The year was 2005 and my parents were coming up to their milestone 70th wedding anniversary.

The family got together to discuss what we could do to mark this auspicious occassion and the first option we looked at was the age old tradition of using a listed material. Unfortunately, the celebration material for reaching 70 years of wedlock was a disappointing platinum. Not an unpleasant metal in itself but still just a metal.

We discussed a surprise party with a platinum coloured theme. This was rejected as being not so easy or special! In fact, a surprise party hardly seemed like a good idea at all. After 70 years parties are no surprise. We wanted something more tailored to themselves. Something to mark the occassion more memorably was called for so we did a little research.

It turns out that our parents had got married in a beautiful little church in the Scottish countryside. This was not only where they lived for the early part of their marriage but where they both grew up to work at the Rolly Royce factory in Hillington. Whilst looking to hire a wedding car, their boss had kindly lent them the Rolls Royce Limousine Cockshoot.

This gave us an idea of a step back in time theme for their wedding anniversary. We found the church was still functioning and booked a blessing for them. We even booked them a couple of nights in a very old nearby hotel. But we were still looking for something a little more special.

My parents had moved before my siblings and I came along to a town 50 miles away from Hillington and were still there now so we decided to look at special ways of getting them to their blessing. We decided luxury car hire was the way to go and researched wedding cars on the internet. Many choices were available for wedding car hire and we managed to find a 1930 Rolls Royce Limousine Cockshoot in primrose and black. We felt this would be quite special as there are only two originals left in existence.

Things couldn’t have gone better. On the day, the wedding car hire company turned up at my parents house to whisk them off to the church. It turned out that this was exactly how they first met! Both of my parent s were working on the very first Cockshoot vehicle ever made when they met. Thanks to the restoration and care the wedding car hire company had paid to this vehicle my parents were able to have a wedding anniversary to remember.

Expert chauffeur Shaun Parker looks into the use of wedding car hire for other occassions. To find out more please visit http://www.aaexecutive.co.uk/

A new BMW is a treasure not to be touched. Built to perfection, there is nothing that can be done to improve it and neither should you try.

However, buy a used BMW from an approved dealership and the world is your oyster to customise and personalise with as much bling as your bank account sees fit.

Many BMW fans have started down the road of personalising their used BMW and, realising the attention it draws from onlookers, they become positively obssessed. Starting with replacing plastic interior trims for chrome trim is a relatively cheap way to start. Door handle covers, inside and out, trunk lid trim, gauge rings and light trims can all be replaced with chrome alternatives as well as gear knobs and tax disc holders.

Aluminium chequer plate mats for the footwells are a popular addition among the younger used BMW owners, along with replacement metal foot pedals. However, once they get this far they then want to draw attention to the adaptations they are making and begin to think about lighting. LED footwell lighting is a start to draw attention to those aluminium plate mats.

An interior is not completely souped up without consideration to the upholstery. Sports seats, harnesses, leather seats and leather trim in various colourways are all optional extras to make your BMW personal.

This obsession soon migrates to the sounds emitted from their used BMW and a new sound system is a must. CD changers, if not already installed, are a must. The latest banging tunes are a definite head turner. And where better to install mega wattage colour coded speakers than in the boot, the aluminium lined boot , that is.

But what is the point of all this if the exterior doesn’t look the business? Custom paint jobs are an attractive look that are the ultimate in customization. Virtually any design can be transferred onto the vehicle body and for those for whom money is no object, Swarovski crystals will bling up that BMW to an absolutely star studded head turning creation.

Staying with the exterior, a plethora of alloy wheel trims can be fitted at a reasonably low cost. Body kits and suspension lowering systems for low ground clearance will really soup up your used BMW. Once again, the right lighting is essential and LED is the way to go. Angel eyes ring marker, or halo lights, will install a ring of light around the existing light and can be used in a choice of different colours.

LED ground lighting kits are made from polycarbonate which is the same virtually indestructible material that riot shields are composed of.

So, you’ve purchased your used BMW from an approved dealership which means you know you’re getting a sound investment to start with. Now to customise it!

