A Trial by Fire

Great Escape Classic Car Hire recently submitted one of its white Morris Minor Convertibles for a trial by fire to demonstrate the reliability of its fleet.
One of Classic Car Buyer magazine's classified advertising sales representatives exchanged her regular 2008 Fiat Punto for our Suffolk Morris for a week. The trial involved her using the car as her regular wheels for a working week, including commuting and attending meetings. The 1967 car passed the ordeal with flying colours - performing faultlessly without any major or minor hitches.
Although Classic Car Buyer's driver wasn't keen to swap the luxury of her modern car for the rudimentary conditions of the Morris on a long term basis, she was pleased with the attention it received and its reliability.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire delivered the car to and from the magazine's offices in Peterborough. To avoid charges of rigging we hired out the car subject to exactly the same checks we conduct for a regular hire.
"I am really pleased that a 40 year old car performed so well over such a gruelling challenge," said Graham Eason of Great Escape. "Our cars are subject to a rigorous maintenance regime and cover 5 times the average mileage of most classic cars. So high standards of reliability are important to avoid disappointing customers."
Great Escape Classic Car Hire operates the largest fleet of classic cars for hire in the UK, including a fleet of 5 Morris Minors. The company has cars for hire in Yorkshire, Suffolk, Cotswolds, Shropshire and Lincolnshire.
For more details on Great Escape Classic Car Hire call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/
View external link

Don't let your special date get away

Great Escape Classic Car Hire, the UK's largest specialist classic car rental fleet operator, says it is experiencing unprecedented demand for car hire in 2011. The news suggests the tourism industry in 2011 may be recovering and the trend towards 'staycations' is continuing.
"Our advance bookings are significantly up on 2010," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "Some of our cars are fully booked for popular weekends right up to November 2011, which is unprecedented. We have also sold a record number of gift vouchers, which will redeem during 2011.
"We are recommending that customers who need particular cars for specific dates, such as for a wedding, book early to avoid disappointment."
Despite the popularity of its fleet, Great Escape Classic Car Hire has not changed its commitment to fair and transparent pricing. Customers still get a full 24 hours use for every day booked, unlimited mileage, comprehensive insurance and full AA breakdown cover. You can also book a single day at weekends and the price for weekends is the same as weekdays - there is no premium charged.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire operates a fleet of 50 classic cars from 6 locations across the UK including Shropshire, Suffolk, Yorkshire, East Midlands and Worcestershire. The company's entire fleet of cars can be booked online up to 12 months in advance - or specific dates can be reserved.
For more details visit www.greatescapecars.co.uk or call 01527 893733.

View external link

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.
View external link

Hire a 1950s classic Ford

The 1950s saw post-war austerity replaced with optimism and Baby Boomers. Our new Ford Consul convertible for hire from our site in Worcestershire sums up the times very well. Stylish but restrained, modern but not advanced, the Ford Consul brings to mind Grease and weekends on the south coast. We think it's a great addition to a wedding or as a weekend away classic car.

Our Ford Consul is finished in ivory with a cream and white interior and sits four people in comfort. The hood is easy to operate and finished in dark green, which goes well with the rest of the colour scheme.

Ford Consuls are a little before out time here at Great Escape and in fact recently we've been concentrating on adding 1980s classics like our Ford Capri 280 Brooklands. But when this Ford Consul became available for hire we couldn't resist - it just looks so good. And within a week of adding it on the fleet we have been taking bookings for it, so it seems that lots of people agree.

The Ford Consul from Great Escape Classic Car Hire can be hired by the day, week or weekend on a self drive basis. Or we can supply it chauffeur driven for weddings. Self drive hire prices include a full 24 hours use for every day you book, unlimited mileage, insurance for 1 driver and breakdown cover.

