BBC Radio One joined in with the ‘more than eight’ debate last month during its nightly news programme.

Reporters gathered comments from the National Limousine Association (UK), VOSA and a limousine operator from Guildford, Surrey who expressed their concerns that operators are still carrying more than eight in their limousines.

The station broadcast a warning to its millions of listeners that travelling in a limousine with more than eight is illegal and it even heard from passengers who revealed some interesting limousine driver horror stories.

Many operators from around the UK have contacted The Chauffeur Magazine over recent weeks to express their anger over various national media reports which they say are having a major impact on the limousine industry.

Thames Valley is the latest Police force to accredit officers from VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) with the power to stop lorries, buses and coaches for spot-checks.

In the past, police have always been present during spot-checks, as only they had the authority to stop vehicles. This new power to stop commercial and private motorists will increase VOSA’s effectiveness in targeting vehicles which are likely to break roadworthiness and traffic legislation.

Hugh Edwards, Product Strategy & Policy Director for VOSA, says: “Receiving accreditation from Thames Valley Police is a further endorsement of VOSA’s role in targeting unsafe vehicles and drivers for enforcement action.”

VOSA officers will wear a special uniform which has been agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and clearly defines them as VOSA staff operating under Community Safety Accreditation. The uniform includes a high-visibility yellow jacket with the VOSA name and logo, and epaulettes with the words ‘Vehicle & Operator Services Agency’. As well as displaying the approved Community Safety Officers accreditation badge, the officers will carry an official VOSA warrant.

The Police Reform Act 2002 allows Chief Constables to accredit VOSA staff with the power to stop goods and passenger vehicles. The Power to Stop scheme has already been launched in 38 Police force areas around the country, and, subject to Chief Officers’ agreement, the few remaining Police forces in England & Wales are expected to accredit VOSA in the coming months.

All legitimate private hire vehicles and operators in London are now licensed by Transport for London (TfL) so that passengers can easily identify the legal minicabs.

The completion of licensing the 37,000 private hire vehicles marks the second phase of the process, which started with private hire operators who were licensed in 2001.

The final part will be the completion of private hire driver licensing, which started in 2003 and is due to be completed by summer 2006.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London said, “This is a major step in ensuring safer travel for Londoners. The private hire industry was unregulated for years leading to wide differences in the quality of vehicles and drivers. Passengers can now ensure they are using a legitimate minicab by checking to see that the vehicle carries a licence disk. Minicabs should not be hailed in the street and people should not use minicabs without a licence disc.”

Ed Thompson, Taxi and Private Hire Director, said, “We have now licensed all private hire operators and vehicles and we are on target to achieve the licensing of all drivers by summer 2006.

“Passengers should look out for the distinctive, yellow licence disc which should be displayed in the front and rear windscreens (top corners, nearest the kerb). It will have the licence number, car registration number, expiry date and the number of passengers it can legally carry.

U.S Limousine giant Coastal Coachworks has launched a European sales office in the UK fresh from its success at the Limousine and Chauffeur Show last month.

Coastal is best known for the class leading ‘Wave’ Town Cars, which have become one of the UK’s most popular used limousines. Ford has awarded Coastal QVM certification ensuring that all town builds are made to the highest standards the industry has to offer.

Coastal’s vehicles are diverse as possible, with custom gull wing doors fitted to some of its Chrysler 300 range and state of the art interior’s that will leave buyers enthusiastic for a return visit. Coastal Coachworks is the newly appointed factory agent, fully authorised to carry the USA warranty, helping ensure that UK and European buyers have peace of mind with the advantage of local representation.

All European sales will be dealt with exclusively from the new UK base, allowing Europe an easy alternative for viewing, purchasing, and test drives.

The new Chrysler 300 ‘Shock Wave’ scissor door limo is now available, the standard spec includes PS2, stargazer stainless roof, stainless bar, 20 inch partition TV, Coastal’s innovative pillar less one piece glass, laser lights, DVD, ripple seats with 20 inch upgrade alloys available.

Coastal UK will also be offering a new limited edition limousine named the ‘Tidal Wave’ in 2006. Tel: 0870 950 2035.

