MOTORING NEWS

Mark Slack tells us the latest news on all things motoring.

ACTOR, SIR MICHAEL CAINE’S FIRST CAR, HEADS TO AUCTION

Iconic British actor, Sir Michael Caine CBE’s, first ever car, a 1968 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Drophead Coupe with a fascinating history, is being offered for sale at auction this month at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

Having been treated to an extensive restoration by the current owner, Caine’s former car is now refinished in its original colour of Black. One of just 506 Silver Shadow Two-Door Drophead Coupes that were hand built by Rolls-Royce’s in-house coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward from 1967 – 1971, the car is estimated at between £100,000 - £150,000.

year ownership by infamous Gasworks restauranteur, Jack Leach, the car’s history is truly captivating and one which I’m sure will delight and fascinate the new owner.”

“Appearing in more than 160 films across seven decades, Sir Michael Caine is a true British icon, so it’s a pleasure to be able to offer his very first car for sale, which in itself is another great British classic,” comments Damian Jones, Senior Motorcar Specialist, H&H Classics. “From its original purchase by Sir Michael, and its subsequent 43-

In 1968, Caine wandered into the renowned Jack Barclay showroom on Berkeley Square, with a handwritten shopping list which read, “milk, bread, newspaper, cigarettes, Rolls-Royce.” Unkempt and unshaven, Caine was ushered off the premises, so he journeyed to Mayfair’s other Rolls-Royce dealership, H.A. Fox on Dover Street, where he found the Silver Shadow which had been taken into stock after the playwright and screenwriter, Terence Rattigan, cancelled his order for it.

Having bought the car, despite not having his own driving licence, the actor found it was much cheaper to employ a chauffeur than pay the premium his insurers quoted should he decide to go down the ‘L-plate’ route. The 35-year-old actor subsequently took great pleasure in being driven past the offending Jack Barclay salesman in his new car and flicking him a V-sign!

Less than two years later, the Silver Shadow was acquired by John Leonard Ernest Leach (Jack Leach), owner of the Gasworks restaurant in Fulham, which became a notorious hotspot for the rich and famous. A familiar sight on the Fulham and Kings roads for decades afterwards, Leach continued to own the car for the next 43-years until his death in 2013.

*Preliminary data. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption, CO₂ and equivalent electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Terms and conditions apply.

ROAD TEST: SKODA FABIA SE COMFORT –MORE PREMIUM THAN ITS PRICE SUGGESTS

Sometimes you find a car that while ostensibly a rather ordinary means of transport turns out to be something a bit special. Skoda’s Fabia has long been a feature of the Czech manufacturer’s sales lists and in its latest form drives much more premium than its price suggests and is full of clever touches typical of Skoda.

The Fabia range starts at £17,990 and offers decent standard equipment and some rather good power units. All bar one are 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol units with power outputs of 80PS, 95PS and 110PS with the two higher power engine variants being turbocharged. Then there is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit developing 150PS, again 3-cylinder.

Standard fare is decent on the entry level model and includes LED lights, Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, air conditioning, alloy wheels and a height adjustable driver’s seat. The previously mentioned clever little touches that set Skoda apart are such things as an ice scraper inside the fuel filler flap, clip in rubbish bags for the door pockets and an umbrella.

My test model was the lead-in SE Comfort trim with the lower power turbocharged 1.0-litre engine that develops 95PS and drives through a manual 5-speed gearbox.

Inside there’s pretty much everything you need in terms of modern creature comforts, although the rear manual windows are a surprise. Even on cost grounds it’s somewhat of a disparity when looking at the list of other standard equipment included in the Fabia.

On the road the Fabia is aimed more at comfort than handling but nonetheless is still capable of being very competently hustled along more twisting roads. My test model is priced at £18,350 and it feels more premium than the price suggests. Performance is modest but the Fabia doesn’t feel in any way hindered in its progress. This is helped by the 5-speed manual gearbox having wellchosen ratios and a light and easy shift. Push the throttle hard and there’s a characteristic thrum from the 3-cylinder engine that’s far from unpleasant. All this means that despite the small engine capacity the Fabia feels comfortable and long-legged.

Looking at its competitors the Skoda stacks up very well. Although it lacks the zesty performance feel of something like an Ibiza, it’s not necessarily a bad thing in a car that has to complete a myriad of travel duties. The Fabia is a car that I would be very happy to have on my driveway.