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

Jaguar XJS on BBC Antiques Road Trip

Great Escape Classic Car Hire's popular Jaguar XJS V12 convertible features in the new series of Antiques Road Trips which is shown during the week at 6.30pm on BBC2. The series involves antiques experts driving across the UK competing to earn the most money by buying and selling antiques.
The Jaguar XJS from Great Escape Classic Car Hire is heavily featured in the Cotswolds and Dorset section of the series, which airs in late March. The car is featured heavily in the show to transport the two experts between antique shops and sale rooms across the county.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire provided the 1988 Jaguar XJS for the series during August 2009. The car performed faultlessly and provided relaxing and highly comfortable transport for the production crew and show stars.
Great Escape's cars are regularly used for TV, film and video work and have featured in recent music videos, art pieces, magazine shoots - including for OK! magazine - and film.
If you would like to trace the route of the antiques experts then you can hire the Jaguar XJS from Great Escape in Worcestershire. The company will provide details of the route to follow.
To find out more about the Jaguar XJS for hire from Great Escape in the Cotswolds click here.
View external link

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.

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.

New Mercedes Classic Car Hire Fleet

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has teamed up with Classic Mercerdes Hire to create the largest fleet of Mercedes classic cars for hire in the UK. The classic cars are available to rent from the company's Worcestershire base and include classic convertibles, coupes and saloons from the 1960s to 1990s.
Great Escape now offers the widest choice of classic Mercedes to hire in the UK from its base in Worcestershire. the fleet of 10 classic Mercedes Benz coupes, convertibles and saloons is the result of a partnership with specialist Classic Mercedes Hire.
The cars range from the 1960s to 1990s and include the elegant Pagoda as well as examples of the company's best coupes, convertibles and saloons from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
The new Mercedes Benz hire fleet is ideal for a weekend away or a wedding. Many of the cars are 'modern classics' from the 1980s and 1990s and will appeal to customers who want the distinctive style of a classic car with the convenience of a modern car.
The new fleet is available to hire with Great Escape's fully transparent classic car hire package. This includes a full 24 hours use for every day booked, unlimited mileage, insurance and breakdown cover.
To find out more visit Great Escape Classic Car Hire or call 01527 893733.
View external link

Won over to the charms of the MGB GT

I admit it. When I set up Great Escape Classic Car Hire I never expected to have a MG on the fleet. The plan was to feature cars not already widely available for hire and mainly from the late 1970s and 1980s. Now we have three - MGA, MGB convertible and MGB GT coupe. So what happened?

I was won over, pure and simple. I didn't grow up with MGAs and MGBs but now I realise what great cars they are. Familiarity has a habit of weakening charm but take a fresh look at a MGB convertible or roadster or the MGA and it would take a hard heart to argue that they don't look just great. The MGB to have of course is a chrome bumper model and now we have two of these lovely looking cars available for self drive hire - one in Worcestershire (a MGB GT) and one in Dorset (a MGB convertible). These are cars that are exactly what you expect from a classic - good fun to drive, easy to drive. Some old cars take a while to feel familiar but you can just jump into a MGB and drive. Which doesn't mean they're boring - just that you have more time to enjoy the experience of driving a great looking classic through some wonderful British scenery in the Cotswolds and Dorset.

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

Capri is snow-perb

The snow hit quick and hard yesterday, rendering my everyday 1994 Jaguar XJR redundant - big tyres, loads of power and driver aids meant it surrendered in the snow. So it was back to the Great Escape Classic Car Hire unit in Inkberrow to choose a better car to escape back home in.

It had to be the Ford Capri. 1970s and 1980s Fords were rally car champions and a good dose of this snow and mud plugging capability passed into the genes of the company's everyday car range. The Great Escape Ford Capri is a Mark 3 2 litre S so it is lighter than a V6 but with plenty of power. This, plus rear drive and fairly narrow tyres, meant it made quick work of the hills and valleys that typify Worcestershire. In three trips around the local area it proved a hugely adept and very safe companion, quietly passing stranded modern cars in a whirr of wheelspin and power lock slides. The beauty of the Capri is that it is safe and predictable - slides are easy to correct and the car constantly tells you what the wheels are doing.

