No business like snow business

As we huddle around the Jaguar E Type heater here at Great Escape towers craving warmth as the snow swirls outside, our thoughts turn to the best classic car for the snowy weather. We've been here before - last winter, without a 4x4 to depend on (the very dependable Larry the Jeep Laredo), we had to skid around in the Ford Capri. Fun at the time, and surprisingly effective as a snow plough.
The first question to ask, of course, is whether you should use a classic in the snow at all. In the face of salt and safety, the answer is probably no. Classics like to rust a lot and they are somewhat bereft of the nannying features like airbags, ESP, ABS and the like which keep modern drivers so well insulated from their actions. But if we just decided never to use them in the snow then it wouldn't make much of an article frankly so lets assume we're talking strictly hypothetically.
To work well in the snow, conventional wisdom has it that a car should be either 4 wheel drive or front wheel drive. This rules out most classic cars, which are resolutely rear wheel drive. And, to be fair, much more fun. The Great Escape Classic Car Hire Ford Capri may have been rear wheel drive but it was a lot of fun in the snow and coped extremely well. Which may be down to the second rule for snow driving success - narrow tyres and high profile rims. Our Capri runs on 175 r14 tyres, which might be laughable in today's world of 245 20 inch rims but it was us laughing as we sailed past the stranded BMWs and Mercedes. Narrow high profile tyres literally cut through the snow and ice rather than skate across it, as fat tyres do.
Snow-plugging cars also need to be light - or have four wheel drive. A light car needs less power to keep going and is inherently more nimble when the going gets tough. On a slippery hill a low power, light car will keep going when a powerful, heavy car gets stuck. Plus, it has the added advantage of being much easier to push out of trouble.
Classic cars also have the advantage over modern cars because they lack so-called driver aids like ESP (traction control), which prevents cars losing traction. ESP cuts power to a spinning wheel. This is great news on damp roads or sudden sharp bends, but unfortunately the car can't differentiate between these and a snowy, icy road. Consequently, when the going gets tough in the snow and the wheels need to spin to clear the ice and gain traction, the ESP system simply cuts power to the spinning wheels. So the car can't move.
The trick with maintaining momentum and traction in the snow is to select a high gear and manipulate the clutch and throttle. This tends to be easier in older cars which have mechanically operated clutch, gearbox and throttle, giving the driver greater feel and control compared to modern 'fly by wire' type systems.
So despite the onset of modern driver aids, perhaps classic cars are better in the snow than modern cars because they are simpler. But what classic would be best for snow driving? Pushing aside classic 4x4s because they're just cheating, at Great Escape Classic Car Hire we'd probably plump for a front wheel drive 1980s classic like a Golf GTI mk1 - light, fairly powerful, no driver aids and narrow high profile tyres. The problem is, we wouldn't want to take our mint 1982 example out in the snow!

Why buy when you can hire?