Picture this. The seats are replaced with sports seats covered in Imola Red leather. This matches the red leather trim on the doors and red LED lights illuminating the aluminium clad footwells. Light bounces from every chromed surface on the interior and as you fire up the souped up, customized engine on comes the sounds. With the bass thumping out from the aluminium lined boot you flick on the exterior lights. LED angel eyes and downlighters emit a warm red glow, just enough to show off your black paint job, applied with the highest shine possible of course. The headlights from other cars are picking out your personally designed picture, composed entirely of red Swarovski crystals on the bonnet and you cruise off down the road turning every head, young and old.

Expert BMW enthusiast Shaun Parker looks into the choices for the cutomisation of a used BMW to make it unique. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/

Because of the way a BMW will hold its value, most used BMW’s are re-sold but, like anything, they do have a life span and at the end of that they’re on the scrapheap.

Or are they?

BMW are the most environmentally friendly car manufacturer in existence. Their South Carolina plant in the US has been named a charter member of the US Environmental Protection Agencys National Performance Track. They have recieved this prestigious accolade because of their recycling initiative when it comes to used BMW’s.

A recycling centre for used BMW’s at the end of their life has won the 1992 Best Recycling Innovation Award. 85% of a scrapped vehicle is recyclable, going back into creating the next BMW on the production line. The other 15% is re-used. Tyres are sent to cement kilns for fuel and even paint sludge is used as waste energy. Outside recycling companies used are subject to regular audits from BMW to ensure they are doing exactly what they claim to.

But the environmental concerns of this company are not confined to used BMW’s. It starts right at the beginning. The BMW South Carolina plant is leading the way in protecting the very air that we breath. Before building even began on their factory, consultants and experts were brought in to assess the risk of construction on surrounding wetlands and wildlife. Bird and bat houses were installed in surrounding woodland as well as an on site butterfly garden.

The South Carolina Plant of BMW is called the Information Technology Research Centre and in itself is a green building. Wherever possible, environmentally friendly materials have been used and every supplier involved with the construction project was subjected to sustainability evaluations to ensure they complied with the BMW environmental ethos.

Long term assessments from BMW have found that the company produces 17.8 million pounds worth of waste per year but through an aggressive recycling programme across the board, 14 million of that waste was recycled.

All 3,600 tonnes of cardboard that goes through the BMW plant every year is recycled along with all paper, every piece of scrap metal, all surplus wood, plastic, rubber, paint sludge, fluorescent light tubes and oil.
Its all very well being able to recycle the waste products of a business but what about the environmental impact of actually using the materials not wasted? BMW have taken this into account too, actively moving forward in all aspects.

Their landfill gas to energy project is years ahead of rival companies. Where other companies create energy at the landfill site then project it down wires to their business, thus creating more emissions, BMW use local landfill sites and pipe the methane gas directly to the plant. This process fuels 23 paint shop oven burners and supplies BMW with 63% of its total energy needs. The reduction in carbon monoxide emissions is equivalent to taking 61,000 cars off the US highway every year.

Moving down the production line, reducing the water used in the BMW factory was an area of concern, specifically in the paint shop. A reduction of 10% was aimed for but 30% was the actual achievement saving 9.5 million gallons of water per year. This equates to enough water to supply every single citizen in the US with a 4oz glass of water.

Down to the very last detail, BMW is forging ahead with looking after the environment. From recycling their rags to make insulation under the interior of their vehicles to ensuring food and drink containers in their canteen are bio-degradeable, it is so much more than just recycling a used BMW.

Expert environmentalist Shaun Parker looks into the used BMW re-cycling scheme at the South Carolina plant. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/

The prancing horse is one of the most recognisable symbols in the entire world. It represents speed, performance and in most cases wealth. This can be seen as a reason why Ferrari merchandise is so popular, as people like to be associated with such attributes.

Ferrari has been at the pinnacle of motor sport for the last half century and beyond, its racing division has experienced almost constant success rarely failing to finish on the podium at the end of the season.

This is why the Ferrari has the biggest following of all racing teams and probably the most enthusiastic.
Ferrari merchandise sells readily worldwide due to the recognisable symbol and the fan’s desires to be seen wearing the colours and symbols of a company that demands respect.

