The Jaguar E Type Shuffle

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has reviewed and improved its fleet of Jaguar E Types for hire for 2012. The result is a more diverse range of cars for customers to sample from three different UK starting points.
We've taken the decision to pension off our long servicing Jaguar E Type V12 coupe in the Cotswolds because its condition and reliability had begun to deteriorate during 2012. In its place we've moved our popular Jaguar E Types Series 2 coupe from Suffolk to our Cotswolds base. In Suffolk we've added a new Series 1 E Type coupe 2+2, also in red, to replace the Series 2 car that is moving sites. Complicated stuff but it's all detailed on our Locations pages. Or call us any time on 01527 893733 and we'll provide more details.
The E Types shuffling means that we have an even broader range of Jaguar E Types for hire during 2012. The fleet now includes Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 cars and all body styles - 2+2, coupe and convertible. The Jaguar E Type cars are available to hire from our locations in Yorkshire, Suffolk and Cotswolds. Prices start at just £275 for 24 hours hire.
"We regularly review our fleet for condition and reliability," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "Customers love the blue E Type but unfortunately its condition has deteriorated below what we feel our customers expect.
"Removing this car and adding the Series 1 car improves the range and quality of E Types we have on offer for hire."
The new Series 1 Jaguar E Type in Suffolk is a 4.2 litre car with manual gearbox, red paintwork and 2+2 body style. The car has currently being fully refurbished in time for hire in 2012, including a respray, new interior and various mechanical jobs.
For more details call Great Escape Classic Car Hire on 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/

New MGB roadster in Suffolk

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has added a new MGB convertible in Teal Blue to its growing self drive rental fleet based in Suffolk. Available to hire from our central Suffolk location near Stowmarket, the 1975 original chrome bumper MGB convertible is available to hire by the day, weekend or week.

The new car is one of the last chrome bumper MGBs to be built at Abingdon by MG and combines Teal Blue paintwork with black leather interior. It has a standard 1800cc engine with stage 2 Oselli head (so it drives better than a standard car) and attractive period-style Minilite wheels. It also has the desirable manual gearbox with overdrive.

Great Escape Classic Car Hire's Suffolk fleet is ideally located for exploring the quite roads of the coast and countryside of Suffolk and within easy reach from London by car or train.

The new car joins the largest fleet of MG cars for hire in the UK, from Great Escape sites in Yorkshire, Cotswolds, Lincolnshire and Suffolk. Every hire day includes a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, comprehensive insurance for 1 driver and full UK AA breakdown cover.

For more details on the MGB visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/ or call 01527 893733.

70 people, 30 cars, 6 days, 3 events, 1 Goodwood

The team at Great Escape Classic Car Hire is starting to unwind after its most successful Gopdwood Revival ever. Great Escape provided 30 cars to various corporate and private clients during the Goodwood Weekend in September, with a 100% reliability rate across the fleet.
The company organised three major events for corporate clients during the show and also provided a large number of cars to private self drive hire clients from its bases in Yorkshire, Cotswolds, London and Suffolk. This included two events from Winchester and Chichester which involved Great Escape's specialist logistics partner providing dedicated articulated trucks to move the vehicles.
"The Goodwood Revival gets biggers every year for us," says Graham Eason of Great Escape. "We ran three corporate events during the Revival and also provided self drive hire to private customers on our busiest weekend of the year.
"The fleet was 100% reliable and ever customer came back satisfied. I am pleased that we are able to successfully support and manage activity on this scale."
Great Escape Classic Car Hire is the UK's largest classic car hire company with a fleet of over 50 vehicles for self drive rental from 6 UK locations. For more information on Great Escape's corporate and private client packages, call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/.
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2012 hire fleet announced

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has finalised its self drive hire fleet for 2012. The 50-strong fleet will only be slightly altered for 2012, with the loss of two cars and a few other cars moving to new Great Escape locations. You can view the new fleet by clicking on the Locations button at the top of the Great Escape website and selecting each location.
"We try to keep our fleet consistent year to year," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "This means that customers who buy vouchers or plan to hire a car from us are not unnecessarily surprised.
"However, we review our fleet each year to maintain the best balance of cars at each location. We also look at our fleet and replace some cars with more popular models.
"For 2012 we will be adding in several new cars, which we will be announcing over the next few months."
For more details on Great Escape Classic Car Hire visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/ or call 01527 893733.
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Good weekend for Tony

