Who is that Highwayman ?

I am not playing at being a Highwayman (irritation of the eye from my accident 6 years ago) but someone else was a highwayman last year……

Can you remember what George Osbourne announced about car Tax all that time ago, is it highway robbery.

I have been reading up on it, as it’s all change from April 1st and over time this will affect 99% of us who drive a non-electric car as road fund licence changes drastically for cars registered from April 1st this year.

Even our 1.0 Fiesta which has a nil road fund licence now will go up to costing £540 for the first 4 years driving. 

Being as most cars get a hefty hike in road fund licence, Ford have come up with some great offers to incentivise anyone looking to change their car this year to do it early, before March 31st.

For example, we have just advertised a New Fiesta Zetec on Facebook for Just

£9995, It’s been many year’s since we have been able to get below £10,000 on a car that is not a basic model, this example can only be achieved for cars registered before January 31st though, so you must move quickly to get this offer. That’s £3550 saving.

On the Ford Focus we have examples of over £5500 in savings if you take the £4000 deposit contribution into account, I won’t list them all here but there are fantastic offers across the range.

0% finance is also available on most our models now, with threats of interest rates rising in the future, this is a great way to locking your interest rate now for the term of the agreement, once we have agreed the rate it is fixed for the term, so why not benefit from this before March 31st and not only get the low road fund licence but lock your finance to 0%. See the example below.

So far, I have talked about it all happening before the end of March, but now it says January! And I will explain

1. All manufacturers and motor industry bodies are predicting January to March being the biggest new car market ever and this will cause a shortage of cars, so if you want a car for March order now.

2. There is a change to company car tax on April 1st as well as road fund licence so a lot of companies are getting their orders in now, this is not helping stock issues, there is a lot more to choose from in January.

3. We would always like to supply you with what you would like, not what we have available and leaving it until February or March will be too late.

4. We have some extra bonuses in January, so prices are a lot more attractive, for example the Fiesta offer above we cannot do in February or March it will be £400 more if there is any stock left.

So here is the difference that the road fund licence makes

We now have the best SUV line up Ford has ever produced, with the Ecosport, New 2017 Kuga (yes it’s changed) and the Ford Edge, all these cars have up to £1500 deposit contribution from Ford credit and they have a 0% offer available.

We also have some demonstrators of these SUV’s for sale with some great savings available

Ford Edge Sport 2.0 TDci Powershift Automatic with extras of LED Headlights, Front Camera, Panoramic roof Active Park Assist and Blind spot recognition in Ruby Red, the new car price for this is £40,075 we now have this for sale for £32,000

Save over £8000.00

This Kuga 2.0 TDci Titanium X 180ps, All wheel drive when it feels the need, has a wealth of extra equipment Active city stop, Appearance Pack, Convienience Pack, Family Pack, Sync 2 DAB Navigation, 19” Alloys and rear view camera, the price new £32,205 Now just 4 months old £26000

Save over £6000.00

We also have demonstrator Fiesta and Focus (over £7500 savings on some Focus) for sale that must go this January and will all have the benefit of the lower road fund licence, just call in for details.

For more information on any of these offers our phone numbers are at the base of each page, or email Jeff or Scott at Bicester Ford on 01869 323272   jeff@bicesterford.co.uk or James at Buckingham Ford on 01280 812121 james@buckinghamford.co.uk 

We hope to see you really soon.

Regards

   Ian

PS Don’t forget, If you were considering changing your car this year, January could be the month for you.

PPS Your part exchange will be worth more in January than any other time this year.

Start Your engines

Google driving you round the bend?
 
Well in this case, it’s actually true!
 
That’s right, Google have produced their very own self-driven cars with a ‘friendly face’.
 
The cute looking prototypes simply have a start and stop button, making them literally the modern day horse and cart…without the horse!
 
The car is limited to 25mph (sigh) and works on laser and radar sensors to navigate around the streets.
 
The technology is something quite mind-boggling, but the real question surrounding this new break-through is: do we want one?
 
You can just picture Jeremy Clarkson’s face…’no gear box, no speed, no appeal!’. I must admit the thought of doing nothing to get from A to B would be the same mundane experience I get whilst riding the peasant wagon (the public bus)!
 
The political nature of this discovery would be a no brainer, bringing an end to fatal car crashes and boy racers doing donuts round the McDonalds car park!
 
But the idea of machine being in control over man brings peculiar repercussions of Demolition Man or I Robot to mind.
 
And I for one am not ready for an Apocalyptic, Terminator style, Judgement day!
 
Okay that’s my imagination running wild, but that feeling of freedom and the control you have whilst driving is like no other.
 
