TORRENTIAL summer rains have brought a smile to the faces of many of the nation’s commercial vehicle dealers with sales soaring because of insurance claims for damage caused by the exceptionally wet weather.

According to EurotaxGlass’s, the prolonged spells of heavy rainfall have led to a boom in sales of commercial vehicles.

‘As a direct result of the exceptionally wet weather, more new and used commercial vehicle sales have been generated over the past four months than would typically have been expected,’ says George Alexander, chief commercial vehicle spokesman at EurotaxGlass’s.

‘If any vehicle suffers damage following a flood it will be subject to an insurance claim and probably rapid replacement.

‘Where roads and fields were flooded, some owners will have seriously considered acquiring a more rugged commercial vehicle to cope with such conditions. Here, we have already seen a market improvement for double-cabbed 4x4s following an earlier period of price instability.’

Not all dealers have benefited though. Explains Alexander: ‘There were winners and losers amongst neighbouring dealers. As with the flooding itself, the consequences for dealers in either benefiting or suffering from the aftermath was extremely localised.

‘Put simply, if it was their customer who suffered the loss or decided to change or expand his business as a direct result, then that dealer was quids in.’

And he believes that any positive implications of the recent inclement weather conditions are likely to be short lived.

‘The improvement in sales activity is unlikely to have any lasting effect on values, as used prices for nearly all popular commercial vehicles were already pushing hard on the ceiling imposed by discounted prices on new. What this unexpected and extremely localised blip has done is to soak up any additional used stock that would have appeared during what is traditionally a slow sales period.’

A NEW search tool on the Motability website means that disabled motorists can now pinpoint the most accessible dealers in their area.

Motability has worked with directenquiries.com the Nationwide Access Register, to publish online access information about each of the 4,000-plus car dealerships offering the Motability Scheme.

The search tool enables people thinking of getting a new car to prioritise the results depending on their requirements – for example, wheelchair access or induction loop.

Easy-to-follow icons depict additional services available from dealers such as onsite MOT’s, pick-up and return transfers, and if a wash and vac service is available.

Browsers can also use the facility to see specific pieces of information such as whether the dealership features wheelchair access to all cars on the forecourt and in the showroom, if there is room for electric wheelchairs in key areas of the dealership and even if staff have completed disability equality training.

Mike Betts Motability Operations chief executive explains: “For the first time information on the accessibility levels and additional features of car dealerships is available in one place and at customers’ fingertips.

‘With the support of Direct Enquiries these details are now easy to view, making it simple for customers to choose the nearest dealership offering services that match their requirements. The great news is that car dealerships have seen the assessments as an incentive to upgrade their facilities in order to grow their Motability business.”

Direct Enquiries assessed the car dealerships offering the Motability Car Scheme to establish the facilities available such as accessible toilets, low payment counters, and where information is available in alternative formats.

Many dealerships have responded to the accessibility assessments by investing in better facilities. For example, one BMW and MINI dealership has made its showroom more user-friendly with assistance bells, new hearing induction loops and customer care kits for those with arthritis and visibility challenges.

In addition, both sales and aftersales staff have been booked onto Motability Operations’ disability confidence training courses.

Grant Kennedy, chief executive of Direct Enquiries, says: “Mobility is vital to everyday life, so providing people with information about their most convenient Motability dealership makes perfect sense.’

CALL us what you will, Minister for the Interior, domestic engineer…whatever.

Back from work, the school run, then morphing into “home mode” – we can, and must, turn our hands to everything.

We are electricians, nurses, domestic goddesses, secretaries et al once inside the front door. But there is one area that remains, for most of us, a no-go zone – car mechanics.

Fret not, for I have been alerted to a group of people offering solace and help and they are the www.foxyladydrivers.com.

Set up by a husband and wife team in Sussex, they became disenchanted with the way women were treated when they took their cars in for a service and decided that the way forward was to set up a club offering more support and a better deal, no matter what age, or make, the car may be.

Annual membership costs just £30.00, plus a one off joining fee of £5.00, and is open to any lady driver resident in the UK.

Moreover, the team positively encourages use of its helpdesk and garage services to any other members of their family living at the same address.

One of the main benefits is that the club is linked into a network of garages in the UK and generally offers some 30 per cent off main dealer rates. That’s a huge plus considering we are often charged more than men for the same work.

I spoke to Steph Savill, one half of the founding team at Foxyladydrivers. She runs the sales and marketing side of the business and I asked her how she came up with the idea.

She says: “I wrote to local papers compiling information on local garages and invited female readers to write to me telling me of their experiences with them individually so that I could get an idea of who is reliable and trustworthy which set the ball rolling.”

Plenty of feedback came through and the club is now well serviced throughout the UK for garages and other motor support via their “who’s who” list – a directory of services listed for members.

The target membership for the first year – and the club has been running since December 2004 – was 1,000 members.

