout for this car for about a year. Only a couple of weeks ago he paid over £500,000 for the number plate “25 0”.

There is a Talbot Lago T26 Cabriolet that at one point was owned by King Farouk of Egypt. He was a great lover of valuable cars.

Another interesting car is the Maserati A6G 200 Berlinetta Grand Sport Frua with only 3 in existence. It is expected to sell for just below £1 million.

The collection is to be auctioned on the 6th February 2015 in Paris by Artcurial Motorcars. So, if you want to bid against Mr Collins for the above Ferrari, why not get yourself across the English Channel on that day.

Christmas Opening Hours

Everyone at Airsports Insurance Bureau would like to wish our client a very merry Christmas and a happy new year and take this opportunity to thank you for your business over the past 12 months.

Our Christmas and New Year opening hours are:

 

Monday 22nd December

Normal Hours

Tuesday 23rd December

Normal Hours

Wednesday 24th December

Open until 12noon

Thursday 25th December

Closed

Friday 26th December

Closed

Saturday 27th December 

Open until 12noon

Monday 29th December

Normal Hours

Tuesday 30th December

Normal Hours

Wednesday 31st December

Normal Hours

Thursday 1st January

Closed

Friday 2nd January

Normal Hours

 

Driverless Cars To Be Tested In The UK

You are probably aware that Google has been testing self-drive cars in the USA for quite some time now so it should not come as a surprise to hear that it will not be long before such vehicles are being road-tested here in the UK. In fact, it has been announced that tests start in four places here in January 2015.

The locations that have been chosen are Milton Keynes, Coventry, Greenwich and Bristol. The projects will vary in length from 18 to 36 months.

The UK Autodrive project is being conducted in Coventry and Milton Keynes. Those taking part include universities, Jaguar Land Rover and Ford. They will be involved in the testing of driverless cars on public roads. They will be looking into the technology that needs to be incorporated into roads etc to help with navigating vehicles. In addition, in Milton Keynes, they will be testing driverless pods in pedestrian areas.Dog Driving Car

The Gateway scheme is taking place in Greenwich and is going to be testing robotic valet parking plus electric shuttle buses that are automated. Those involved include the RAC, AA and General Motors.

The Venture consortium in Bristol will be looking into the insurance implications as well as studying the publics’ views on self-drive cars. They will also test the vehicles in the city looking at safety and congestion implications.

The idea of the projects is to establish how safe these vehicles would be on our roads i.e. will there be less road traffic accidents, help the environment due to reduced carbon emissions, lower congestion levels thus making travelling more efficient, ultimately in the hope that they can be introduced permanently on our roads.

Those looking into the insurance implications will have to consider who is responsible in the event of an accident i.e. is it the manufacturer? Consideration will also be taken of the publics’ views about such vehicles being available to drive on our roads.

Initially, tests will be conducted on roads that have been closed with the Government providing £19 million towards the funding of these projects.

We await the outcome of these tests with great interest.

£500k for a Number Plate!

A personalised number plate has been sold at auction for £518,000 by Swansea based DVLA setting a new British record.

The acquisition of registration “25 O” was sold during the event at The Vale Resort, in Vale of Glamorgan to John Collins, owner of Ferrari dealer Talacrest and smashed it’s reserve price of just £4000.

Berkshire-based Mr Collins commented: “I was just determined to own them, it was a case of how much I was going to pay for the privilege.”DVLA Record Number Plate

Just three hours prior to breaking the British record Mr Collins had paid a staggering £130,320 for the number “250 L” bringing his total spend for the day to £648,320. .
The record was previously held by ‘F 1’, which was sold to businessman Afzal Kahn for £440,625 in 2008.

As you will no doubt expect, both registration numbers will find new homes onto classic Ferraris. ‘25 O’ will sit proudly on a Ferrari 250 SWB that was once owned by music legend Eric Clapton, while ‘250 L’ will be transferred to a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso.

The DVLA has now raised more than £2 billion for the Treasury in 25 years of selling personalised registration numbers.