Tony Hunting, who runs Great Escape Classic Car Hire's Worcestershire workshop and manages our Suffolk site, had another good weekend's outing in the Great Escape-sponsored BMW 1600ti. Co-driving with David Cornwallis in the Classic Sports Car Club Championship's Swinging Sixties Group B class, the trio of drivers and car posted another good result at the Anglesey round of the championship.

The BMW team is very hands on with all vehicle prepping and maintenance carried out by David and Tony. The car carries a FIA certificate and is eligible to race in various historic championships including Goodwood.

During the Anglesey weekend the BMW was punted off by a Porsche 911 so will require some bodywork repairs over the next couple of weeks.

Anglesey was the car's first outing with its new Great Escape Classic Car Hire logos in place.

For more information on Great Escape visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/ or call 01527 893733.



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E Type coupe back after rebuild

We've got our beautiful 1970 Jaguar E Type 4.2 coupe back after a 3 month, £5,000 refurbishment by a classic Jaguar specialist. The car will rejoin Great Escape Classic Car Hire's rental fleet in Suffolk based near Stowmarket.

The Jaguar E Type has been a popular part of our hire fleet for several years but we took the decision earlier this year to withdraw it and treat it to a major overhaul. The work included some attention to the rear suspension, engine overhaul, new tyres and a brake refurbishment. The work was entrusted to a specialist and has improved the car significantly. We have begun testing the car and it runs beautifully with a sweet and smooth engine and surefooted roadholding.

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has the largest fleet of Jaguar E Types for hire in the UK including two V12 convertibles, one V12 coupe and the 4.2 litre coupe. Jaguar E Types can be hired from Great Escape locations in Suffolk, Cotswolds and Yorkshire. The perfect way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Jaguar E Type.

You can find out more about the Jaguar E Type for hire by visiting http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/ or call 01527 893733.

Moggy Minor cover star

Great Escape Classic Car Hire's cute 1962 Morris Minor convertible graces the cover of August's Practical Classics magazine as part of a major feature on 4 seater convertibles. The car is photographed alongside 3 other classics on the seafront in North Norfolk, a perfect setting for this most relaxing and sedate of open top tourers.
We work regularly with classic car magazines to provide cars for photoshoots. On this occasion we delivered the Morris to Peterborough using our dedicated transport facilities and then collected it a couple of days later from Kings Lynn.
The Practical Classics team were very complimentary about the car and the article mentions how the Morris consistently received the most attention throughout the shoot. Although the car didn't win the back-to-back road test, it did come second, pipped only by the larger Corsair.
"The feature looked at the best 4 seater family convertible for the summer," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "The Morris is a very good choice for anyone with a family because it is spacious, very easy to drive, easy to own and attracts huge amounts of attention. Our customers always report seeing the brighter side of life when they're behind the wheel."
Great Escape Classic Car Hire has three white Morris Minor convertibles available to hire in the UK, based in Worcestershire, Yorkshire and Suffolk. A red car is also available in Lincolnshire. The cars can be hired by the day, weekend or week and prices start at just £145 fully inclusive of insurance, breakdown cover and unlimited mileage.
For more details visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/ or call 01527 893733.
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British Bruiser Joins the Fleet

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has added a 1974 Triumph TR6 to hire on its Suffolk sports car rental fleet. The new addition is a 1974 car that is perfect for day's out our weekends away in the beautiful and unspoilt Suffolk and East Anglia countryside.
The new car is the first Triumph TR6 on the Great Escape fleet and is priced competitively at just £175 for 24 hours. Hire includes unlimited mileage, insurance and full UK breakdown cover.
The Triumph TR6 is a fitting addition to Great Escape Classic Car Hire's fleet because it is widely recognised as the last true British sports car of its generation. Similar in design and purpose to the earlier Austin Healey 3000 - which is also available to hire on the Suffolk fleet - the TR6 is all about performance and driving. The car has plenty of power from a 2.5 litre straight six engine but also provides a comfortable cabin with a good size boot - perfect for enjoying a weekend away with a partner.
The new car can be hired from Great Escape Classic Car Hire's base in Suffolk on a daily, weekly or weekend basis. For more information call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/

