Follow your leader

Prince William and Kate Middleton have given the official seal of approval to the latest wedding trend - self drive wedding car hire. They drove themselves on the big day in an Aston Martin DB6 like the one for hire from Great Escape Classic Car Hire.

Self drive wedding car hire has been growing significantly in popularity over the last couple of years and now it has been given the Royal Seal of Approval. William and Kate drove an ultra-rare Aston Martin DB6 Volante convertible on their big day - to huge approval from the crowds.
The appeal of self drive wedding car hire lies in the flexibility it offers and the relatively low price. Chauffeur hire means rigids timings and a higher price. Self drive hire also gives the groom or best man a chance to have some fun at the wheel, adding an extra dimension to the big day.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire is the largest provider of self drive wedding cars in the UK. The company's fleet includes an Aston Martin DB6 like the one driven by William and Kate, as well as Morris Minor convertibles, Jaguar E Types and Morse Jaguar Mk2s.
"Self drive wedding car hire is increasingly popular with couples," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "It is much more flexible than using a chauffeur and you get to share the experience of driving the car.
"Our cars are easy to drive and we offer dedicated self drive wedding packages that are designed to make the logistics of hiring a car as simple as possible."
For more details on hiring a classic car from Great Escape for your wedding call 01527 893733 or email graham@greatescapecars.co.uk.
View external link

The Jensen Interceptor is back (just ours that is)

Last autumn the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Cotswold site's Jensen Interceptor came a cropper on some armco, thanks to a wet road and powerful rear wheel drive. We got the car over to Cropredy Bridge Garage near Banbury, who specialise in Jensens. Now the car is back after major surgery.

There are plenty of Jensen Interceptors out there and the relatively low purchase prices that this sustains tends to mask the fact that this is a genuinely hand built bespoke car. Consequently, repairing the bodywork on a Jensen is a major task. The car also falls into the rare category of being a high volume handbuilt car, built by a company with constant cashflow problems. This means that build quality varies car to car and despite a programme of continuous cosmetic development by Jensen, the fundamental weaknesses of the car (which would have been expensive to rectify) remained, such as dodgy wiring (usually caused by heat soak) and poor quality ancillary components.

So when we knew that our Jensen Interceptor in the Cotswolds was going in for lengthy repair work we decided to invest in other improvements. The insurance work involved rebuilding the front suspension, respraying over half the car and rectifying various dents inflicted during the accident. In addition we had the rot fixed elsewhere on the car and fettled the engine and electrics. This work, which took several months to complete, cost in excess of £16,000.

Sure, we could have bought another Interceptor for that kind of money. But we need a reliable, high quality hire vehicle. This car has been on hire for two years, we know it inside out and we have continuously improved it. A new car would start without any track record - and no doubt would also need work in a year or two.

This experience, plus running Jensen Interceptor hire cars for 5 years and 60,000 miles, has taught us a few lessons, not just about these cars but hand built cars in general. Here goes.

1. Always use specialists - whatever the workshop manual says, these are handbuilt cars and every one is different. Specialists like Cropredy Bridge have seen most of the variations before

2. Pre-empt maintenance, don't react. We need reliable cars so we check and recheck and replace before failure. But it also saves us money by avoiding knock-on deterioration and damage

3. Buy a handbuilt car first and foremost on bodywork - it will always cost more to fix than anything else

4. Use good quality lubricants

5. Buy a carcoon - or use a dry and watertight storage unit (to protect the bodywork)

6. Agree a price for any major repair work before work starts - and regularly check up on it

7. Use it - Jensens hate lack of use

Perhaps these lessons are obvious, in which case they bear repeating. The Jensen is a very good classic car to own. But anyone buying one because they're cheap will get burned. Like the Porsche 928 (which we have also owned), the Jensen is a bargain, but only compared to an Iso or AC or Aston Martin. You can buy a Jensen for a fraction of the cost of one of those and get a car that is just as good if not better. But you need pockets just as deep as the Aston, AC and Iso owner.