The Porsche 911 – a sports car driver’s delight

No, they are not a sports car that many can afford to buy brand new. However, it doesn’t cost you anything to listen enviously to the roar of the distinctive Porsche engine as the uniquely shaped vehicle approaches and travels past you in the outside lane of the motorway sedately gliding along at 70mph. You cannot fail but to admire its rear end that contains one of the most powerful engines in a production car as it drives into the distance.

Anyway, enough of dreaming about which model you would buy if you were to win the National Lottery. Instead, we thought it would be interesting to spend a few minutes looking back at a little of the history of the Porsche 911.Porsche Insurance

Before we do, just a little reminder to those that do not know that “911” is actually pronounced “nine eleven” as opposed to “nine one one”.

Let’s start back in 1963

The Porsche 911 was introduced to replace both the 356 that had been around since 1948 and was felt to be lacking in power and the “Type 7” prototype. Who would have thought that the 911 would achieve more sales than the iconic 356 as by its 50th anniversary in 2013, 820,000 had been sold.

Initially called the Type 901, the prototype was seen on the roads in Germany in 1963. However, this model number had to be changed as Peugeot claimed to have the rights to use the zero on any car with three numbers in its model description i.e. 206, 307, 406. Quite simply, all Porsche did was to replace the “0” with a “1”and come up with 911.
It wasn’t until late 1964 that the Porsche 911 went into normal production. Power for the two-seater sports car came from a 2.0-litre flat-6 rear mounted air-cooled engine producing 128bhp and a top speed of 134mph.

Minor alterations were made to the car over the years resulting in an increase in power. For instance, in 1973, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS appeared.

Porsche took part and still does in numerous well-known world championship racing events such as the 24 Hours Le Mans that they won in 1979 in a Type 935 – in fact Porsche filled the first 4 places in that race.

In 1990 a Tiptronic automatic gearbox (“flappy paddles”) was introduced by Porsche that was innovative for its time but is now often seen on modern day executive cars.

Now we are in 1998

In 1998, the Type 996 was introduced but this time the engine became water-cooled and the bodywork was updated.

From 2005 and until 2012, this was followed by the Type 997 with an all-wheel drive version coming on the scene. There were various models including the GT3 and the Turbo. The later took performance up yet again as it had a 3.6-litre twin-turbo charged engine producing a staggering 473bhp getting from 0 to 60mph in a mere 3.7 seconds as it headed for a top speed of 193mph.

2014

Today, as it has been for many years, the Porsche 911 remains a flagship for Porsche with twenty showroom models available ranging in price from £73,509 for the Carrera to £159, 054 for the Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition with the later having a 560bhp engine getting from 0 to 60mph in only 2.9 seconds.

Wouldn’t you just love to own one!

AIB have a history insuring all types of Porsche’s from the classic and vintage to the modern super car. For an instant quote call the team here on 02380 268351 or visit https://www.aib-insurance.co.uk/get-a-car-insurance-quote

Who Knows What You Might Find In Your Garden!

Over the years, you have probably read some stories about interesting items being uncovered in the gardens of owners’ homes. It could be a valuable gold coin or piece of porcelain pot from Roman times or, dare we say, the more gruesome discovery of the body of a deceased person leading to a murder enquiry.

Well, for all you lovers of classic cars – in particular the Ferrari we thought you would find the following story that we have unearthed (forgive the pun) worthy of a read.Ferrari found buriedBack in 1978, some children were digging in the front garden of a property in Los Angeles, USA when they came upon the roof of what turned out to be a vehicle. That roof belonged to no less than a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS.

The police were called and a team arrived with suitable equipment to carefully uncover and remove the classic car. The car had been covered in plastic sheeting and places like the air intakes had toweling stuffed into them no doubt with a view to providing some protection for the vehicle. Its green metallic paint bodywork was obviously worse for wear with rust and its interior was not looking all that good. The windscreen was shattered and the bodywork badly dented and scratched no doubt due to the weight of the soil bearing down on it.