Buying a classic car can be the fulfillment of a dream, the chance to at last drive and own a car that you may have lusted after for many years. For many classic car enthusiasts there is no alternative to owning a classic. But for others the reality of owning and running a classic is not quite the dream they expected. Classic cars are inherently unreliable and expensive to maintain. They also tend to cover very few miles every year; we all lead busy lives and sometimes the run of perfect summer's days to enjoy a classic don't quite materialise as often as we'd like. If you're considering buying a classic or already own one and worry about how much use it gets and the cost involved, there may be another way to live your dream. There are now an increasing number of classic car hire companiesaround the world and in the UK particularly that offer a wide range of classic and vintage sports cars for self drive rental. These companies provide high quality classic rental cars on a daily, weekly or weekend basis. There are hundreds of cars available to hire from companies that provide very good coverage across the UK. The choice of cars includes MGs, Triumphs, Jaguars, Jensens, Alfa Romeos - in fact everything from Morris Minors to Aston Martins. Some cars are available to hire from small businesse with three or four cars, other cars are available from much larger fleets. For example, companies like Great Escape Classic Car Hire have large fleets of over 50 cars available to hire from multiple locations. Hiring rather than buying a classic car means that someone else has the hassle of servicing and maintaining the car. They also have the responsibility for storing the car, insuring it and taxing it. The typical cost to maintain a classic car over 12 months is around £250/month, equivalent to at least £3,000 per year. Although hire costs vary by car - from as little as £100 - you will undoubtedly find that even if you hire a classic car for as many days as you need during the year, the price will be significantly less than the storage, maintenance and purchase cost of a classic car. The investment of £3,000 - which excludes the cost of financing the car purchase - would buy, for example, 15 days in a Jensen Interceptor or 20 days in a MGB. Many owners of such cars do not use their cars that often. Based on typical annual mileages of 1,500-2,000 miles a classic car is used around 10-15 days per year. Hiring a classic car from any one of the many classic car hire companies in the UK can be like having your own virtual garage - on demand whenever you want it. If you like lots of different cars and don't want to be stuck with one, then hiring is a great alternative to buying - you have a massive choice of cars from the 1950s to 1990s available at the click of a mouse. Hiring a classic car also enables you and your partner to explore different parts of the country - without the hassle and uncertainty of having to drive all the way there in a classic car. You can simply choose the location you want to explore, find a local classic car hire provider and collect the keys. And if something goes wrong, you are unlikely to end up with a long journey on the back of a low loader and a ruined break - the classic car hire company will usually repair the car or provide an immediate replacement so that you can continue your journey. Classic cars are an ideal hobby or add an extra dimension to a weekend away. But if you don't fancy the uncertainty and financial risk involved in buying a classic car, hiring may be a safe and low cost alternative.

What to consider when hiring a classic car

Hiring a classic car is an increasingly popular way to add an extra dimension to a vacation or holiday, as a birthday celebration or as low risk alternative to buying a classic car. Many companies now offer a classic car hire service, particularly in the UK, but it is important to take care when selecting your choice of car and supplier as the industry is not widely regulated. The lack of regulation means that prices and what you get for your money plus the condition of the cars on hire can vary considerably from one supplier to another. To ensure you get an enjoyable experience that is value for money it is worth considering some simple questions to ask when you are looking at website and when you are speaking to the classic car hire company that you want to deal with. Very few classic car hire companies are listed on feedback websites such as Trip Advisor so when you are looking around at classic cars to hire it can be difficult to assess how good the supplier is. Often, however, this can be done by looking at their website and asking some simple questions. 1. Does the website project a professional image and suggest a business that is serious about hiring classic cars? 2. Can you find out anything about the company, such as who runs it and how long it has been in business? 3. Where is the company based? Does this suit what you plan to do? 4. What does the company say about the maintenance and servicing of its cars? Classic cars should be subject to a regular maintenance regime to keep them in tip top condition 5. Is the company part of the Historic and Classic-car Hirers Guild, which regulates classic car hire companies?
These are simple questions to ask before selecting a shortlist of classic car hire companies to approach. When you have shortlisted the companies either using their websites or by phone you should consider their hire package, their prices and their typical hire periods.
The hire packages available from classic car rental companies vary considerably, although the prices often do not reflect this. Some classic car hire companies offer a full 24 hours hire for every day you book, others restrict a day to AM to PM hire (typically 9am to 8pm). Some companies offer unlimited mileage while others limit the mileage and charge a mileage fee for all miles over the limit. Great Escape, for example, offers full 24 hours hire and unlimited mileage. Make sure you also check the insurance cover - this should be fully comprehensive with an excess. Most classic car hire companies do not offer a collision damage waiver option, unlike conventional car rental firms. The hire package should also include full breakdown cover - this is worth checking as some classic car hire companies do not offer a full UK breakdown service and hide this information in their small print. This can be very inconvenient when you do suffer a breakdown, which is not unheard of with a classic car.
Once you are satisfied with the hire package on offer then you need to consider the price. The price of the car you want to hire should reflect the level of hire package on offer - when comparing prices, make sure you are comparing identical hire packages in terms of hours behind the wheel and mileage charges. If you want to hire the car for more than one day then some classic car hire companies - but not all - discount additional days. Check carefully that you are getting the best price - some companies automatically discount their 2nd and 3rd days while others only discount the 4th or successive days. When considering the price also look at the weekend and weekday rates. Some classic car hire companies 'discount' their weekday prices - in reality this may actually mean the weekend price is inflated, rather than the weekday price being discounted. For example, we operate a standard price for weekends and weekdays and we discount 2nd and successive days. When you have assessed these areas - which in reality is not complicated and does not take long - then you may want to line up a few questions to put to the companies by phone or email. 1. What condition are the cars in and how are they maintained? 2. What pre-hire checks are undertaken for each car? 3. When is the pick up and return time - is this flexible? 4. What does the insurance cover? What is the excess? 5. Where is the car located exactly? 6. What are ther age limits on the driver? 7. What are the licence conditions for the driver? 8. What is the cancellation policy?
If you are buying a voucher as a gift, check whether the company offers vouchers and ask how they work. Most companies offer vouchers valid for 12 months. If you are buying a voucher, can you specify the start date (we offer this facility based on customer feedback) and can it be extended if it is not used in the standard period?
Classic car hire is a hugely enjoyable experience that increasing numbers of people are taking up. With some careful research and well judged questions you can maximise your experience - and get the best value possible.

