The Ford Zephyr is an executive car that was manufactured by Ford of Britain. The Zephyr and its luxury variants, the Ford Zodiac and Ford Executive, were the largest passenger cars in the British Ford range from 1950 to 1972.
The Zephyr Zodiac or Zodiac Mark I was an upmarket version of the Zephyr launched at the London Motor Show in autumn 1953. It had two-tone paintwork, leather trim, a heater, windscreen washers, whitewall tyres, and spotlights. The engine had a higher compression ratio increasing the maximum power to 71 bhp.
In 1956, the Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac were all restyled. The six-cylinder cars’ engines were enlarged to 2,553 cc with power output correspondingly raised to 86 bhp. The wheelbase was increased by 3 inches to 107 inches and the width increased to 69 inches. Top speed increased to 88 mph and the fuel consumption was also improved at 28 mpg‑imp.
Mr P has snapped some fantastic photographs of his 1962 Ford Zephyr Zodiac, the height of luxury. Mr P has insured his pride and joy through ourselves here at AIB with a bespoke classic car policy. The policy includes optional extras such as UK and EU breakdown cover, Motor Legal Expenses Cover up to £100,000, Courtesy Vehicles for the duration of repairs and Agreed Value.
If you have Ford Zephyr or another classic car would like covered under a specialist classic car policy, call our friendly motor team on 02380 268351 for a bespoke quotation.
Ford Escorts have dominated the British roads since global rally fame in the seventies. However, the Ford Escort RS1600i was the first RS Escort since 1980.
It was introduced in September 1981, and production ceased in July 1983. Ford planned to build only 5000 for homologation requirements, but it sold so well that 8659 cars were made (2600 sold in the UK).
Mr D has insured his Escort RS with us here at AIB where we can provide policies that offer agreed value, choice of repairer, legal expenses cover and salvage retention, perfect for classic cars!
If you also have a classic car that you would like a bespoke quotation for, call our classic car team on 02380 268351. Equally, if you have a classic car and have any photographs you would like to share, email them over to us at info@aib.co.uk.
The car of the week this week is the legendary Ford Mustang (1966)!
The iconic look and shape of the Ford Mustang was perfected in the 1966 iteration, with few changes from the original it really solidified the timeless look and feel of the Mustang, by adding small but crucial aesthetic details. The engine that produces that classic sound pumped a higher bhp of 271 into this model making it more than just a pleasure to look at but a thrill to drive too!
Mr H, has worked hard to create such a beautiful rendition of this iconic car, and he knows AIB worked hard to give him the best care and deal for his insurance on his stunning motor giving him a agreed value, choice of repairer and salvage retention! If you have a beloved classic car of your own then think no further than AIB insurance.
If you have a classic car be sure to call our friendly motor team on 02380 268351 for a bespoke quotation covering all your needs.
If you are a classic car enthusiast who has an interest in American motors and are considering buying one then you have a number of options. By far the easiest one is to purchase such a vehicle that is already located in the UK but if there is a car that has really taken your fancy but is situated over in the USA then you can arrange to buy it and have it imported to this country.
We have a number of clients who are the proud owners of such vehicles. In this respect, we thought it would be of interest to you if we asked our clients how they imported their vehicles from the USA and if they had any tips/advice.
Here is what one of our clients, Mr B, kindly had to say having recently imported this beautiful example of a 1965 Ford Mustang: –
You’ve imported a few American classic’s, what the secret to making it painless?
Personally I’ve always tried to keep it simple. You can do it all yourself independently. You can book the cheapest container, book your own shipping, get someone else to load it but your giving yourself 8 extra jobs and if something goes wrong the whole pack of cards falls down.
I generally try to use one really competent shipper and give them the zip code, contact details and address and they do the rest. They also need to know the length, weight and description.
The other key thing is to remember where you are shipping the vehicle from in the US too because the cost to ship from inland American can be as much as shipping the vehicle from the US to the UK. Generally I buy one not too far from the shipping port so stick to New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Houston but obviously if I stumble across a real bargain I need to factor in the extra transport costs. “
Do you mind sharing with us the approximate cost of the car to purchase in the States and the variety of prices?
$17,500.
From $2000 (wreck) to $250000 (fully restored Shelby GT500)
Who did you imported it through?
Schumacher Cargo Logistics who will do a door to door service or just to any UK port if you are able to pick-up.
Where did you purchased the vehicle from?
Mark is an ebay seller and mainly deals with Mustangs at Ford Chevy Classics. He sent me lots of photos and a video of the car in action prior to the purchase. Another eBay seller with nice cars Oldman Classic Mustangs in Texas.
What do you think the car would sell for in the UK?
£20-25k
How much was the import tax and any other associated costs?
Special one off 5% vat for old classic collectors’ cars if for personal use. Typically the total shipping costs and taxes vary but were £3k for this vehicle.
Your dream American muscle car to purchase?
I already have a GT40 but always fancied a 57 Chevy Bel Air 2 door.”
Some of the things you will need to consider in respect of the above include: –
Obviously, the greater the distance that the car needs to be transported the more it will cost to move it. So, you may wish to concentrate your search for a vehicle around the east coast of the USA rather than over towards the west coast.
How it is transported will have a bearing on the overall cost i.e. whether it is by air or sea and whether it is transported in a container enabling the carrying of any spare parts or on a roll on and roll off (Ro-Ro) basis.
You can arrange everything to do with the transportation yourself or you can leave it to an established transportation company with the later being the most expensive.
You will wish to make sure that classic car shipping insurance is in place in case the vehicle is damaged whilst being transported.
Once the car is in the UK, you have 14 days in which to let HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) know.