Enquiries with the then tenants of the property and people living in the neighbourhood drew a blank. We are sure that you will agree that this seems rather strange as we are not talking about planting some bulbs in the front garden – this was a full-size motor vehicle! You would have thought someone would have seen or heard what was going on.Ferrari underground

Well, upon looking into its history, it was discovered that it was purchased back in October 1974 by a plumber for his wife for $22,500 (£14,380). In early December of that year, they drove the Ferrari to a restaurant in the city where they celebrated their wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, upon leaving the restaurant, they discovered that the car had been stolen and its theft was reported to the police. As the car could not be found the insurance company later paid out $22,500 (£14,380).

The question remains as to why a thief would want to hide a car as beautiful as this underground? It appears we shall never find that out.

Anyway, to conclude, the car is believed to have been sold at auction for between $5,000 to $9,000 to a car mechanic who, possibly with the help of others, restored the vehicle. However, rather mysteriously, its current whereabouts remain unknown although it apparently has a number plate with the words “DUGUP”.

Interestingly, some Ferrari Dino 246 GTS’s can fetch over £250,000.

AIB have experience of insuring new and old Ferrari’s and have a number of solutions for the Ferrari owner. Call the team on 02380 268351 for an instant quote and cover.

Midas joins our panel of insurers

We are pleased to welcome MIDAS Underwriting Ltd to our extensive panel of insurers. The company has been established since July 2000 since which time it has grown to become a respected underwriter of various types of insurance.

Their experienced and qualified team provide an unrivalled level of customer service that, together with a comprehensive range of products, means that they can fulfil the insurance needs of many of our customers. They also provide an outstanding claims service responding with professionalism and speed to ensure customers are paid out quickly.Midas Insurance

They provide both personal and commercial insurance that includes the likes of car, performance car, classic car, household insurance, commercial vehicle and indemnity cover. They are particularly renowned for providing household insurance for high value properties and contents as well as homes of a non-standard construction such as those with thatched roofs.

MIDAS is also a specialist in insuring high value motor vehicles such as Porsche and Aston Martin sports cars. If a client has a somewhat “tarnished” driving history that may include motoring convictions and a colourful claims history then we are often able to place such business through MIDAS. Premiums are extremely competitive.
So, if you are looking for bespoke insurance cover and an outstanding level of service at a reasonable price then you need look no further than MIDAS Underwriting Ltd.

Further information can be found by visiting their website at: http://www.midasuw.com/

Couriers Should Expect A Busy Festive Period

Christmas is but a few short weeks away and people are already hurrying around the high street shops buying gifts for family and friends. However, all our courier customers will be pleased to read that there are an increasing number of people forecast to shop online again this December as was the case in 2013.

Earlier this year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that in December 2013 more people shopped online than in previous years. In fact, almost 20% of non-food items were purchased through the Internet in that month. Furthermore, there was a 19.2% increase in online sales for that month in 2013 in comparison to December 2012 making it the most rapid increase in a four-year period.

So, what sort of volume in non-food sales are being forecast for this Christmas? Well, it is predicted that Internet sales will rise by around 14% with about 25% of shoppers intending to purchase more online. Total online sales in the UK are expected to be in the region of £4.7 billion.

Just to illustrate the above, let us tell you about Yodel that delivers in the region of 145 million parcels per annum. To cope with the Christmas rush, it is to take on an additional 5,000 staff both on a full and part-time basis and started training them back in September. This is to cope with around one million parcels that will require delivering every day leading up to Christmas.

Of these extra staff, there will be 2,830 couriers operating on a self-employed basis recruited to make local deliveries. The company will also be taking on an extra 750 warehouse personnel to work within its centres that sort parcels. Interestingly, Yodel expects some staff to continue working for them after Christmas. Deliveries will be made every day of the week during the festive period.

We wish every one of our valued courier clients a busy and prosperous festive period.

At AIB we specialise insuring couriers and can provide goods in transit and public liability cover. Call the team now on 02380 268351 for an instant quote and cover.

10 Of The World’s Most Expensive Luxury Car Crashes

Obviously, nobody likes to be involved in a motoring accident but for those select few that are the proud owners of extremely expensive, often high performance luxury cars it is probably more disconcerting. After all, they are faced with the possibility of a car costing hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds being written off or requiring a substantial sum of money being spent on it in repair bills.