Goodwood a go-go

The growing popularity of the Goodwood Revival saw Great Escape Classic Car Hire rent more than 20 classic cars to Goodwood Revival visitors over the mid-September weekend. Despite a normally quiet late-summer period Great Escape had one of its busiest weekends on record thanks to demand for classic cars by visitors keen to enter into the spirit of the Revival weekend.
Particularly popular were Great Escape's pre-1966 classics, which give customers access to the vast Classic Car Show field. Despite the Great Escape classic car hire fleet completing several thousand miles over the weekend, including long periods stuck in the usual Chichester traffic jam on the road into the event, only one of the cars suffered a minor mishap. Great Escape's local Dorset branch managed to remedy the problem in a short space of time and provided the customer immediately with an alternative car.
Among the cars on hire were a trio of classics for a corporate client. Great Escape delivered the cars to Winchester at 7am for the client and collected them that evening at 7pm.
"Goodwood Revival is a remarkable experience," says Graham Eason of Great Escape. "We start booking up for the following year as soon as the event is over. This year was particularly busy for us as we've added several pre-1966 cars and we also supported two corporate events during the week. To ensure we provided cars on time in the right place some of our team had 90 minutes sleep over two days."
Great Escape Classic Car Hire is the largest specialist classic car rental company in the UK. The company has a fleet of over 50 classic cars for hire from sites in Yorkshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Dorset and Oxford.
For more details call 01527 893733 or click here.
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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.
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Milestone for Alfa Romeo Spider

It's time to raise a glass to our long-serving Alfa Romeo Spider. This car has been on the Great Escape Classic Car Hire rental fleet since day one nearly four years ago - it was one of the first two cars we offered for hire, alongside our Jensen Interceptor. And now it's passed a landmark - 100,000 kms. Ok, so its only 62,000 miles but we think the little car deserves its moment of glory.

We bought the immaculate Alfa Romeo Spider in 2006 when it had just 51,000 kms on the clock. In the intervening years it has been one of our most popular hire cars with glowing feedback from customers. And it has been utterly reliable.

Belying Alfa Romeo's reputation for building fragile cars with electrics designed and assembled by people who apparently don't know their AC from their and DC, our Alfa Romeo Spider has been the most reliable car on our fleet. It probably helps that the car wasn't built by Alfa Romeo - it was assembled by Pininfarina, who executed the elegant Series 4 redesign of our car - and that it is relatively new compared to some of our cars. But 50,000 kms in less than 4 years at the hands of hundreds of enthusiastic drivers is testament to what a great car it is. The Alfa Romeo has never broken down on hire and has only needed a clutch, starter motor, brake pads and discs and an electric window motor.