For more information on hiring the Great Escape Jensen Interceptor cars based in Yorkshire and Cotswolds call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/

Breakdown not break down

The trouble with old cars is that they like to play up. No matter how much money you spend on them and how many new parts you fit, you can only ever reduce the risk of breakdown, you just can't eliminate it.

We can only go so far to guarantee the reliability of old cars, some of which are over 50 years old. We also believe that when you hire one of our cars you should be able to enjoy it to the full, so we offer full 24 hour hire and unlimited mileage. That's why at Great Escape Classic Car Hire we provide full AA nationwide breakdown cover with all of our 50 classic rental cars. So wherever you go and wherever you are, you're in safe hands.

We commit to never leaving you stranded. So we back up our AA breakdown service with local mobile phone support seven days a week. If we can get to you we'll bring another car. If we can't we'll keep in touch with you and the AA to ensure the problem is resolved swiftly and easily.

Our support services were put to the test this weekend when our trusty Aston Martin DB6 decided to play up. This car travels thousands of miles a year and has had over £10,000 spent on it in the last 6 months. So we were surprised to receive a customer's call late on Saturday night when the alternator on the car failed on Saturday night. The customer was in a very remote location in the Welsh Borders and obviously concerned. A combination of AA cover, a very helpful AA patrol man (who followed the car back to our unit) and our phone support meant the customer was sorted out quickly and with the minimum of inconvenience. We even went out to the car that night to check the customer was ok and to assist with any transport requirements.

We hate breakdowns but the real issue is how you deal with them. Some classic car hire companies do not provide full nationwide breakdown service and make extra charges for recovery outside a given area. Had the Aston customer broken down with such a classic car hire company they could have faced considerable costs to recover the car. A breakdown like that is our problem - and our responsibility.

The Times recommends The Getaway Driver

Our brand new weekend luxury breaks package has received top notch endorsement from The Times. The newspaper's Saturday 16th October 2010 edition recommended The Getaway Driver in response to a reader's enquiry.
The reader was looking for a complete weekend break package involving an Aston Martin, to give as a gift to their partner. The Getaway Driver is the only company in the UK offering a bespoke classic and performance car, hotel and touring route package for weekend getaways and the newspaper's Travel Editor provided our details.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire launched The Getaway Driver after building experiencing helping its hire customers with hotel and route recommendations. We identified a gap in the market for luxury weekend breaks involving classic cars and put The Getaway Driver concept together.
"The Getaway Driver is about being Steve McQueen for the weekend," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "It's all about parking up your everyday car, hopping into a gorgeous classic and leaving everyday life behind. We provide the route, the hotels and tourist information along the way.
"Through Great Escape we've been helping hundreds of customers find unusual weekend getaways for 4 years. With the The Getaway Driver makes it simple to create the ultimate weekend break with just one call and one payment."
The Getaway Driver packages are available from each of Great Escape's five UK locations in Suffolk, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Dorset and Yorkshire. Customers also have access to any one of the company's 50 classic and performance cars and a huge range of luxury and boutique accommodation to suit any budget. Prices for Getaway Driver weekends start at just £495.
For more information visit http://www.thegetawaydriver.co.uk/ or call 01386 793887.

Porsche or Aston Martin - now you can decide

Great Escape Classic Car Hire is helping motoring fans live out their fantasies with two further additions to its UK classic and modern classic car hire fleet. The company has added a 1982 ice white Porsche 911, complete with iconic 'whale tale', and a beautiful gunmetal metallic Aston Martin DB9 Volante supercar.
The new self drive hire cars are available for rental from Great Escape's Worcestershire base on the edge of the Cotswolds. This is a great starting point for exploring the Cotswolds, Welsh Borders, Shropshire hills or Forest of Dean. The Porsche 911 and Aston Martin DB9 can be rented by the day or weekend and are suitable for weddings - on a self drive or chauffeur hire basis - or for a great day out to create a weekend break or celebrate a special birthday or anniversary.
The new Porsche 911 complements Great Escape's existing 1967 Porsche 911 in Suffolk. It is a 1982 3.2 litre Carrera in ice white with tan interior and five speed manual gearbox. It has seating for two adults and two children.
The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is a very high quality convertible fitted with a power hood, automatic gearbox - with paddle shifts - and 6 litre V12 engine. The gunmetal grey paintwork is complemented by a burgundy leather interior.
"These are two fantastic cars that will suit enthusiasts as well as anyone who just wants a great car for the weekend," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "They join or Worcestershire fleet, which is ideally located for visiting some great and scenic places and accessible from London, Birmingham and Manchester."
Both cars are backed by Great Escape's comprehensive hire package. This includes a full 24 hours use for every day booked, insurance for 1 driver and, AA breakdown cover. The Porsche is available with unlimited mileage and the Aston Martin price includes 150 miles per day.
View external link