That box has been well and truly ticked and as the numbers grow, so does the influence.

Who says we can’t do our own thing when it comes to cars?

THE hardest hit sector in the auto trade during 2008 was 4x4s, many of which saw up to 50% wiped off their value.

But this year’s upward charge has been consistently led by off-roaders, proving that a strong market still exists for such vehicles provided taxation and fuel costs are not seen as prohibitive by consumers.

Conversely, superminis and city cars, which were the only consistent performers during the downturn have seen relatively modest increases in value during 2009.

Motor market analysts CAP also believes price rises are slowing as the market becomes less volatile.

CAP’s Black Book spokesman Mark Bulmer said: ‘We are now expecting the market to stabilise over the next few weeks and there is already evidence to support such a view.

“Despite the clamour for stock, dealers are now reporting reduced showroom traffic and fewer retail sales. This will lead to reduced buying activity although large dealer groups are likely to stay in the market to buy in volume for a while yet.

‘This is because many have been unable to replenish stock during the first quarter that was deliberately depleted for financial reporting and risk mitigation reasons at the end of 2008. There is also some evidence that auction conversion rates are beginning to reduce. We believe that in general buying activity will reach a more stable level during April.’

IN the wake of the National Audit Office report that reveals an increase in car tax evasion, motoring organisation the RAC is predicting an increase in the cost of road tax for all motorists.

RAC Financial Services managing director Jason Richards says: “Of the 25 million cars on the road in the UK, one million are un-taxed. Law-abiding motorists will suffer at the hands of these tax dodgers. The RAC Insure Motoring Index has already shown an increase in the cost of car tax in recent months. We predict this will continue in order to compensate for the £200 million lost through tax evasion.”

Incidents involving uninsured drivers, who are likely to also drive without an MOT, increase the cost of motoring for honest motorists. Insurance claims after an accident involving an uninsured driver cost £500 million a year. This adds £30 to the annual insurance premium of law-abiding motorists.

The RAC Insure Motoring Index recently revealed that owning and running a car costs around a quarter of the average disposable income, amounting to an average of £103 a week.

While this could account for drivers choosing to cut corners and avoid high tax payments, the Index also revealed that the cost of motoring actually fell in the second quarter of 2003, by £1.83 a week.

Mr Richards added; “The overall saving of about £95 a year, could pay for six month’s car tax, so there is no excuse for drivers who act irresponsibly and illegally by not taxing their vehicle.”

ONE person’s dream car is another’s nightmare, so which of those is this to you?

IT looks like the kind of thing that could happen when a beach buggy meets a pile of scaffolding, but this, at least according to the UK importers, is going to be the car trendy young things will soon be clamouring for.

Car may be too strong a word. The importers – the same people who used to make the Reliant Robin – reckon it’s a cross between a car and a scooter; others might liken it more to a Meccano model or a Lego kit.

No matter, if you believe what you’re told, the new Be Up – yes, that’s what it’s called – will develop a new style of urban motoring in the 21st Century.

With its open, tubular construction and minimal panelling, this tiny two seater is aimed at trendy young urban professionals and teenagers.

The open doors are made of tubular steel and are more like hinged barriers; there’s no rear window, just a kind of fly-screen to reduce draughts, and the top can be removed to leave you virtually fully exposed to the elements.

Handily for anyone living in a climate like ours, the complete interior – including the seats – is made from weatherproof materials.

Priced at £5,995 it can be driven by anyone over 17 if they have a full motorcycle licence.

The Be Up is built in France by Ligier – a name famously associated with French Formula One and endurance racing.

But it’s a tad slower than the legendary French blue racers. Its tiny, 505cc, two cylinder, petrol engine pumps out a miniscule 21bhp at 4200 rpm. Driving through a CVT type automatic transmission that’s good for a maximum speed of 60mph.

Whose dream car?

Fresh air fiends with a second property on the Med or a set of oilskins.

Whose nightmare?

Any driver who gets stuck behind one on a B road.

ONE person’s dream car is another’s nightmare, so which of those is this to you?

IT looks like the kind of thing that could happen when a beach buggy meets a pile of scaffolding, but this, at least according to the UK importers, is going to be the car trendy young things will soon be clamouring for.

Car may be too strong a word. The importers – the same people who used to make the Reliant Robin – reckon it’s a cross between a car and a scooter; others might liken it more to a Meccano model or a Lego kit.

No matter, if you believe what you’re told, the new Be Up – yes, that’s what it’s called – will develop a new style of urban motoring in the 21st Century.

With its open, tubular construction and minimal panelling, this tiny two seater is aimed at trendy young urban professionals and teenagers.

The open doors are made of tubular steel and are more like hinged barriers; there’s no rear window, just a kind of fly-screen to reduce draughts, and the top can be removed to leave you virtually fully exposed to the elements.