We're so impressed by the Alfa Romeo that we've added a second Alfa Romeo Spider located at our base in Suffolk. Although we've added a couple of MGBs in the intervening years, we still have a soft spot for the British roadster's Italian rival. To find out more about the remarkable Alfa Romeo visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/ or call 01527 893733. Prices start at £165 for 24 hours.

MGB Buzzes into Worcestershire

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has added a sixth MG to its self drive rental fleet in the UK with the addition of a MGB roadster to its Cotswolds fleet. The 1971 chrome bumper teal blue convertible is the fourth MGB on the company's hire fleet and complements the company's MGBs in Dorset and Yorkshire. Great Escape also has a MGA in Dorset and MG TD in Suffolk.
The MGB is arguably Britain's most popular classic car with a huge owners club and strong following. A few minutes behind the wheel of the Great Escape car and it is easy to see why - simple to drive, powerful, stylish and engaging, the MGB is everything a weekend getaway car should be.
"We only began adding MGBs to our fleet hire fleet in late 2009 in response to customer demand," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "But I've been amazed at the popularity of these cars - customers love them and we like them too because they are rugged and reliable."
The Great Escape Classic Car Hire MGB roadster for hire in Worcestershire is available backed by the company's normal comprehensive hire package. Prices start at £165 for 24 hours and include a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, insurance for 1 driver and full AA breakdown cover.
Great Escape operates from five locations in the UK - Cotswolds, Shropshire, Yorkshire, Suffolk and Dorset. For more details on the MGB click here or call 01527 893733. or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/.

Great Escape Reaches Regional Tourism Awards Shortlist

It is beginners luck for Great Escape Classic Car Hire, which has been named as one of four companies shortlisted for the Best Tourism Experience category in the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards 2010. These are the first awards that the company has ever entered in its four year history and the small family firm faced stiff competition from large regional tourism experiences to reach the shortlist.

The Heart of England Best Tourism Experience recognises high performance in customer care, service quality and marketing. Great Escape impressed the judges with its partnership approach, working with local restaurants and accommodation and activity providers to create complete weekend breaks for customers under its Getaway Driver brand.

Great Escape Classic Car Hire was set up 4 years ago by Graham Eason with just two cars. Today the company has a fleet of over 50 classic vehicles operating from four sites in Worcestershire, Suffolk, Yorkshire and Dorset. When Graham was made redundant from his day job working for a construction company he was able to focus full time on the business and it has grown significantly in the last 12 months. Great Escape is now the largest classic car hire company in the UK and a leading provider of cars to TV, film and advertising companies.

“We are over the moon to reach the shortlist,” says Graham Eason of Great Escape. “From day one we have tried to do something different – a different choice of cars, higher standards of presentation and service and high standards of vehicle preparation and maintenance. It seems that the judges were also impressed by that.

“We have had to work hard to combat the effects of the recession. By working with local partners to create complete weekend packages and increasing our range of cars we’ve managed to buck the downturn.”


Great Escape provides classic cars on a self drive basis for weekend and weekday getaways. The company has a fleet of over 50 cars at four locations, ranging from a 1957 Morris Minor Traveller to a 1967 Aston Martin DB6. Great Escape has also invested significantly in modern classics from the 1980s, including models familiar to fans of Ashes to Ashes, Minder and The Professionals.

Great Escape was founded in 2006 by Graham Eason to combine his interest in classic cars with his experience in marketing. The business has grown through development of its fleet and through acquisition, in 2009 taking over the former Grand Touring Club business in Suffolk.

Classic car hire starts at £145 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.