So there you have it - forget 4x4s and traction control, buy a Ford Capri. Or better still, give Great Escape a call on 01527 893733 and hire a Ford Capri. Prices start at £145 for 24 hours. And as added bonuses it has a great heater and good stereo.

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.

New Classic Jaguar Car Hire Specialist

Jaguars are one of the most popular classic cars for hire in the UK. Most classic car hire fleets are quite small so until now enthusiasts have had to pick and choose Jaguar cars, locations and websites in order to sample different classic Jag models. Great Escape Classic Car Hire has solved the problem by creating a specialist division to hire its large fleet of classic Jaguars.

The new division, Classic Jaguars, brings together the largest fleet of Jaguar classic cars in the UK. The cars can be viewed online at http://www.hireclassicjaguars.co.uk/.


Classic Jaguars from Great Escape has examples of virtually every classic Jaguar from the 1960s to 1990s available to hire from its sites in Suffolk, Worcestershire and Dorset. This is the widest range of classic Jaguar cars available for self drive hire in the UK. The new division enables visitors to browse the entire range in one place and hire any car from any of Great Escape's UK locations.

Classic Jaguars cars are available to hire at http://www.hireclassicjaguars.co.uk/ or by calling 01527 893733. They include the Jaguar Mk2, E Type convertibles and coupes with 4.2 and V12 engines, XJ6 saloon and coupe, XKR, XJR, and XJ-S convertible. Some of these cars are the only ones of their type available to hire in the UK. Prices start at £155 for 24 hours and include unlimited mileage, insurance and breakdown cover.

The new website includes descriptions and pictures of the cars and links to the Great Escape online availability check and booking system. Great Escape has also developed several unique Jaguar-themed classic car driving experiences that enable customers to sample several classic Jaguar cars in one day. These include the jaguar V12 Dilemma that compares the V12 Jaguar XJ-S with the V12 Jaguar E Type coupe.

Don’t let the chauffeur have all the fun on your wedding day

It’s the best day of your life and it’s all about you. So why is someone else driving that beautiful classic car on your wedding day? This is the question more and more couples ask as they ditch the chauffeur and switch to self drive wedding cars for their big day.

Great Escape Classic Car Hire, one of the largest self drive classic car rental companies in the UK, reports a significant increase in self drive wedding bookings compared to the same time last year. The company reports a 75% increase in this type of booking over 2008.

Self drive classic wedding car hire is the flexible and low cost alternative to hiring a chauffeur driven limousine and is proving increasing popular in these cash-strapped times. The credit crunch and the trend towards highly individual weddings appears to be behind the move towards self drive wedding car hire. Self drive gives couples the option of saloons, coupes and convertibles for transporting the Best Man and Groom and the family and bride to the church and on to the reception.

In a typical scenario the groom will hire a car like a white Jaguar E Type convertible to drive to the church with his Best Man and then whisk his wife away in it to the reception. Alongside the convertible the Bride and her Father hire a saloon, such as a Jaguar Mk2, which is driven by a family member or friend. This two-car arrangement would typically cost £700-800 with chauffeur hire but can be around half that with self drive hire. Self drive hire has the added bonus of being much more flexible because you don’t have to stick to strict waiting times. Companies like Great Escape hire their cars on a 24 hour basis so you also get plenty of time before the wedding to enjoy the cars.

“We are right at the start of the wedding booking season and already our self drive wedding bookings are much higher than the same time last year,” reports Graham Eason of Great Escape.

Great Escape operates a fleet of nearly 40 classic cars from locations in Suffolk, Worcestershire and Dorset. The company has developed its service for wedding couples to help make it even easier to build self drive hire into your big day. As well as a straightforward collection and return system from each base the company will also deliver and collect to local addresses or provide a low cost collection service after the wedding.

The Great Escape Classic Car Hire fleet includes classic cars from Aston Martin, Jaguar, Jensen, Triumph, Porsche, Rolls Royce, MG, Volkswagen, Ford, Mini and Morris. The cars range from the 1950s to 1990s and prices start at just £125.

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