Banger racing limos go down a storm in Oxford
Banger racing limos make an appearance in Oxfordshire
A pair of banger racing enthusiasts from Black Bourton in Oxfordshire went down a storm at a recent banger race day at Standlake Arena with their impressive stretch limo race cars.
Terry Barber and Alan Cart-Wright both took to the track with their converted Lincoln Town Car limos, and despite not winning their race, the duo were a big hit with the crowd of banger fans.
However Terry Barber did pick up the title for the biggest banger to ever race on the Standlake track with his limo which measures 28 foot in length.
The race, known as The Heavy Metal Classic, has become one of the biggest in the country and attracted 170 competitors this year. Individuals travelled from as far afield as Europe and Ireland to take part, and watch the prestigious race.
However the banger limos beat off competition from the 170 other cars racing on the day to become the most popular vehicles at Standlake, and one of the highlights of the day.
After completing their laps on the track, both limos looked unrecognisable from when they arrived. So it’s fair to say both limousines will need to undergo some much-needed repair work before embarking on their next stint on the banger circuit.
3 arrested from Lincoln Towncar limo in the USA
Police arrest chauffeur and two passengers onboard a limo in Baltimore
Police in Baltimore, US, stopped a chauffeur driven Lincoln Towncar after witnessing one of its passengers acting suspiciously. As the police pulled the vehicle over, one of the party onboard the limo was said to have thrown a loaded semi-automatic handgun out of the vehicle.
A spokesman for the police revealed that officers had noticed a man down an alleyway at approximately 9:30pm on Tuesday night “exhibiting characteristics of an armed person.” Upon realising he was being watched by police, the suspect then quickly made his way back to a waiting black stretch limo, and drove away.
It wasn’t long before the police caught up with the limousine and pulled the vehicle over for questioning. At this point, one of the passengers onboard attempted to discard the weapon by tossing it out of the limo.
The police proceeded to search the Lincoln Towncar and found Marijuana onboard. Police arrested 23-year-old Cornell Moor for hand-gun related offences and for possession with intent to supply. The limo chauffeur and another passenger in the limousine were also arrested with drug related offences connected to the substance found onboard.
It is not known whether the Lincoln Towncar was a rented limo, or whether it belonged to the suspect.
US limo thief pleads guilty to theft of a Lincoln Town Car
6 months sentence for limo thief in the US
A man from Iowa, US, has pleaded guilty to stealing a Lincoln Town Car after police captured the 22-year-old in a high speed car chase. He was this week sentenced to serve 6 months in prison for the crime.
Justin Collins, who has no fixed abode, was alleged by police to have stolen the 1997 Lincoln Town Car from the driveway of a home in Portsmouth, Iowa on the 16th July. The limo was recovered two days later following a high speed police car chase on a motorway in Iowa. The police had initially tried to stop the limo on suspicion of speeding and to investigate a broken headlight.
After pleading guilty to a Class A Misdemeanour count of theft of a motor vehicle, Collins was sentenced to serve 6 months at Rockingham County House of Correction. He has also been issued with a fine of $496 and has been ordered to pay $900 to the victim for costs incurred.
After Collins’s release he will be ordered to take part in a work-release programme and must stay out of trouble for the next year under the conditions of his release. Collins is also banned from contacting his victims and will not be allowed into the city as an added precaution.
Police catch up with US limo chauffeur who dodged toll booth charges over 2,000 times
limo driver caught dodging toll booth charges
A limo chauffeur from New Jersey in the US, managed to dodge toil booth charges a staggering 2,890 times racking up a hefty bill of $91,600 in unpaid charges and legal costs. However Police finally caught up with the wayward chauffeur in August of this year after tracking him down using CCTV footage.
The 32-year-old driver, Sari Ahmet, eventually handed himself over to Police after he realised they were on to him. Detectives made a phone call to the limo chauffeur and he admitted that the game was up and was arrested by police.
Dodging toll charges definitely turned out to be a false economy for this driver. Ahmet is now facing a bill of $3,800 in unpaid tolls and a further $70,000 in legal costs and fines. A police official said “People think they are going to save a few dollars cheating on tolls, but in the end they owe much more and possibly end up with a criminal records,”
CCTV footage helped capture the getaway limo driver as he was caught on film driving through the toll booths in his Lincoln Town Car on a variety of different occasions at a range of different toll booths. Over a year an estimated 700 million pass through one of the busiest tolls booths in the area, however drivers who choose to dodge the payment are costing the system £13.6 million a year which is why police are continuing to crack down on this kind of crime.