The Jaguar XJS rocks

The Great Escape Classic Car Hire Jaguar XJS V12 convertible has been chosen by up and coming heavy rock band Jett Black to appear in the video for its new single 'Two Hot Girls.' The band wanted a four seater convertible that would fit the retro 1980s style they were looking for and the classic Jaguar fitted the bill.
The band collected the Jaguar from Great Escape's base in Worcestershire and used it on set in London overnight.
Great Escape supplies a lot of cars to TV, film, production and advertising companies for music videos and photo shoots but the Jaguar XJS is usually selected for traditional English roles. This is the first time that its quintessentially 1980s style has been used to effect. The Great Escape Jaguar XJS is best known for its role in the 2009 first series of Antiques Road Trips on BBC2.
A Jaguar XJS convertible also features in Swift Cover's current advertising campaign with Iggy Pop, so clearly its rock credentials are on the up.
You can find out more about the Jaguar XJS here and Jett Black here. The Jett Black video for Two Hot Girls will be out in about 6 weeks.

Great Escape Trumph Stag is in Vogue

Great Escape Classic Car Hire regularly provides classic cars for hire to TV, film, media and production companies. In the first two weeks of July 2010 our 1974 Triumph Stag for hire in the Cotswolds has been used for a photoshoot for Italian Vogue magazine and a new advertising campaign for clothing brand Lyle & Scott.
The Triumph Stag is low and stylish and a quintessential 1970s British convertible, so it fits perfectly with the reinvigorated fashion for this era. The Great Escape car is finished in Old English White with a black interior and a walnut dashboard with manual gearbox.
Great Escape provided the car to location at short notice with a dedicated driver. Our cars are fully valeted before despatch and then provided with cleaning materials so that we can clean off any travel dirt before the car is photographed or filmed.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire has the largest fleet of classic cars for hire in the UK and provides cars for film and advertising work on a weekly basis. Several of our cars have appeared in national advertising campaigns and prime time TV programmes and in successful music videos.
To find out more about our work for film and advertising companies call 01527 893733 or click here.

Police using Rover SD1 again

We were very interested to read in today's Times newspaper (17th June 2010) that the UK police have gone back to using trusty Rover SD1 V8 saloons, like the one we hire out here at Great Escape. Apparently with felons to apprehend nearby and a dearth of modern patrol cars in the car park, officers at Ruislip in Middlesex had to use a Rover 3500 SD1 kept in the police car pool.

The Rover SD1, in full police livery complete with blue flashing lights, apparently belongs to one of the officers at the station and is one of three police-liveried cars that he owns. He also has a 1962 Jaguar Mk2 and a 1956 Wolseley. In similar circumstances with the long arm of the law to extend, for us it would have been a toss up between the Mk2 and SD1 - the Jaguar Mk2 is more powerful (220 bhp according to Jaguar, versus 155bhp for the Rover) but the SD1 copes better with taking corners on the doorhandles. We are told.

Full marks to the police and we hope the miscreants were apprehended. Perhaps they gave up - after all, who'd want to miss a cosseting ride in the big 80s Rover?

You can imagine recreating the scene with Great Escape Classic Car Hire's 1986 Rover SD1 Vitesse - the ultimate high performance limited production Twin Plenum model. You can hire it by the day or weekend with classic car hire prices starting at £165 for 24 hours, including insurance and unlimited mileage.

Love football, love cars, love a weekend away?

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has created three unique weekend packages specially for football fans with a classic car passion. The Red & White Weekend, British Bulldogs and England vs USA packages provide a unique opportunity to sample different combinations of classic cars with a football theme. Each package is available from Great Escape's central Worcestershire base, close to Stratford Upon Avon.
The new packages include 48 hours use of two cars, touring routes and advice on accommodation and places of local interest. Prices start at £495 and Great Escape provides a free delivery service to enable customers to switch the cars without returning to Great Escape's Worcestershire base.
"The World Cup is great for England," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape Classic Car Hire. "We've got some of the best British cars ever made on our fleet so we decided to create some packages that combine the chance to drive some amazing cars with a football theme."
Great Escape Classic Car Hire operates from four locations across the UK in Dorset, Yorkshire, Suffolk and Worcestershire. The company has a fleet of over 50 classic cars available for self drive rental, including classic cars from Jensen, Jaguar, Morris, Volkswagen, Porsche, Mazda, Alfa Romeo and MG.
To find out more about the packages click here or call 01527 893733.