So Mr Google, no deal. But on the other hand, if you install a driver mode as an option, that really would be some food for thought…
 
For more information on this article, let me steer you to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27587558

March 1st 2014, lots of great new cars leaving us today

It is March the first already, and yes it does seem like it was Christmas last week.

Well it's Christmas agin for some of our customers as they pick up their shiney new 14 registered cars, from James at Buckingham Ford. And there are lots more going out this month.

Thank you

We are trying our hardest to give two cars away

This car is sitting in Buckingham Garden centre, and is the prize if you can find Santa’s missing reindeer; we have even left you a clue on the entry form at the garden centre.

As you know we like to keep things local, and just like the garden centre we employ a lot of local people, putting our money back in to the local economy as important to us both, as looking after local customers to the best of our abilities.

We have joined in this promotion, in an attempt to keep it local and are both giving away some extra special gifts before Christmas, If you come into either of our branches before Christmas you will be given a voucher for the other company (even if you come in for a free winter check), and could win some great prizes, but the amazing thing is there is a prize every time.

In the showroom at both dealerships we have a second car to win, we have a stack of presents under our Christmas trees, all you have to do is guess correctly there value, its not that hard as we have given you a hint to them when you come in, If you test drive or buy a car before 20th December you will have multiple attempts to win this great Fiesta worth over £10.000.


Are you missing our Facebook competitions, we have given away some great prizes, and announced some great promotions on Facebook this year, if you don’t want to miss out go and like our pages there, and if you don’t use Facebook ask you children or a member of the family that does to do it for you, and they can make you aware when we are having a mad moment and giving it all away.

www.facebook.com/buckinghamford
www.facebook.com/bicesterford

Guest Blogger looses his choons

"The digital radio changeover has caused concern ever since the UK Government announced the plan to switch off all analogue radio bandwidths in the Digital Economy Act of 2010. So...
DAB radio, is it the future? Crackle free, hiss free and on the ascent, is DAB radio right for you? The audio equivalent of TV's Freeview it gives bright crisp sound and access to additional stations.
But is it for you? Check out my handy dandy "5 reasons to install a DAB radio in your dashboard" guide!

1) The full Digital Radio switcheroo is planned to happen in approximately two years; all new cars must be digitally enabled by the switch so if you have an older analogue FM/MW/AM radio you may no longer be able to nod along to your fave choons.

2) Sound quality is clearer than FM, AM or MW radio, or there's simply no reception. Meaning you only get the stations that are providing the best signals. No more hiss and splutter and DJs sounding like they're broadcasting from beneath the Atlantic. It won't stop the cheesy jokes and smug tone though!

3) Is this familiar? "Oh who's this? Whassername? You know she did, lahhh dah, deee dah..." well with DAB radios you can forget not knowing who is playing. DAB radios show you what song is playing and who the artist is. So no more fumbling for your phone trying to get an internet signal to try and get Shazam to work.

4) "Internet Radio will be here soon", yes smartphones can get Internet Radio, but with patchy 3G coverage DAB radio offers more sustained signal across a wider area. If you have ever travelled into London on the Portsmouth to Waterloo line you'll know this. It's the 21st century and you can barely keep a normal mobile phone signal let alone a data connection and stream radio.

5) Some aftermarket DAB car radios also have iPod adaptors, and a host of modern features not found on older analogue FM receiver units. So you get an upgrade, an iPhone docking/charging station and maybe something super cool like USB connectivity to play MP3s direct from your memory stick. Some DABs even come with a screen and SatNav and Bluetooth.

I've had one, thought it was great and totally miss it now, I'm sure the oik who ripped it skilfully from my dashboard would agree with the above 5 points. If you want to take advantage of DAB and get your hands on a DAB Radio legally, then call Buckingham Ford and see if your car is compatible, and get a price call 01280 308037 or visit http://www.buckinghamford.co.uk/dab_radio.php

Stuart Morrison is a moustachioed, business problem solver who can help you find what you need to fix in your business. From marketing to generating business leads, contact him via his Appointment Brokers website: www.theAppointmentBrokers.Com - helping you find sales leads and book meetings and appointments with senior decision makers.

New name in top spot with 58.2 Mpg

 Jenny from AtHome in Well Street has been leading since we started, but this week sees a new name at the top of the leader board Mike Easom from Buckingham Garden centre bought the Fiesta back with an impressive 58.2 Miles per Gallon; Mike said he also couldn't believe it was a one litre engine “It drove so well”. This only goes to prove Buckingham Garden centres green fingers have green credentials on the road.


Jo Moir from Style by Jo in Hillesden only managed 30 miles in two days due to being at home with the children, but still managed 47.1 mpg driving to and from town, a very credible result for local driving.