We have put together a list of some accidents that have involved such vehicles that we believe you will find interesting: –

1. Ferrari 250 GTO 1962 -1964 – £17.6 million
Having paid $28.5 million for this car back in 2008, its British owner regrettably crashed the vehicle during a classic car race by driving into the back of another vehicle. The car below is fortunately not the car in question!Ferrari 250 GTO Insurance

2. Ferrari 250 GT Spyder – 1961 – £6.19 million
Again, this classic car was bought at auction back in 2008 for $10 million and stored close to a beach in California. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in a hurricane.

3. McLaren F1 – £3 million
You have probably heard of the actor Rowan Atkinson who has starred in Mr Bean and Blackadder. Well, back in August 2011, he crashed the sports car into a tree near Peterborough. At the time, it resulted in the biggest payout by a car insurance company to repair the vehicle amounting to £910,000.

4. Ferrari x 8, Mercedes Benz x 3, Lamborghini – £2.5 million
This multi-car crash took place in December 2011 on a motorway in Japan and involved a number of cars including the above. Apparently, one of the Ferraris at the front lost control and the other vehicles ploughed into the back.

5. Ferrari 250 GT TDF – 1959 – £1.02 million.
This classic car was nicknamed the “Tour de France” and crashed into a wall whilst taking part in the 2003 Shell Ferrari-Maserati Historic Challenge at a racing event in Connecticut, United States.

6. Ferrari Enzo – 2002 to 2004 – £1 million.
A Swedish businessman was travelling at 196mph in Malibu back in 2006 and lost control of the vehicle that has a V12 engine hitting a pole and wrecking the vehicle.

7. Jaguar XJ220: £900,000.
The owner of this car was taking part in the world famous Goodwood Festival of Speed and unfortunately was involved in a crash causing extensive damage to the bonnet.

8. Ferrari F50 – 1995 to 1997 – £850,000
Only 349 of these 520bhp V12 mid-engine sports cars were produced. This vehicle smashed into a lamppost in October 2014 whilst on its way to Silverstone racetrack causing considerable damage to the vehicle.

9. Bugatti Veyron – £830,000
This vehicle similar to the one pictured below is one of the fastest that is legally aloud to drive on our roads being capable of reaching over 250mph. Back in March 2007, one was being driven in Surrey by a relative of the owner who had only taken possession of the car a week earlier. Unfortunately, it was involved in a collision.Bugatti Veyron

10. Pagani Zonda – £669,000.
Only just in excess of 100 of these supercars were ever produced with some capable of reaching over 200mph. The owner of the car was involved in a crash whilst driving it in Hong Kong coming back from a racing event. Apparently, an out of control lorry caused him to drive into a number of cars that were parked.

Those of you fortunate to own one of these types of vehicles may be interested to read that here at AIB Insurance we specialise in arranging insurance cover for many such vehicles and offered tailored solutions for the performance and exotic car owner.

Call the team now on 02380 268351 for an instant quote and cover.

LV= (Liverpool Victoria) & Highway Insurance join panel

We are delighted to be able to announce that LV= (Liverpool Victoria) and Highway Insurance (part of the Liverpool Victoria group) have recently joined our panel of carefully selected insurance companies. We are confident that in working closely together with them that we will continue to deliver outstanding products to our ever-increasing numbers of clients.Liverpool VictoriaLV= was set up back in 1843 as a Friendly Society to help those people less well-off save for their funerals and has gradually expanded over the years to become a major insurance company.

It provides a range of products including life insurance, with-profits insurance, annuities, equity release, travel, pet, home and car insurance to its 5.5 million customers and members. LV= has 5,700 employees operating out of 17 offices in the UK. For the year ended 31st December 2013, its operating profit was £105 million. Its home and car insurance carries a 5 Star rating from Defaqto and it is the third largest car insurer in the UK. It focuses on providing good value products and an outstanding level of customer service.

Highway Insurance has been going for over 50 years and specialises in providing motor insurance for the likes of cars, vans, motorcycles, classic cars, kit cars, ex-military vehicles and motorhomes to name but a few.

You can find out more by visiting their websites at http://www.lv.com and http://www.highway-insurance.co.uk