Jensen starts manufacturing again

It looks like Jensen may be back in business manufacturing a select number of cars to super rich clients, just like in the old days. Tim Hearley, former MD of Aston Martin, who owns the rights to the Jensen brand has set up a company in the Isle of Man to build 50-100 'new' Jensen Interceptor cars each year. It is not clear exactly what form the new car will take but it seems likely that it will be based on the Interceptor S and Interceptor SX that were formerly built in very small numbers in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

For more details visit the Isle of Man Today website.

If you don't have the necessary spare £200,000 for a new Interceptor, why not spend £245 and hire one for the day instead - at Great Escape Classic Car Hire we have Jensen Interceptor cars for hire in Dorset, Suffolk and Cotswolds.

Make your Great Escape in Dorset

Now you can enjoy the best views in the New Forest, Hampshire and Dorset this summer. From the new Great Escape Classic Car Hire site in Christchurch, Dorset you can enjoy the region while staring down the curving bonnet of one of our new fleet of great British convertible and coupe classic cars.

The new venture launches with a choice of five cars, includings MGs, Jensens, Triumphs and Austin Healeys. The cars are already proving very popular and Great Escape has already secured a contract to supply cars to the BBC for a new TV series being filmed in the region.

The classic cars for hire from Great Escape in Dorset are available to rent for weddings, weekends and weekdays. The hire package is designed to be comprehensive and transparent and includes insurance, unlimited mileage – so you can travel anywhere – and breakdown cover.

The new business is a joint venture between Great Escape, which operates four locations across the UK, and local couple David and Lorraine Nutland, who own several of the cars.

“Dorset is a great location for enjoying a classic car,” explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. “because it has the Jurassic Coast and New Forest on its doorstep. We aim to provide an interesting range of cars in a convenient location and backed by a fair and transparent hire package – so you pay one price with no hidden extras.

“We’re backing Lorraine and David’s local knowledge with our own experience of successfully hiring classic cars. Our location is the reason why the BBC has chosen to use our cars.”

Great Escape operates four sites in Dorset, Suffolk, Yorkshire and Worcestershire. The company 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.

Figaro Figaro For Hire

Great Escape Classic Car Hire, the UK's largest specialist classic car rental company, has introduced a retro-style Nissan Figaro to its fleet of cars for hire in the Cotswolds. The stylish two door soft top convertible was built in small numbers in the 1990s in Japan. Over the last 10 years it has become very popular with people who appreciate its quirky style and easy to drive nature.
The Nissan Figaro is available to hire from Great Escape's satellite site in the Cotswolds near Evesham. This is easy to get to from London or Bristol or Birmingham and very close to popular destinations like Stow on the Wold, Broadway and Winchcombe.
The car is finished in beige with a cream leather interior and features a power hood, automatic gearbox and electric windows. It is a two seater with space in the rear for children, or adults on a short journey. It is available to hire backed by Great Escape Classic Car Hire's usual comprehensive hire package - which gives you a full 24 hours use for every day you book, unlimited mileage, insurance for 1 driver and full breakdown cover included within the price.
"We have classic cars for hire from the 1950s to 1990s so the Nissan Figaro is a perfect addition," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape Classic Car Hire. "It is stylish, easy to drive and perfect for touring the Cotswolds. We think it will be popular with couples who want a great car for the weekend that is as easy to drive as a modern car, and with many people who just love the Figaro."
You can find out more about the Nissan Figaro for hire in the Cotswolds by clicking here.
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Hire a MGB in Yorkshire