Bruce Willis to sell Lincoln Limo at auction
Bruce Willis to auction off his 1988 limo
Hollywood actor Bruce Willis must be planning some kind of clear out as he’s put his 1988 Lincoln Limo up for auction along with a selection of other prestigious vintage vehicles. The auction is due to take place in Las Vegas during October at the annual Barrett-Jackson event. A host of other celebrities will also send their cars to auction, many of whom will donate the profits to charity.
Other vehicles being sold off by the Die Hard star at the auction include a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400. The Lincoln Limo comes in midnight blue and has even partaken of a few starring roles itself. The limo was used to chauffeur Willis to the set of his TV series, Moonlighting, and also used in the filming of the blockbuster movie, Die Hard.
The president of Barrett-Jackson, Steve Davis, spoke about the significance of the vehicles saying: “These cars are special in that they correspond with important moments in Bruce’s life, both personally and professionally,”
Other celebrities clearing out their garage include Don Johnson and TV host and standup comedian Jay Leno who will put his Yamaha Star V-Max motorcycle up for auction, donating the proceeds to a New York based charity. Another vehicle which is attracting a lot of attention is the car which was used in filming of the Elvis Presley film, Viva Las Vegas.
COIF’d Hummer Limo Vs. Party Bus Limo
Hummer Limo
We are now in a completely different era of stretched limousines compared to just a few years ago.
The Chrysler 300 and Hummer limousines literally changed the way the general public saw the industry as they started to demand exact vehicles rather than ‘just a limo’.
They’ve somehow become experts – knowing their H2’s from their H3’s and their gull-wings from suicide doors. So how does an operator continue to supply what they demand and stay on the right side of the law?
Party Bus Limo
Recent months have seen the announcement that a stretched Hummer H2 can now obtain a Certificate Of Initial Fitness (COIF) – this has taken many years and many hundreds of thousands of pounds to achieve.
However, this is not the only option for an operator who wishes to be bang up-to-date and own a vehicle with the COIF certificate. A number of UK sellers of American stretches have developed vehicles, all managing to clear the Single Vehicle Approval or Individual Vehicle Approval process (SVA/IVA) such as the Krystal Chrysler 300 and Hummer H3 limousines.
There have been some amazing developments within the limo bus market from a number of manufacturers – but can these really pass off as a ‘limousine’ by the client?
Ultimately, the limo buses are vans and minibuses with limousine style interiors. The vehicles used as a base are normally those from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen which both have the ability to obtain a COIF.
Nick Clarke, managing director of Limo World UK thinks there could be a problem when a ‘converted minibus’ turns up on the customers doorstep.
“Limo Buses are great, however, limousine hire isn’t cheap, therefore, the client is always requiring a lot more in return. Although the interiors of the buses are excellent, and just as good as a traditional limousine, I fear that if I operated one, I would have disappointed customers when it turned up.”
He added; “With the advances of the Hummer COIF recently, it would be a no-brainer to purchase one of these as it is a proven brand and can actually cost the same to buy as some of the buses on the market.”
Obviously, there are ups and downs of each option. Limo Buses have the security of a manufacturers warranty, have great fuel economy and they are certainly a lot easier to drive around tight corners. On the down side, the concept of a converted minibus is still very new and rental charges can be lower than a Hummer for example.
A COIF’d Hummer H2 is obviously a fair size over the limo bus, but it is generally more desirable, rental charges are higher, it still fits the traditional ‘American limo’ label and it also comes with a warranty if bought new.
Nick added; “It can be a very difficult decision if you are replacing vehicles or adding to you fleet. The best piece of advice I could offer is listen to your customers – if you don’t supply what they demand, then it will fail.”
There is also good news for operators who already own an H2 – conversions can now be completed which can bring it up to COIF standards. There is more information on the company’s website at www.limoworlduk.com.
Limousine hire industry could be killed warns operator
VOSA
Thousands of stretched limousines across the country could be made redundant from next month if new legislation’s are not taken seriously.
Letters were sent to limousine operators this week by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) giving them twenty days to get vehicles certified to Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF) standards if their vehicles carry more than eight passengers.