Nick Maple from Arthur’s radio hairdressers, who was already looking to change his car when we set the eco-challenge, was so impressed that the Fiesta is a definite possibility, but Nick wasn't as nifty with his economy as he is with his scissors as he returned a very poor 38.7 Mpg.

As we go to press James Beckett Motoring correspondent for the Buckingham and Winslow advertiser and formula Ford race supremo is driving the 1.0 Fiesta, we look forward to his eco result to see if he is as green of the track as fast on it.

If you wish to take part, or just want to follow the progress over the next 6 weeks Follow on Facebook for daily updates on who is taking the challenge.

Who will be the most economical of our local drivers?

Just call James at Buckingham Ford on 01280 812121 or Jeff Lawrence at Bicester Ford 01869 323272. All entries are subject to status.

We are a Badger free zone

I just had to share this when I was shown it. 

This is very very funny, and you will NOT find a badger at Buckingham or Bicester Ford.

We are a Wiggle free zone.

View Badger at work here

If you have ever experienced the Badger at another dealership, come and see us for a refreshing change.

• Take a test drive not a short trip around the block
• We give you all the facts, and don't hide behind a monthly payment
• 1000's of new and used cars available to us, so you don't have to buy the one we have here, you can choose.

I got this email yesterday about James.

                "Just a quick note to say how pleased I am with the new Focus ST I purchased from you. Fabulous colour the Spirit Blue and the power and drivability of the car really is breath taking. So, thanks for persuading me to purchase it. Also many thanks for the help and advice you gave me with the models, optional extras and the general understanding of the car."
Many Thanks
Keith

Compound clearance starts 12th June for 8 days only

1       For Eight days only you can make massive savings on any car on display or in our compound. (We need the room)
Over £4000 off some new cars

2       We need more used cars, and as you know we always pay more for privately owned cars like yours. We would always prefer to sell a privately owned car other than ex fleet or hire cars, they are more sought after and easier to sell, so your car could be worth more than you thought this week. 

How about a New Ka for under £85 a month and that’s without a big deposit and an Apr of only 4.9%. 

I've had my arm twisted by James and Jeff to run the 5 year FREE warranty offer for one more month, so June will be the last month we are offering 5 Year’s Warranty on all our New cars instead of the standard 3 years. 

Even if you don’t keep your car for 5 years it will improve the value of your car in part exchange in the future. 

Book an appointment today with Jeff or James and make sure you find out which special offer is right for you.  

Remember we don’t do or know how to do any hard selling, it is up to you, we don’t hide the facts behind a monthly payment, and we are here to help you make the right decision for you not us.

3       Extra bonus for the lucky five who are quick to reply 
If you are in the first five to take action on these offers I have over £500 worth of extras waiting for you, and they are on me, completely free, and they will help you enjoy your new car even more. 

The compound clearance starts on June 12th and will run for eight days only; this is your chance to get a look at the offers before we go public.
  
Some of the offers James and I have calculated are amongst the strongest we have ever made and include some new technology’s you may not have seen or heard of

• Ford SYNC enabling safer usage of your phone or music playing device.

• MYKey on New Fiesta, a programmable key that restricts speed for younger drivers, amongst other things.

These are standard on a lot of our offer cars

How much fuel could you be wasting

Running your car while defrosting the windscreen combined with rising fuel prices, can cost you more than you think.
Motorists who leave their car engine running while defrosting their windscreen will waste nearly £50m in fuel this winter alone, that’s according to Direct Line Car Insurance.
The average person takes only three minutes to defrost their car, but high petrol and diesel costs mean even using this small amount will see their money go in exhaust fumes. The wasted fuel will equal up to over 300 million road miles, and would enable someone to drive an average sized car more than 13,000 times around the globe.
Fuel waste should not be the only concern for motorists. Of the regular drivers who took part in the study, 42 admitted to having left their car unattended with the keys in the ignition. This makes them the perfect target for thieves.
Steve Price, head of Direct Line Car Insurance, stated: "With fuel prices having risen more than 40 pence per litre since 2007, it makes more sense than ever to consider alternative methods of defrosting your car on icy days. It is really important that drivers never leave their cars unattended with the keys in the ignition under any circumstances, but particularly when defrosting their cars.
"Many of us are pressed for time in the mornings and so leaving your car to warm up whilst running back indoors to tie up some loose ends can seem like a clever use of our time. However, if a theft occurs under these circumstances, policyholders may not be covered."

All this could be cut down to just 20 seconds if like most Ford cars you had the use of a heated front windscreen. There are many mornings that i start my car and by the the time i have cleared the side windows my windscreen is clear and i can drive away.

Texting while driving

I have just shared a video on our Facebook page that makes you think hard about what we do while we are driving, it is all about texting while driving.