Great Escape Classic Car Hire, which has the largest choice of classic cars for hire in the UK, has added a 1964 MGB convertible to its self drive rental fleet in Yorkshire.
The red MGB two seater sports convertible is the latest addition to Great Escape Classic Car Hire's new Yorkshire fleet, which is based in Harrogate. The car is an early 1964 MGB with manual overdrive gearbox, classic 'crackle' dashboard and a tan interior. It is ideal for weekdays or weekends away on a self drive basis or for weddings.
The MGB convertible for hire in Yorkshire is backed by Great Escape's comprehensive hire package. This means that the price you see is the full price you pay - every hire day includes a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, insurance for 1 driver and breakdown cover.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire has the largest choice of MGs for self drive rental in the UK from its four sites in Worcestershire, Yorkshire, Suffolk and Dorset. The range of MGs for hire includes MGB, MGB GT, MGA and MG TD.
"The MGB is one of the most popular classic cars for hire in the UK," says Graham Eason of Great Escape Classic Car Hire. "Yorkshire is a great location for exploring some of Britain's best scenery and what better car to drive there than one of Britain's greatest ever sports cars?"
For more details on hiring the MGB convertible click here.

Drive the ultimate dad's car with Great Escape Classic Car Hire

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has added one of the best British saloon cars of all time to its growing fleet of 1980s classic cars. In the 1980s the Rover SD1 Vitesse was the car every small boy wanted his dad to buy. With its elegant fastback styling and big spoilers, the Rover SD1 Vitesse had brutal performance and was Britain's very own Q-car. It was fast, handled well and looked right in the executive car park.
Now you can drive this aspiring 1980s classic car from Great Escape Classic Car Hire's central base in Worcestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds. The 1988 silver car with grey velour interior is one of the last Rover SD1 Vitesse cars ever made and features the high performance 'Twin Plenum' engine delivering 190 bhp. The car is totally standard except for a slightly larger exhaust, which enhances the burble of the lovely V8 engine.
The Rover SD1 Vitesse is available to hire on a self drive basis for weekends and weekdays or on a chauffeur hire basis for weddings. It is a large 4 door saloon with rear seatbelts so ideal for sharing with family and friends.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire operates the largest fleet of classic cars for rental in the UK from bases in Worcestershire, Suffolk, Dorset and Yorkshire. The company has over 50 cars for hire including cars by Jaguar, Jensen, Mercedes Benz, Morris, Porsche, Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo, Triumph, Rolls Royce and Ford. The cars cover coupes, convertibles and saloons from the 1950s to 1990s.
"There is a lot of interest in the classic cars of the 1980s," says Graham Eason of Great Escape Classic Car Hire. "I grew up with cars like the Rover Vitesse, Ford Capri and VW Golf GTI and now they are icons.
"For many people who love these cars it is not practical to buy one. So hiring one for the day or weekend is a great alternative."
For more details on the Rover Vitesse for hire click here.

Capri braves the snow again

Last week I had to swap cars between Great Escape Classic Car Hire's Suffolk and Worcestershire sites. Since one of the cars being moved was our 1984 Ford Capri 2 litre S readers of this blog will know that inevitably it snowed. Snow and our Capri are like gin and tonic - whenever one appears, the other closely follows. Fortunately the Cappa, as it's known, excels in the slushy stuff despite being rear wheel drive. It is light and very easy to control with narrow tyres, all of which helps it plough easily through the snow.

This time we got caught in a blizzard on the A14 east of Kettering. The snow fell rapidly and quickly clogged up the roads, causing lorries to slide into ditches and bringing traffic speeds right down. The weather worsened as we headed west but by 9.30pm we had made it as far as Stratford Upon Avon. Problems on the A46 Stratford to Alcester section - caused by a steep hill - nearly forced us to abort and B&B overnight in a deserted Stratford. But the mighty Ford Capri pulled through and a hairy detour via snowy roads to Bidford finally got us through.