HMRC will advise you how much VAT and duty is payable. It is worth noting that importing a classic car that is less than 30 years old from the USA incurs VAT at 20% whereas if the car is over 30 years of age VAT is reduced to 5%.
You will need to obtain vehicle approval to show that the car meets environmental and safety standards.
The car will need to be modified to be used on UK roads and have an MOT.
You will need to insure the car here in the UK.
In respect of the last point, here at AIB Insurance, we have many years experience when it comes to insuring American classic cars. Once the car is in the UK we can insure it on a chassis number. No road cover is provided (although some insurers will let you drive to and from the MOT test centre if pre arranged and disclosed to them) whilst you contact the DVLA to register the vehicle.
Many thanks to Mr B and we hope that he enjoys his American car import for many years to come. If any of our other clients wish to share their experiences about importing a classic American car please feel free to get in touch with us.
There are a couple of interesting auctions coming up in the next few weeks at which you could have the opportunity to buy classic vehicles once owned by “A” rated film stars. Presumably, these vehicles will no doubt carry a premium in view of their previous ownership.
Many of you will have heard of the late Marilyn Monroe. Well, John Juilien’s Icons and Idols: Hollywood auction is taking place on the 16th and 17th November 2018 in Los Angeles, USA as well as online and a 1956 Ford Thunderbird once owned by this well-known star is being offered for sale with an estimated sale price of between $300,000 to $500,000.
She owned the classic car between 1955 to 1962 and at her wedding to Arthur Miller, a renowned playwright, on the 28th June 1956, they drove the car to the ceremony. The car had a V8 225 bhp engine capable of reaching 113 mph that was very fast for a car way back in the 1950’s. This particular car was rather unusual in so much as it has both a soft top plus it also can have a hard top fitted. Its bodywork is black and it has a black and white interior. It is said to be in immaculate condition and has a low mileage.
If making the long journey to America doesn’t appeal then you may be attracted to a classic vehicle that is shortly to be auctioned here in this country. At the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale that takes place at the NEC near Birmingham on the 10th and 11th November 2018 there is a left hand drive 1945 Willys Jeep MB available to buy that was owned by a very famous actor – the late Steve McQueen. He appeared in many films including the Bullitt. This classic jeep was originally built for and owned by the US army but was later bought by the actor.
His estate sold the vehicle in 1984 for $6,000. It was estimated that its sale price was in the region of ten times greater than such a jeep would normally have sold for so it just goes to show the effect that Steve McQueen’s name had on the price. It has been renovated and now has an estimated price of between £80,000 to £100,000.
If your existing classic vehicle insurance is shortly coming up for renewal or you are looking for cover for the first time then why not give AIB Insurance a call on 02380 268 351 and discuss your requirements with a member of staff. He or she will be pleased to obtain a competitive quotation from our extensive panel of insurers for your consideration without any obligation. We look forward to being of assistance.
The RAC Foundation has brought together some interesting facts and figures in relation to motor vehicles here in the UK. We thought we would share some of them with you but more can be found on their website.
How many motor vehicles are located in Great Britain?
There were 37.9 million motor vehicles licensed as at the 31st March 2018 with 31.3 million being cars. Almost every year since the Second World War ended the number of motor vehicles has risen. The average annual increase since 2012 has been 640,000.
There were 2,540,617 new cars registered in the UK in 2017.
In 2017, there were 8,113,020 used cars that changed ownership.
There were 1,671,166 new cars built here in the UK in 2017.
What make and model of car is the most popular?
It is the Ford Fiesta with 1.5 million being licensed as at the 31st December 2017, with the Ford Focus in second place at 1.3 million and the Vauxhall Corsa in third place on 1.1 million.
How many driving licenses are there?
There were 48,416,500 driving licenses registered with the DVLA in March 2018. Full driving licenses make up 40,331,643 and provisional driving licenses account for 8,084,857. It should be noted that these figures include licenses for people who have for instance died or emigrated and the DVLA have not been informed.
A more accurate estimate of active holders of driving licenses is produced by the National Traffic Survey with an estimated 32.9 million people in England being in possession of a full car driving license. Men make up 17.3 million and women 15.6 million.
How many English households have access to a car or van?
In the region of 76% in 2017 with this figure having increased substantially over the years – in 1971, the figure was 52%. Between 1971 and 2017, the percentage of households with two or more cars and/or vans rose from 8% to 35%.
What is the average speed a vehicle travels at?
The figures that stand out for 2016 are that, within a 20 mph speed limit area, all vehicles drove, on average, above the speed limit – cars and vans drove at an average free flow speed of 25 mph. In a 30 mph speed limit zone, cars and vans drove at an average free flow speed of 31 mph. It is rather concerning that the speed limits have been broken so frequently. The average free flow speed for cars and vans on single carriageways with the national speed limit was 49 mph and the average free flow speed on motorways was 68 mph for cars and 69 mph for vans.
How often do we drive our cars?
You may be surprised to read that the average time we spend driving our cars is a mere 4%. Our cars are parked at home for 80% of the time and are parked at other locations for 16% of the time.
What is the average annual mileage for every car in England?
In 2017, it was 7,800 with this being a drop when compared with 2002 when it was 9,200. Diesel cars averaged 10,100 miles per annum and petrol cars averaged 6,500 miles per annum.
It is estimated that motor vehicles in Great Britain drove 327.1 billion miles on our 246,700 miles of roads in 2017. In 1949, the figure was 28.9 billion.
There were at least 31,483 claims made to councils for damage to vehicles caused by potholes in 2015/16 in Great Britain with the average settlement figure being £306.
We trust that you found the above statistics to be of interest and no doubt some of them were rather surprising to read about.
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