A week with classic cars

It has been a funny old week. At Great Escape Classic Car Hire we've had an unseasonaly hectic period with lots of car hire activity in the run up to Santa's busiest day. Cars out, weddings and 2010 bookings. It's given me the chance to test some of our cars back to back in some pretty tough conditions. Driving the Mazda MX5, Aston Martin DB6, Jensen Interceptor, Jaguar Mk2, Jaguar XJR and Porsche 928 back to back has been great fun and taught me a few lessons about classic cars old and new. So here goes:

1. Truck drivers hate Aston Martins of any age - maybe it's something to do with James Bond

2. The Mazda MX5 is the perfect all weather, all year classic car - it's popular because this car really is that good

3. Classic car heaters are programmed to pack up in December

4. Batteries will perform faultlessly for 364 days of the year until the first really cold day arrives and then they commit suicide

5. The Jaguar XJR has four massive fuse boxes dotted around the car in the most unlikely and awkward places (see 4)

6. Driving up the M40 in a Jensen convoy is an effective but expensive way to warm the immediate environment and defrost the road for other road users

7. The Jaguar Mk2 is a great trooper - always ready, always starts even 45 years after it was built

Having sampled all these different cars over 1000 miles this week in snow, rain, sleet and ice the car I'd jump into again first? It's not that easy but it would have to be the Porsche or MX5. Which is a pretty ringing endorsement of the remarkable little Japanese sportscar.

Give Him the James Bond Effect This Christmas

Forget aftershave, expensive watches or even the Karma Sutra, if you want to make a man you know really feel and act like James Bond, get him behind the wheel of 007’s favourite car. With a gift voucher from car hire specialist Great Escape Classic Car Hire you can give the man you love the keys to a classic Bond Aston Martin for the day or weekend.

The Great Escape Aston fleet includes a 1967 Aston Martin DB6, as driven by Sean Connery and Daniel Craig in films like Goldfinger and Casino Royale, a 1977 Aston Martin V8 coupe, which was used in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and an Aston Martin convertible as used in The Living Daylights. Prices start at £295 for 24 hours hour and include 24 hours use, unlimited mileage and insurance. The cars are available to hire from Great Escape’s bases in Suffolk and the Cotswolds.

Gift vouchers, which are valid for 12 months, are available for individual cars for a day or weekend or Great Escape also offers combination packages that let customers sample two or more Aston Martins over a weekend. Great Escape can also help you put together a romantic weekend away including hotels and dinner reservations.

“Nobody ever forgets driving an Aston Martin,” says Graham Eason of Great Escape. “And it’s a great Christmas gift to share. While he gets into the role of James Bond you can enjoy a great weekend away in some of Britain’s best countryside. We design everything so it’s easy and simple to hire one of our cars. We can deliver the car to a local hotel or collect customers from local train stations. Our Suffolk and Cotswolds sites are 2 hours from London and close to rail connections.”

Great Escape has a fleet of self drive and chauffeur hire classic cars from the 1930s to the 1990s including coupes, convertibles and saloons from Bentley, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Jensen, Rolls Royce and Morris as well as Porsche. Classic car hire starts at £125 for 24 hours and every hire day includes a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, insurance and breakdown cover. For more details visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/, call 01527 893733 or email info@greatescapecars.co.uk.