A Merry Moggy Christmas

Great Escape Classic Car Hire got into the Christmas spirit in May when it provided one of its classic cars for a Yuletide-themed photoshoot in London.
The classic car rental company provided its beautiful red Morris Minor convertible for the big-budget photoshoot. The advertising agency wanted a red convertible car with a tan roof and Great Escape's 1971 Morris Minor convertible is the only car for hire in the UK which offers this colour combination.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire delivered the car to Hampton Hill at short notice for the all day shoot. The car was used for a romantic 'singing in the rain' scene and a shot involving a Christmas tree being delivered using the car.
"The crew were very pleased with the condition of the car," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape Classic Car Hire. "We arrived on set at 6.45am and provided a full day of support with the car. The car was washed and polished on arrival to ensure it was in perfect condition for the shoot."
Great Escape Classic Car Hire is the UK's largest classic car rental company and provides cars on a weekly basis for photoshoots and film shoots.
For more information call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/.

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They like driving in our car

The Great Escape Classic Car Hire Morris Minor Convertible in Suffolk is in the limelight again. This time Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society (LODS) has hired it to film a promotional video for their production of the Madness musical Our House.

80s pop sensations Madness drove a white Morris Minor Convertible in the video for their 1982 Top 10 smash Driving in my Car. This evergreen song features in the West End musical Our House so the car was an obvious choice for the Society's video. They are using the car to promote the production by filming it driving through the town.

Great Escape Classic Car Hire worked with the society to provide the car at short notice. Our car in Suffolk is one of three identical Morris Minor convertible cars that we provide for hire (the others are in Yorkshire and Worcestershire). All three cars are identical to the car used in the Driving in my Car video - white with a burgundy roof and interior

To watch the Madness video on Youtube use the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZNSyP9vM

The LODS production of Our House is showing from 4th to 7th May 2011.

http://www.lods.co.uk/

For more information on hiring one of the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Moris Minor convertbles in Suffolk, Yorkshire or Worcestershire call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/.

Italy vs Germany

At Great Escape Classic Car Hire we've decided to go to extremes this summer. The hot weather got us thinking about adding more classic convertibles to our hire fleet (we have always run short at busy times). When we started looking at suitable options our choice came down to two extremes - either an Alfa Romeo Spider or a Mercedes 300SL. Two very different cars that probably appeal to different people. So what to do?

Well, we ended up buying both. It has meant losing the Porsche 928 but once we started looking at Mercedes and Alfa Romeo cars we realised that both of these convertible are just perfect. They're easy to live with, reliable, easy to drive and stylish. Even though the Germans and Italians seem to have approach the idea of a stylish convertible from different directions, the end result is a pair of classic convertibles that achieve the same result - a great and entertaining day out.

We've bought a lovely Mercedes 300SL for our Yorkshire fleet - finished in metallic green with a cloth interior and automatic gearbox. It's the more leisurely, relaxed alternative to our new Alfa Romeo Spider, which we've added to our Suffolk fleet. It is a 1989 Series 3 'aerodynamica' car finished in metallic blue with a black interior and a manual gearbox. It is a 1600cc car running on carburettors - not as powerful as the 2000cc version of this engine but what it sacrifices in power it makes up for in smoothness and sweetness.

You can find out more about the cars on the Great Escape Classic Car Hire website or clicking here to view our Suffolk fleet or Yorkshire fleet. Or call 01527 893733.

Our Porsche 928 is for sale

We are reluctantly selling our great Porsche 928 after a couple of years on our hire fleet. It's going to make way for two new additions - our new Mercedes SL in Yorkshire and our Alfa Romeo Spider in Suffolk.
Although the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Porsche 928 was not our top hirer it was consistently rated as one of the best cars on our fleet by hirers, who loved its looks, performance and sheer driveability. This car really is one of the most under-rated classic cars on the market. If Porsche had only made the 928 and it didn't live in the shadow if the 911 then values would be dramatically higher.
So, we're very sad to see it go but life goes on. If you want to buy the car we're auctioning it on Ebay from 17th July for 7 days. Click here to view the item.