ROAD TEST: LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT - A MIX OF MODERN TECH AND OLD FASHIONED QUALITY

Since first emerging from the Rover car company in 1947, as a prototype with a central driving position, Land Rover has been synonymous with off-road prowess. In fact the last Defender still owed much to its immediate post-war cousin.

Of course today the talk is still all about Defender, but this time in its newest form. Which brings me neatly on to talk about a completely different Land Rover!

The Discovery Sport, although having a trendy, upmarket image, is in today’s terms reasonably affordable. Prices for the range start at £34,480, and if that seems somewhat less than cheap, well I have recently been driving a Toyota RAV4 that’s listed at £35,500.

The other thing that surprises with the Discovery Sport is a lead-in model with twowheel-drive. More SUVs come in two-wheeldrive than four nowadays but a two-wheeldrive Land Rover still comes as surprise.

My particular Discovery Sport was the aforementioned lead-in model with twowheel-drive, turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel engine and manual transmission. The easy way to tell a Sport from a standard Discovery is not only the size but the Sport doesn’t have that, to some, rather annoying offset rear number plate. The Sport coms with both petrol and diesel options along with Mild Hybrid Electric assistance and Plug-in Hybrid Electric assistance.

The lead-in Discovery Sport may come at a surprisingly affordable price but of course, by the time you’ve ticked some option boxes the price can climb quicker than a Land Rover up a mountain. It’s far from difficult to add well into four figures purely on optional extras..

That said the standard, although it is rather more than that, specification is pretty decent with heated front seats, auto lights and wipers, heated and powered door mirrors, auto dimming rear view mirrors, dual zone climate control, cruise control, front and rear parking aids, tyre pressure monitoring system and Android Auto and Apple Car Play. As one would expect there’s also a panoply of safety kit and a myriad of other standard features.

Reliability has to be mentioned as there’s much talk about the lack of it with Land Rovers. While I know people who have had issues, equally I know many that have experienced no issues whatsoever.

Despite my Discovery on having power to the front wheels it felt highly effective and confidence inspiring. Inside the Land Rover it’s a very nice place to be, a mix of modern tech and quality materials. Good power delivery, smooth gear changes and decent handling are the hallmarks of what is an impressive machine.

Diamond Cut Alloy Wheel Refurbishment Offer At Poole Audi

Bring your vehicle back to life with our Diamond Cut Alloy Wheel Refurbishment Offer. For just £99 per wheel, we’ll remove scuffs and scratches, restore the appearance of your wheels, and improve the resale value of your vehicle. This special offer is available for all makes and models, and can be booked online at pooleaudi.co.uk/alloy or by calling 01202 983727.

So why wait? Take advantage of this opportunity to save money and give your vehicle the love it deserves.

Terms and conditions apply. Available for drop and leave appointments only. Not available with any other offer, and offer may be changed or withdrawn at any time. Not applicable for wheels damaged beyond the point of refurbishment, we will advise following a visual inspection of the wheel.

To find out more, visit pooleaudi.co.uk.

The very modern phenomenon of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) has been fuelling an increase in footfall at traditional used car dealerships, according to the boss of the UK’s largest independent retailer of nearly new cars and vans.

Mark Carpenter, CEO of Motorpoint, was responding to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders latest used car market data, which showed an 8.5% decline in 2022 vs 2021.

And he said the drop in sales volumes, caused by subdued consumer confidence and supply chain problems in the new car sector, was bringing about change in the buying habits of customers.

According to Carpenter, there had been a marked increase in showroom traffic as rising interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis led many car buyers to revert back to the comfort zone of more traditional, physical retail environment.

Customers, he said, are ‘treasure-hunting’ as they aim to make their money stretch as far as it can while seeking the reassurance that comes from browsing stock in person, touching and test driving the cars they’re interested in and dealing with a real sales person.

Carpenter said: “The last 12 months have been challenging for everyone in automotive retail and the used car sector is no different, but there are green shoots of recovery as we start to see new car supply filter through. Our average prices have come down by around 10-15% over the last quarter and the whole market feels like it’s returning to a state of normality. One very interesting outcome of the turmoil of the past 12 months has been the resurgence in showroom sales vs online sales.”

01202 775050 | www.pooleaudi.co.uk

Words by Mark Slack