Royale was chosen among all of the Cadillac Master Coachbuilders (CMC) by Cadillac to build a pre-release 2006 DTS Cadillac 70 Inch limousine to be used for engineering testing and promotional events.

The 2006 DTS is not scheduled to be released to Cadillac Master Coachbuilder’s (CMC) until the autumn. However, Cadillac selected Royale to build the pre-release DTS as a result of of Royales ability to meet Cadillac’s high quality standards and production deadlines.

The Royale 70 Inch Premium interior limousine will be used for extensive engineering testing as well as being exhibited in national and international trade shows and industry events.

When Andrew Thomson of Platinum Cars (Sussex) agreed to provide two cars to carry bridesmaids and older relatives of the bride to a wedding in Sussex, he had no idea he was about to upgrade his role from a chauffeur to that of a photographer.

Andrew’s suspicions were raised when the convoy arrived at the wedding and there appeared to be no photographer waiting for the bride. So Andrew and his colleague whipped out their digital cameras and offered to take the pictures of the bride’s arrival.

Ten minutes later the photographer who was apparently a relative sped up in his car. “It’s lucky you’re a relative,” Andrew remarked to the late arrival as he dragged his kit out of the still running car.

“I’m not, I’m a professional!” came the reply, and off he ran, leaving his engine running! Andrew had to park his car for him as well.

It’s all in a day’s work for a professional service company that provides everything from chocolate fountains for parties, to chauffeur driven cars for top executives. “We have to be ready for anything,” Andrew says. “All our clients expect quality, service and professionalism, and that’s what we give them.”

Legendary Motorcars and Coachworks was born in 1989 when Gaye and Tony Gonzalez worked from a 3000 square foot unit in Florida, and today, the company has grown into its name and is now working from a 30,000 square foot facility.

The couple moved to Florida in 1981 where they ran a 27 car transportation service out of Orlando, all the while maintaining Tony’s trucking company. They would eventually sell that company and make the transition into becoming limousine dealers.

With an emphasis on quality and creativity, Legendary Motorcars and Coachworks  soon grew and with it so did their cars. The demand for bigger and better limousines, Legendary helped lead the new wave of super stretches and was heavily involved in the SUV boom and started producing the vehicles in 1998.

Today, they continue to be among the pioneers of the business, offering dual axles on some of their new SUV models, including the 2005 Hummer Wagon that they are able to stretch up to 200 inches. Using the dual axle technology, Legendary have made it possible to stretch some vehicles up to 243 inches!

The company boasts ‘classy’ interiors to all their models whilst proving all the hi-tech amenities you would expect to see in a limousine, but they model the interior in such a unique understated fashion that even their most extravagant limousines shout elegance.

Since moving into its massive premises more than three years ago, Legendary has had three separate lines for their vehicles. One for the classic limo, one for SUV’s and one for speciality vehicles. The family run business and proud to have a long list of different marques and models which have been stretched by themselves. Chrysler 300′s, Mercedes and the company has even developed a 60inch stretch Volkswagen Bug!

Tony and Gaye work side by side everyday, and they are still very much involved with the day to day running operations of the company. Their two daughters Diana and Cassandra have come aboard as well, further strengthening the family ties that are responsible for the growth of Legendary Coachworks.

When not working with his wife of 26 years to redefine quality in limousine manufacturing, Tony enjoys heading the Legendary Race Team, which races hotrods on weekends. In response to the demand of his team and fellow car enthusiasts, Tony opened Southern Pride Classics, a division of Legendary dedicated exclusively to restoring hotrods and other vintage autos.

Every Limousine operator probably knows what the three magic letters ‘QVM’ stand for — but why is the ‘Qualified Vehicle Modifiers’ badge so important when buying a limousine?

The QVM is run by the Ford Motor Company to ensure its vehicles meets safety standards when it is stretched by a coachbuilder. There are seventeen QVM approved coachbuilders across the USA and Canada which include companies such as Royale, Coastal Coachworks, Federal Coach and Krystal Enterprises amongst others.

Ford says the program represents its approach to helping improve the integrity and quality of conversions based on its vehicles. This guide answers the most popular questions about the QVM programme:

What Qualifies a Coachbuilder to Become a QVM?