Handily for anyone living in a climate like ours, the complete interior – including the seats – is made from weatherproof materials.

Priced at £5,995 it can be driven by anyone over 17 if they have a full motorcycle licence.

The Be Up is built in France by Ligier – a name famously associated with French Formula One and endurance racing.

But it’s a tad slower than the legendary French blue racers. Its tiny, 505cc, two cylinder, petrol engine pumps out a miniscule 21bhp at 4200 rpm. Driving through a CVT type automatic transmission that’s good for a maximum speed of 60mph.

Whose dream car?

Fresh air fiends with a second property on the Med or a set of oilskins.

Whose nightmare?

Any driver who gets stuck behind one on a B road.

THE first day of April is traditionally a day for practical jokes and hoaxes but roadside assistance expert Green Flag urges motorists to ensure the joke is not on them this year by avoiding unnecessary breakdowns and accidents.

Last April Fool’s Day, the breakdown organisation responded to about 5,000 stranded vehicles, with the majority due to driver error, neglect or poor vehicle maintenance and many could have been avoided.

Green Flag’s Melanie Denny says: “Becoming stranded at the roadside is no joke. Most drivers would consider a breakdown a major inconvenience yet many motorists do not maintain their vehicles properly by performing regular checks on tyres, brakes, lights, oil and water levels.”

More than 2,000 of the breakdowns were due to battery problems. Ms Denny says: “It is a good idea to have your car battery checked out regularly to ensure it is in good condition. Many local garages will do this for you free of charge so there really is no excuse.”

The second most common problem was accident damage, accounting for almost 500 calls for assistance.

In a survey of drivers:

To avoid accidents, Green Flag advises drivers not to drink any alcohol before driving, to get a good night’s sleep and to take regular breaks at least every two hours on long journeys.

The top five causes of callouts last April Fool’s Day were battery problems (2,000), accidents (500), punctures and wheel problems (400), lost or stolen keys (200) and engine cut-outs (200).

“Motorists who take care of their vehicles and think carefully before getting behind the wheel can prove they are nobody’s fool by reducing the number of breakdowns and accidents they have, ” says Ms Denny.

THE first day of April is traditionally a day for practical jokes and hoaxes but roadside assistance expert Green Flag urges motorists to ensure the joke is not on them this year by avoiding unnecessary breakdowns and accidents.

Last April Fool’s Day, the breakdown organisation responded to about 5,000 stranded vehicles, with the majority due to driver error, neglect or poor vehicle maintenance and many could have been avoided.

Green Flag’s Melanie Denny says: “Becoming stranded at the roadside is no joke. Most drivers would consider a breakdown a major inconvenience yet many motorists do not maintain their vehicles properly by performing regular checks on tyres, brakes, lights, oil and water levels.”

More than 2,000 of the breakdowns were due to battery problems. Ms Denny says: “It is a good idea to have your car battery checked out regularly to ensure it is in good condition. Many local garages will do this for you free of charge so there really is no excuse.”

The second most common problem was accident damage, accounting for almost 500 calls for assistance.

In a survey of drivers:

To avoid accidents, Green Flag advises drivers not to drink any alcohol before driving, to get a good night’s sleep and to take regular breaks at least every two hours on long journeys.

The top five causes of callouts last April Fool’s Day were battery problems (2,000), accidents (500), punctures and wheel problems (400), lost or stolen keys (200) and engine cut-outs (200).

“Motorists who take care of their vehicles and think carefully before getting behind the wheel can prove they are nobody’s fool by reducing the number of breakdowns and accidents they have, ” says Ms Denny.

BEARING IN mind that we pay enough for cars, a major bank has revealed that buyers can lose millions by not haggling.

Sainsbury’s Bank urges buyers to shop around for the best deal after recent findings indicate that between October 2005 and March 2006, 278,000 people plan to buy a brand new car but have no intention of haggling over the price they pay.

Given that, on average, they could save around £1,500 each by doing this, collectively they will over-pay by a staggering £417 million.

In addition to this, an estimated further 453,000 people could also overpay for their brand new cars because they are only prepared to haggle ‘slightly’ over price.

Whatever can be the matter? Haggling is a great British tradition. I was brought up in a culture that dictated it was the done thing to give a sharp-suited car salesman a hard time and tantalise him by waggling a wad of tenners in front of his eyes.

Of course the situation is a lot different these days. The Arthur Daley clones are few and far between and often you might find yourself trying to close a deal with a young woman with a university degree.

Also there are all sorts of different purchase and finance schemes to cloud the issue. But the fact remains that the price a car is advertised at very often has a negotiation factor built in.

Buy one of the commercial guides – they are never far away from the mark. But always remember that a car dealer is never going to offer you a reduction off his own bat unless he is trying to offload the car quickly . Getting the best possible deal is always down to the buyer.