Thinking back to when i started driving all those years ago, the only distraction we had was a radio or changing a cassette. now we have not just a phone that may ring that we can answer safely through bluetooth to the car or a head set, but alerts set on our phones for text, Facebook, Twitter and Email to mention but a few, all are distractions from what we are supposed to be doing.

This video is very graphic, but if i had a 17 year old Son or Daughter starting to drive, i would be getting them to watch this, it is hard hitting but sometimes that is the only way some people remember.

Watch here on our FaceBook page

Free Breakdown cover with a Ford service

We like to look after you and your car between annual services, we now offer Free breakdown cover with any Ford service. Prices start from just £99 for a service with us.

The Breakdown cover includes;

• Home Start - Assistance at your home, not always included with free breakdown cover.
• Roadside Assistance
• Vehicle recovery - If we can't arrange a prompt repair, we'll transport you and your vehicle to the nearest Ford Authorised Repairer.
• European emergency assistance
• All from a man in a yellow van.

And this cover is available on a Ford car or light commercial of any age and mileage.

The cover is activated by us when you request it with your service, the cover then runs until your next service is due, so if you do 25,000 miles a year, the cover will last until your next service is due say 12500 miles later, but don't worry come back for a service and we will renew the cover.
If you only do 6000 miles a year we will renew your cover when you come in for your yearly service, the breakdown cover is acctivated with the service requirements of your vehicle.


If this is of interest call David or Carol on 01280 812121

Who is this for?  If you can answer the following as yes it is for you

Do you own a Ford car or Light Commercial?
Would you like your breakdown cover for free?
Would you like the peace of mind, of Ford qualified mecanics working on your car?
Would you like all work on your car guaranteed for 12 months
Would you like the garage working on your car to have past, regular audits by the RAC?

We can confidently answer yes to all of the above.

Used Car Sale 4 days only

Between 27th and the 30th April only

• Money off screen price
• 1 Years road fund licence included
• 1 Years warranty included
• 1 Years breakdown cover included
• All cars serviced and mot'd

We have so many nice one and two owner cars in stock that soon the bank manager will be on my back, so they have got to go this weekend.

Most are part exchanges that have come in against New cars this month, we have Fiestas starting at just £3495. And over 50 cars to choose from.

New Ford's Extra Discount

It all ends this Sunday at 4pm.
Our man from the factory is now giving money off new cars over and above the customer savings from Ford.
So far two lucky customers have taken advantage of his generosity, and it is only the start today.
We have more cars on display than ever before, and anyone taking a test drive between yesterday and Sunday will be entered in to a draw for a case of wine, for this all you have to do is drive a car, you don't even have to buy one.
Our man from the factory does have a budget though, and once it has gone, it has gone. so make sure you are in pole position to make the most of this once only event.
See you over the weekend.

Looking for our lovers

You may be aware last year we won Buckingham's most loved Business, the competition is on again until 14th February and we would like to try and retain our title. Please if you can find the time, and of course love the services we provide, we would appreciate your help. We get some great testimonials from our customers like the ones below, and this helps us greatly, with new customers, they can use our services in confidence, when we are endorsed by other customers. This year we would like to give something back to all those who participate. We have a case of wine to give away to one lucky person who enters a testimonial about us. As well as if you go to

http://www.thebestof.co.uk/buckingham/

For Buckingham Ford

http://www.thebestof.co.uk/bicester/

For Bicester Ford

and submit a testimonial you will be entered into the main draw as well to win a Trip on the Orient Express, Ferrari driving experience or Dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant. And there’s more good news, the local Bestof website can save you money, If you sign up to them you get regular money saving offers from other local companies. If you just want to help us out but not register for the Bestof site, please email me directly ian@buckinghamford.co.uk and I can get the testimonial entered directly on your behalf. Thank you in advance, and I hope you don’t mind this direct approach, winning this competition would give us some much needed publicity. Regards Ian "Without exaggeration the service and attitude provided by Buckingham ford is probably unique in the day and age of 'don't care' and 'its too much trouble' attitudes which too often prevail. No matter whether one is planning to buy and expensive new car or just seeking free and advice or service nothing is too much trouble for them. This is so refreshing and it even restore ones faith in human nature and the existance of old fashioned service and attention. If only more businesses were like this! " David Trimby February 2012

I would like to take this opportunity to say how very pleased with the car i am, which is one of many Ford cars i have owned over the years. This is the first time that i have dealt with Buckingham Ford, and would like to say i am very impressed. On taking delivery of the car it was found that the presentation of it was excellent. I did have a problem with a door lock, but this was rectified quickly and effectively. All the staff from sales and workshop were excellent. I will certainly recommend your company and will return to you in the future. S Daniels January 2012