Motoring News – Simply Registrations

Supercar Superstar? Simply Registrations Appears on TV

If you’re a fan of fast and stylish supercars, you may well have caught the recent Channel 4 programme, Supercars: The Million Pound Motors, that graced our screens on the 8th April this year. The more eagle-eyed among you may also have noticed a familiar face paying the Tom Hartley dealership a visit – yes, that’s right, Simply Registrations’ very own James Saperia.

James had joined a group of members from Supercar Driver, when they headed to the dealership in Swadlincote to see what was on offer for these keen supercar owners & collectors. Simply Registrations’ 5 seconds of fame showed Carl Hartley, son of Tom Hartley Senior, chatting to James as he sets out to prove that he’s ready to step into his dad’s shoes and start selling supercars, rather than just being involved in the buying process.

Carl can be heard saying to James: “So all I’m saying is, if you want to buy it you can – if you don’t want to, I’ve got it for sale anyway.”

Is James about to buy a Ferrari?!

Well, who wouldn’t, given the right opportunity?! But alas, I’m sorry to report that James wasn’t negotiating a deal on his very own supercar, but was actually discussing something more in line with his own business interests… a cherished number plate.

Tom Hartley Cars had recently taken a vehicle into stock that came complete with a personalised registration, and although the edit didn’t show this clearly, that was the actual focus of the conversation caught on camera! Carl, knowing that James works in this field, was seeing if he wanted to do a deal on the private number plate – rather than a car itself.

So while I’d love to reveal that the next time you see James, it’ll be behind the wheel of a Bentley, Lamborghini or something just as super, I’m afraid that the conversation’s context wasn’t really quite clear. No new car for James just yet.

As for the number plate in question… James decided it wasn’t the right kind of registration to have and hold onto until a buyer came along, but we feel sure that Carl’s well-taught selling skills will clinch a sale soon enough.

British Number Plates to be Scrapped?

A European Union proposal to introduce a standard design for all European number plates will not be supported by the UK Government. Several national newspapers including the Daily Express and the Daily Mail broke the news claiming British number plates could be axed. The legislation being worked on by a Dutch Liberal Democrat MEP suggests vehicles across EU member states should all display number plates in common colours.

Fears among British motorists, including some who paid large amounts of money for the rights to display personalised registrations, were evident following an influx of telephone calls and emails to cherished number dealers. The Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) responded with the following statement:

“We are aware of today’s articles regarding the EU proposal to standardise the design of vehicle registration numbers. The Agency has been advised by Department for Transport that there are no proposals being drawn up by the EU Commission to introduce a European standardised number plate format. Neither the Commission nor any other EU countries are pursuing this idea. It is just one MEP suggesting that the Commission could consider this idea in the future. The UK Government does not support this amendment; the idea is not going to go anywhere.”

Private number plate enthusiasts called the EU proposal ‘garbage’.

Considering sales of personalised registrations raises almost one hundred million pounds of revenue for HM Treasury every year, it is not surprising officials in Westminster are against the proposal. British motorists are legally required to display number plates on their vehicles to comply with The Motor Car Act 1903; one of the main purposes of the Act is to help identify vehicles and their drivers.

Simply Registrations partners with Supercar Driver

With cherished number plates being our passion, it makes sense that we’ve also got a genuine interest in cars too. With this in mind, we’re delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Supercar Driver (SCD), the North of England’s premier members club for owners of supercars.

SCD is an exclusive club, with members all being proud owners of beautiful examples of fast and powerful cars; think Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, McLaren and other well known marques that represent prestige and performance. The club gives members the opportunity to take part in track days, view private collections, attend rallies and meet up to discuss the many aspects of supercar ownership.

A Super Opportunity

Here at Simply Registrations, we don’t just know our cherished number plates; we’re also well versed in Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) procedures and the intricacies of registration transfers & retention applications. By joining this active community and partnering with SCD, we’ll be able to offer our expertise and advice to all members and assist them in sourcing the ideal private number plate to complement their cars. Finding a number plate to reflect an owner’s name or interests isn’t always easy, but we can help them to identify the right combination to add that finishing touch to their pride and joy.

As part of our affiliation with SCD, I will be attending certain member events so that supercar owners can talk to me directly. I will happily answer any questions and offer my advice free of charge, giving attendees at these events the chance to discover the latest information and matters of interest in the world of private number plates and hear up-to-date news and developments from the DVLA.

Are you a Supercar owner?

If you’re interested in finding out more, you can visit the Supercar Driver website and if you own one of their qualifying cars, you can apply for membership of this bespoke club and have the chance to come to one of their forthcoming events. You can get a taste of what goes on at the meetings by watching SCD-TV on YouTube and can also connect on Facebook and Twitter too.

Simply Registrations is delighted to have been accepted by SCD as their preferred industry partner. We can’t wait to meet with the members of Supercar Driver and look forward to working with this exclusive organisation.

What is the new DVLA Integrated Enquiries Platform?

As many readers will be aware, the DVLA are currently developing and introducing new digital platforms in an effort to streamline their services and improve processes. One such digital system is the new Integrated Enquiries Platform, or IEP, which is being designed to make car insurance quotations much quicker and allow UK drivers to access details held about them without needing to deal directly with the DVLA. With the capacity to handle heavy traffic (pardon the pun), the IEP will provide a central enquiry platform which can also be used by approved organisations and the public sector.

How will the IEP help drivers looking to renew their insurance?

The IEP will hold up-to-date information on every licensed driver, including their full driving history, which will eliminate the need to provide this information to insurance companies every time you request a quotation. With this central point of reference, insurers will be able to supply prospective customers with a more efficient service and more accurate quotes, while simultaneously stopping less honest individuals from applying with false information – hopefully leading to safer roads and enhanced protection for everyone.

In addition to the above, the IEP also means that you’ll be able to check details for your own reference; you’ll be able to make sure that the DVLA has the right address for you and if you have any penalties on your licence.

Is your data safe?

With any complex digital system, the real challenge is always going to be keeping such a large amount of data safe – and it’s only natural that some drivers will be feeling a little uncomfortable about the possibility of unauthorised individuals being able to access their personal details. With strict rules governing the sharing of confidential data, it’s vital that the DVLA ensure that this aspect of the system is robust and reliable.

With that said however, such a large organisation will be well aware of dangers and the DVLA have offered the reassurance that strict data controls will be in place to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Of course there are other concerns that could come to the fore too; hackers breaking their way into the system or the discovery that your details haven’t been uploaded correctly – which could subsequently inflate your insurance quotes. Hopefully, with the IEP being subject to rigorous user testing before its roll-out, all of these worries will be allayed and this new digital platform will prove to be a positive experience all round.

New Fixed Penalty Notices for Motoring Offences

The government has today announced new measures for the way certain motoring offences are to be handled. From July 2013 police will be able to punish motorists who hog the middle lane of the motorway by way of an on-the-spot fine. If you are caught driving whilst using a phone, or if you fail to wear a seatbelt you will be handed a £100 fine.

Further details of the new fixed penalties are shown in the image below:

“Careless drivers are a menace and their negligence puts innocent people’s lives at risk” said Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.

“That is why we are making it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers by allowing them to immediately issue a fixed penalty notice rather than needing to take every offender to court.”

For more information on this story you can click through to the Department for Transport table of changes for motoring fixed penalty offences: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204614/fpn-table-new-levels.pdf