They were also told to make sure they hold a valid Operators Licence, or risk having their vehicles impounded under the new legislation which come into effect in October.
Nick Clarke, owner of Star Limousines based in East Sussex told thechauffeur.com; “Most of the industry received letters this week notifying them of the changes. It basically means that operators like us who run vehicles such as Hummer H2 limousine will have to obtain a COIF certificate if we want to continue trading.”
He added; “Unfortunately this cannot happen overnight and can take weeks to complete and costs around £15,000. Also it takes a minimum of six weeks to get an operators licence. I do fear that many operators will simply disappear when this legislation is enforced.”
Operators throughout the country are being encouraged to attend the UK’s biggest trade event for the limousine and chauffeur industry to hear VOSA talk about the new legislation. The event takes place on 26th and 27th September 2009 at the Transport Research Laboratory, near Bracknell, Berkshire.
To attend, visit www.drive09.co.uk and register free-of-charge.
Limo hire industry to learn its future at Drive ‘09 by VOSA
VOSA
VOSA is to host an important seminar to educate the industry of its future during the Drive 09 gathering this month.
The government agency is to discuss the role of the agency and the current situation regarding the compliance of the limousine industry. Following various crackdowns on illegal vehicles and operators over the years, owners are eager to find out exact rules on how to operate legally.
The seminar will cover the overall limousine process from designing, importing and purchasing a vehicle through to registration, limo hire operation and maintenance requirements. The aim of the seminar is to improve compliance within the industry and ensure the vehicles are run in a safe and legal manner.
Other issues tackled are the the future changes that are expected to impact on the industry such as the introduction the EC whole vehicle type approval scheme.
Operators, drivers and those looking to enter the industry are being urged to attend the seminar in an attempt to show their support to laying down firm laws.
Register free at www.drive09.co.uk or visit TheChauffeur.com
Chrysler (Baby Bentley) limo hire receives stamp of approval
The new Chrysler Icon Illusion Limo fully approved by VOSA
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has issued its approval to the new Chrysler limo. The 300c- based Icon Illusion limo is now the first stretch vehicle in its category to be fully sanctioned by the agency. Many believe the move will provide a much needed boost to the U.K limo hire industry.
The Chrysler Icon Illusion seats 8 passengers and has a price tag of £56,995 (excluding VAT) and a second limo is scheduled to be premiered at major transport industry event, Drive 09, at the end of September.
These new and improved Chrysler Limos offer many benefits over previous models. The Icon Illusion is 25% more fuel efficient in comparison to the Lincoln Town Car limo. These new models also feature the latest in cutting edge technology including touch screen panels, reversing cameras and hidden opera lights in the rear.
Mark Farrell the Managing Director of 1st 4Limo Sales who manufacture the limo explained why it was vital the Chrysler obtain this approval. He revealed that the VOSA had tightened its rules in recent times to improve the safety of luxury limos and limit their impact upon the environment. All new limos must now comply with these regulations and be issued with an Individual Vehicle (IVA) and Special Vehicle (SVA) approval in order to be allowed for use on U.K roads.
Brad Pitt surprises everyone with appearance at première
Brad Pitt surprised everyone last night by showing up, unannounced, to the première of new Hollywood blockbuster “The Time Travellers Wife”. The film, which Pitt produced, was being shown for the first time at the Zeigfield Theatre in New York when Brad arrived in a black lincoln town car limo to the shock of all of the fans, cast and crew of the film. Pitt attended the première alone, just two days after the première for Quentin Tarrantino’s film Inglourious Basterds in which he is the lead actor.
The film, an adaptation of the popular novel of the same name from Audrey Niffenegger, is about the story of a man who carries a genetic disorder that causes him to fall through time each time he becomes stressed and stars Eric Bana, who recently played Doctor McCoy in the recent successful Star Trek reboot, as the time traveller. The film has been receiving mixed reviews with some critics praising its outlandish plot whilst others condemning it for being “ridiculous”.
The film has spent a long time in production due to the rights being owned by Plan B Entertainment, which was founded by Pitt and former partner Jennifer Aniston. It took a few years but Pitt took full ownership of the troubled firm in 2006 and now has several films in the pipeline for the next two years. His surprise appearance yesterday will certainly do no harm for the publicity or success of his latest film.
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