Conference terri::cars_uk

    There is a standard fiddle which some manufacturers do, which is to
    supply a stack of UK spec cars to C.I. hire companies in time for the
    summer hire season. This gives them volume before the August letter
    change, when nobody in the UK in their right mind is buying cars,
    unless they get a crucifying discount. These cars are sold with a
    guaranteed buy-back price at the end of the season, which is why car
    hire on the C.I. is such good value. They then come back to the UK, and
    on to the recent-second-hand market in October-November time, when the
    August glut has dissipated.
    
    They will not have been thrashed - C.I. speed limits are 40mph - and
    will not be high mileage - there is nowhere far away to go - so should
    be reasonable value. Ask to look at trhe registration document, which
    should show the car's antecedents. 
    
    Steve

    I've seen 100s of Metros parked round the back of the Blackbushe car
    auction and been told that these are ex-C.I.
    
    - Richard 
    
    

      I'm not sure of the name of the garage, but there is one near
    Aldershot/Ash where the A321 meets the Aldershot - Guildford road near
    the Hog's Back. They are a Ford dealer, and have a steady supply of
    these cars. My next-door neighbour bought an XR3i from them that had
    done 1500 miles in 18 months. It may be less risky than buying from an
    auction.

    Grayson's in Winchester (0962-855179) have had C.I. cars in times past,
    and good value they have seemed to be.  Don't know whether they have
    any currently, but on our experience they (Grayson's) are to be
    trusted.
    

    Thank you all for the useful information... and keep it coming, if
    there's any more to be had!

    Ceri

    My wife bought an ex-CI car, from a local dealer. It was a Metro. It
    had low mileage. 
    
    The dealer (a small Rover outlet) told her that Rover hold auctions
    which consist solely of these vehicles, the auction being open only to
    Rover dealers.
    
    The auction was aparently in Manchester.
    
    The clue is the registration document, and the 'service history'
    booklet. In my wife's booklet the selling dealer was one in St. Helier.
    
    Graham
    
    It has been a good car, but I would recommend taking out the extended
    warranty. (I suppose I would recommend this anyway, because my wife's
    car had to have a new water pump fitted, and it did't cost a penny).
    
    Graham

Do the cars keep their channel island plates, or are they re-registered on
the mainland?

Scott

    They are re-registered on the mainland. In the past they would get
    'brand new' numbers, but now they will get numbers appropriate to their
    real age (a topic discussed in other notes in this conference).
    
    For example, my wife's car is an 'F' registration, but was registered
    in this country after the 'G' registrations came out (after August
    1989). It got the 'F' letter because it was first on the road in the CI
    in January 1989.
    
    Graham

    Gowerings in Newbury had some of these cars a couple of months ago -
    not sure if its a regular thing though. They are Ford dealers.
    
    Lisa.
    

    
    Avis car hire do a special package for members of the public who
    wish to buy vehicles from there fleet of hire vehicles from the
    main land and from the Channel Islands.
    
    These cars are usually between two and three thousand pounds cheaper
    they also provide a booklet advising you where and when the next sale
    or auction of there fleets will be held.
    
                                Alan..
    

    re-1
    
    The law has just changed (in Jersey anyway) regarding buying ex hire
    cars and importing them into the UK.
    
    Grant 

    RE: -1
    
    Would you care to expand on that?
    
    Laurie.

re-1

I was in Jersey a few weeks ago and I was told by a resident that the law had
just changed as for what the new law is I have no idea.

Grant