Alfa Romeo Spider now available to hire in Suffolk

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has added a second classic Alfa Romeo Spider to its hire fleet. The new car is based from Great Escape's site in Suffolk, near Stowmarket, and is the only classic Alfa Romeo for hire in East Anglia. The car complements the very popular Alfa Romeo Spider for hire from Great Escape in Worcestershire.

The new Alfa Romeo Spider for hire in Suffolk is a 1989 Series 3 car finished in the rare colour of metallic Medio Blue with a black interior. It has a manual gearbox and is fitted with the classic 1600cc twin carburettor, twin cam Alfa Romeo engine that featured in the original Alfa Romeo Duetto launched in 1966.


The new car can be hired from Great Escape Classic Car Hire in Suffolk on a daily, weekly or weekend basis. Every hire day includes a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, insurance for 1 driver and full UK AA breakdown cover. Prices start at £165 for 24 hours. Gift vouchers are also available.


The Alfa Romeo Spider was an expensive two seater convertible when it was launched in 1966 and competed with the Jaguar E Type convertible. Today the Alfa Romeo Spider is more comparable with the MGB convertible but is generally considered to be a more sophisticated and better handling alternative to the popular British car.


To find out more about hiring the Alfa Romeo Spider in Suffolk click here or call 01527 893733.

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.

Rovering around

Towards the end of MG Rover the Rover name was hastily superglued to virtually any model that John Towers and co could fit it on. But behind the proud Viking insignia lies an illustrious history of cars that were once the BMWs of their day. At Great Escape Classic Car Hire we think it's time to remember what it really meant to drive a Rover.

In the 1950s and 196s Rover developed a range of cars that were conservative and traditional but superbly well engineered and made. These cars, such as the Rover P4 and Rover P5, were popular with doctors, lawyers and bankers for whom a Jaguar was just a little too flash. This range of cars and this market was solid and worthy but not necessarily wide enough to keep Rover in business for ever.

The staple car for Rover through the 1960s was the Rover P5, launched in 1958 with a 3 litre straight six engine and developed through Mark 1, 2 and 3 versions with steadily improving aesthetics and comfort. The Rover P5 was available, unusually, as a saloon and four door coupe, the latter having a sloping rear roof and particularly pleasing lines.

In 1967 Rover had a flash of inspiration. Following the chance discovery of a lightweight V8 Buick engine during a trip to the USA, the Rover management secured the manufacturing rights and promptly dropped it into the Rover P5 to create the P5B (B for Buick). The P5B was a wolf in sheep's clothing, the lightweight 3.5 litre V8 engine producing a lovely throaty noise and remarkable performance. This old girl could really lift her skirts when the doctors and lawyers of Britain's shire counties fancied a walk on the wild side.

The Rover P5B in many respects saved Rover from oblivion. Plodding on making cars for Middle England was unsustainable in the rapidly changing Swinging Sixties. The Rover P5B changed that. It was equally at home chauffeuring a Head of State - Margarat Thatcher loved the Rover P5B - or the Managing Director of a newly successful engineering firm. Rover became about nouveau rich as well as olde worlde money.

Despite the opulence, style and capability of the Rover P5B, it has always been one of those cars that has hidden a little under the radar in the classic car fraternity. It seems to have been under the shadow of cars like the Jaguar Mk2 and later Rover P6. At Great Escape Classic Car Hire we've always loved them. And now we have two - a 1965 Rover P5 Mk3 with the 3 litre Rover engine and a Rover P5B coupe with the Buick engine. The Rover P5 is available to hire in Suffolk and the Rover P5B is available to hire from our Cotswolds base. Perfect for a day or weekend away with friends and family - just drop the picnic tables and enjoy some 1960s style. The Rover P5B is finished in white with a grey roof so it also looks good as a wedding car.