Ferrari takes its name from the legendry founder Enzo Ferrari. He founded the company on the basis of creating racing cars and sponsoring drivers to bring the Italian nation pride in motor sport under the name of Scuderia Ferrari. This was Enzo’s passion and he only moved to creating street legal cars twenty years after the company’s conception purely to fund more racing.

Today Ferrari has been sold to Fiat but it still produces cars of the highest quality and performance. Nothing is jeopardised when Ferrari build a car, from the lightweight alloy chassis and fibreglass panelling to the merchandise such as the Ferrari toolbox and watch that comes with the purchase of such a fine car. Testament to the principle of performance; Ferrari cars above all benefit from their racing heritage, cars are constantly reverse engineered from the company’s racing division.

The latest supercar to be released with the usual heraldry of huge press interest and conjoined merchandise was rapturously accepted by the worlds motoring fraternity. Named after the company’s founder it was given the title of the Ferrari Enzo.

Engineered using technology from the Formula 1 team and with the help of unrivalled champion Michael Schumacher the car is the closest thing you can get to a Formula 1 car on the road. Consisting mostly of carbon fibre and with a semi-automatic sequential gearbox it brings the driver an awesome driving experience.

This experience however comes at a price; originally only built in a limited edition of 349 for existing Ferrari owners 50 more were later built. Today they sell at around 500,000 pounds at auction. At that price seemingly the closest most of us will ever get to owning one is to purchase the merchandise.

In the world of Formula 1 racing Ferrari have experienced unimaginable success, this could be down to the apparent luck that the prancing horse brings. So the story goes that when Enzo Ferrari won the Savio, Ravenna race in 1923 he met the mother of Italy’s most celebrated fighter ace Francesco Baracca. Enzo asked if he could put the fighter’s symbol, a red prancing horse on a white cloud on his racing car for good luck, she agreed and the rest is history.

Enzo changed the colour of the horse to black as a mark of respect for the pilot who had eventually been downed in action, also changing the background to yellow, the colour of his home town, Modena. Today the prancing horse is instantly recognisable and emblazoned on all manor of merchandise, from pens to lighters, sat-navs to bikes.

The motif is also present as the coat of arms for the city of Stuttgart, which explains why Porsche, who are based in the city, also adopted the horse as its logo and placed it all over its own merchandise. This also explains why Enzo adopted the name Scuderia Ferrari, as the literal translation of both Stuttgart and Scuderia is stud farm.

Named in Italian as the cavallino rampante (prancing horse)it represents one of the finest motor car companies on the planet, a global brand with enough savvy to use its emblem to sell merchandise to the many Ferrari fans worldwide.

Shaun Parker is a Ferrari enthusiast who has purchased much of the Ferrari merchandise range. To find out more please visit http://ferrari.official-merchandise.com

Peugeot and Vauxhall car manufacturers have had mixed success over the years but today are both so far up on the popularity list that some suppliers have decided to combine the two into joint Peugeot and Vauxhall dealerships.

Peugeot have enjoyed steady success since their inception into the motor industry in 1898 with their steam powered tricycle, considered the first automobile, and Vauxhall have played a very triumphant game of catch up.

Jean Pequinot Peugeot originally enjoyed success building water mills but not content with this, and using his obsession with wheels and cogs, he and his company then went on to produce coffee grinders, razors, sewing machines, roasting spits, watch springs, clocks, garden furniture (not sure how that fits!), saws, bicycles, tricycles and gramophones.

In the early years of Peugeot a gold engraver was commissioned with designing the lion trademark for steel articles manufactured in Peugeot Brothers factories. The durability, quickness and suppleness of a lion is comparable to that of steel and so the company logo was born.

With a similar looking beast representing the Vauxhall, the Griffin is based on the coat of arms of Fulk Le Breant, a mercenary soldier who, on marriage, was granted the Manor of an area of London, later known as Vauxhall. It also turns out that he had the Manor of Luton for services to King John and is therefore connected to both areas of Vauxhall production.