So thanks again to the Ford Capri. The Ford Capri S will be heading back to Suffolk in early March when our Ford Capri 280 Brooklands arrives in Worcestershire. So Capri fans - or anyone who fancies a 1980s fix - can hire a Ford Capri from Suffolk or Worcestershire from Great Escape.

To find out more about the Ford Capri cars for hire visit the Great Escape website or call 01527 893733.

Bodmin or Bust

Bodmin is a long way from the Great Escape HQ in Worcestershire. So when the Historic and Classic-car Hirers Guild (HCHG) decided to hold its AGM in Cornwall's former judicial centre our first thought at Great Escape was - which car shall we take?

The obvious choice for the wet weather, 225 mile mainly motorway jaunt was either the Porsche 928 or the Jaguar XJR saloon. These mile munchers are perfect for long distance travel being extremely comfortable, very fast and very relaxed at motorway speeds. Except by the time the AGM came around both of these cars were out on hire with customers.

So we took the Alfasud. Our 1984 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Green Cloverleaf is new to our fleet. Like all of our new cars it has to have a minimum 500 mile 'shakedown' before it goes on hire to iron out any problems. So what better way to do it than a trip down to Bodmin?

The Alfasud performed faultlessly, holding a steady - if a little noisy - 70 all the way from Worcestershire to Bodmin via a short stop in Paignton. For 6 hours it battled torrential rain, wind and bad motorway drivers to reach Cornwall. And the next day it did it went all the way back again.

Over 450 miles the plucky little Alfasud used just 70 litres of fuel and held a steady engine temperature and oil pressure. So who says Alfas are unreliable?

We bought the Alfasud at the end of 2009 and have spent the last few months steadily fettling it to a hire standard. The car was already in excellent condition - it was used as a dealer showroom exhibit for many years - but needed detailing to bring it up to the standard we expect. After 18 months off the road it sailed through its MOT.

The Great Escape Classic Car Hire Alfasud is now available to hire from our Worcestershire site. It is part of our growing fleet of 1980s classics, joining our existing Jaguar XJS convertible, Porsche 928, VW Golf GTI and Ford Capris.

Jensen Interceptor Getaway Car

The Great Escape Jensen Interceptor lived up to our name in London in February 2010 when it starred alongside a hotly tipped new singer songwriter in his first video. The premis of Alan Pownall's video for his first single Chasing Time was a bank getaway and for the producers the Jensen was the perfect set of wheels. The Jensen's jetset 1970s style and mammoth burbling 7.2 litre V8 fitted the London setting perfectly.

The Great Escape Classic Car Hire Jensen Interceptor was used extensively in the filming and performed fautlessly. The shoot required us to deliver the car to Islington in London by 7.30am and shooting finished at 7pm. This involved a 3.30am start in 2 inches of snow on undriven roads - a tall test for the high powered rear wheel drive Jensen but one that it took easily in its stride. We arrived early after a 70 mph blast down the M40 and through early morning London traffic. The trip back was equally uneventful. The only downside was the cold weather. At motorway speeds the engine stayed so cold that the cockpit heater thermostat wouldn't kick in meaning a rather chilly journey.

The Jensen proved a massive hit with the people of Islington. Parked by the kerb for 12 hours it attracted a constant stream of questions and oggling with cars slowing down to admire its sleek continent-busting grand touring lines.

We would say this wouldn't we but at Great Escape we think Alan Pownall is great - a genuinely nice guy with some excellent tunes. Not that in the music business that always means much. Good luck to him and we look forward to seeing the video on YouTube in a couple of weeks. To view the acoustic version of Chasing Time by Alan Pownall click here.

Even if you haven't got a music video to make you can hire the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Jensen Interceptor by the day, weekend or week. Every hire day includes a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, insurance and breakdown cover. For more details visit our website or call 01527 893733.