Peugeot did struggle at first in the bicycle market against the British but after stirring up some patriotic fervour, many competitors for the Paris – Nantes race in 1889 chose to use Peugeot cycles and were on the first five across the finishing line. Still riding on this success, the company endeavoured to set up a car hire firm in 1898 but this failed dismally.

Around the same time, Vauxhall were still building pumps and marine engines in Vauxhall, London. Their first car was released in 1903 swiftly followed in 1905 by the company’s move to Luton where they were well known for their sporty looking cars. General Motors bought the company in 1925 and their sporty look was tamed into a more conservative American styling.

Peugeot took over with the sports influence and began their life-long move into the world of Motorsport winning the Monte Carlo rally in 1931. Rallies and races all over the world have seen Peugot take the lead right up to today with races now being won in the Peugeot 908. This has kept them in the spotlight and Peugeot have enjoyed steady success.

Vauxhall have not found things so easy. Even with the Calibra Coupe of 1989, which was officially the most aerodynamic car in the world at the time, they have still struggled to overcome their reputation for corrosion.

However, it can’t possibly be all bad. They are now closer than ever to Ford in terms of sales figures and with their latest models veering back into sports mode they are becoming ever popular among the young. Personally, I have owned two Vauxhalls over the last 10 years. A Cavalier which proved to be very reliable and an Astra 2.0 which was a fantastic little car but did earn me 6 points for speeding!

Despite the differences in their history, Peugeot cars and Vauxhall cars are now on a par with each other to the point where dealerships are happy to combine the two.

Car expert Shaun Parker looks into the Peugeot and Vauxhall dealerships combined success. To find out more please visit http://www.dickensgroup.com/

The Stig is the unidentified test driver of vehicles on the favourite BBC Sunday night programme, Top Gear. So far unbeaten, The Stig’s laptimes are breathtaking.

However, he came very close to being beaten last Sunday by Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton performed a lap in 1 minute 44.6 seconds in wet, oily conditions. This came in at a mere .2 of a second behind The Stigs 1 minute and 44.4. And his performance was in dry conditions.

Lewis Hamilton has thrown down the gauntlet to The Stig with a challenge for both drivers to compete in the same weather conditions.

Fans of Top Gear will undoubtedly have joined the debate over the true identity of The Stig. William Hill bookmakers have stunt driver Russ Swift as the hot favourite at odds of 2/1 with Damon Hill at 4/1. Ben Collins is a little known racer who has appeared on Top Gear as part of a parachuting stunt and this led to speculation over whether or not he was the secret Stig. However, bookies surmise that at just over 6′ tall, Collins does not fit the bill.

Maybe they are all wrong. Personally, I think The Stig is a woman. I mean, you only have to look at the driving skills coupled with the fact that there is a definite lack of accidents. It’s well known that women have far fewer accidents than men. Maybe its Sandy Togsvig or Dame Judi Dench? Well, anything is possible. Maybe that’s why they won’t reveal The Stig’s identity because it would dispel all myths about women drivers!

The Stig has set some of his best lap times in BMW’s. With an amazingly rapid 1 minute 26 seconds in the BMW Z4M, closely followed by 1 minute 28 seconds in a BMW M3 CSL, this has to be one of his favourite cars. With its smooth handling, precision cornering and ultimate power, all the BMW’s tested by The Stig have come in at under 1 minute and 32 seconds per lap.

Viewers of this week’s Top Gear would also have been among the first to witness the test drive of a new BMW currently being developed. This BMW is unique in the fact that on board computers can ‘learn’ a route and then drive itself. After only one drive around the track by presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the car was able to memorize the route and then take over.

Looking petrified, Clarkson let go of the wheel, removed his feet from the pedals and shrieked as the BMW took off, braking at the last minute on bends. The BMW completed the lap leaving Clarkson in one piece. However, the general feeling was that it would be extremely difficult to trust this on the road. Not due to any problem with the car but simply human nature to want to be in control of such power.

So, Top Gear team, make the Hamilton challenge more interesting. Let’s see The Stig take on Lewis Hamilton and a woman driver, in dry conditions, in a BMW.

Motor racing expert Shaun Parker looks at lap times set in a BMW by a TV celebrity. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/