To qualify as a QVM, a coachbuilder must be successfully evaluated by Ford Motor Company on criteria such as engineering, the manufacturing process, quality control, and adherence to Ford and Lincoln Divisions guidelines. Specifically, the QVM Program requires the following from coachbuilders:

Compliance with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Conformance with all Ford and Lincoln industry guidelines for vehicle conversions. Annual facility inspection and review and a commitment to continuous improvement.

What Does This Mean to You as a QVM Customer?

Because the Ford Motor Company QVM Program assists approved manufacturers in developing a high-quality conversion process, you can feel confident that the finished product will meet your high expectations. And while Ford doesn’t actually produce the finished converted product you receive, the Town Car and Excursion packages used in the conversions are specifically designed by Ford to meet the unique demands of your industry.

What Does This Mean to Consumers Renting a Limousine?

If you are planning to rent a limousine, the Ford Motor Company and U.S limousine associations strongly recommend that you only hire limousines that are built by manufacturer certified Coachbuilders.

QVM rules state that only Lincoln Town Cars, Ford Excursions and Lincoln Navigators are approved for conversion into a stretch limousine. In addition, QVM rules specify that a Town Car can only be stretched 120” or Navigator and Excursion 140”.

In addition the maximum passenger capacity for a stretch Town Car under the QVM guidelines is nine plus a driver and the Navigator and Excursion it is fourteen plus a driver.

Ford Motor Company Qualified Vehicle Modifiers:

Accubuilt, Inc.
Coastal Coachworks
Commerical Transportation Mftg Corp.
DaBryan Coach Builders
Eagle Coach
Executive Coach Builders
Federal Coach
Image Coaches
Krystal Enterprises
LCW Automotive Corp
Limo’s By Tiffany
Picasso Coach Builder
Royale Limousine Manufacturers
Springfield Coach Builders
Viking Coachworks
National Speciality Cars – Canada

Chauffeur Car insurance is a minefield, and none of us like the renewal time and what is involved with finding the best policy and the lowest price – which is what we all tend to look for.

So as you well know, discovering the good side to insurance and appreciate what it actually means very rarely happens. We decided to put the replacement car procedure system to the test by one of the biggest names in chauffeur insurance in the country Direct Chauffeur Line.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if your pride and joy chauffeur car was involved in an accident?

How would you fulfil the bookings you have taken and would you turn away new bookings if your car was in for repairs? As we all know, due to licensing and insurance there is no way you could hire a prestige car and carry on trading.

That is exactly why there are now various companies that hire out PCO registered cars, so you can at least have a car with rear seats to put your client in!
As I test, I was made a ‘Gold Scheme’ customer with Direct Chauffeur Line which includes up to a fourteen day fault/non-fault hire in the event of an accident which can be a god-send if the worst should happen.

In the event of a fault / non recoverable road traffic accident, fire or theft you can get a vehicle for 14 days. If it is non-fault recoverable incident the hire is for a reasonable unlimited period of time. This basically means until the claims is resolved or the vehicle is repaired.

We wanted to see if the process really worked, so we made a call claiming we had been in an accident and the vehicle had to be repaired. Direct Chauffeur Line was straight on the case, as I really needed a car and soon – it would make bad business sense to take a few days off to enjoy daytime TV whilst the car is in the garage.

Within a few hours I had received a date and a time when a replacement vehicle would be on my doorstep and ready to use. When I normally take delivery of cars to test or on hire, the company conveniently give me an eight hour gap of when the car will be delivered, but in the case I received a call from the driver in the morning to confirm when the car would be with me – and that time was kept to!

A Mercedes-Benz E220 CDi in Silver with a black leather interior was delivered, there’s no point me going into how good this cars is, as most chauffeurs know that the E-Class is pretty hard to beat when it comes to economy and comfort – and can complain at 42 mpg? There are also vehicle such as the diesel Chrysler Grand Voyager.

Andy Hussey, Managing Director of Direct Chauffeur Line said, “The schemes we now offer has already proved to be extremely popular in the chauffeuring industry. We are already working on a number of additional benefits soon to be launched to enhance the Platinum and Gold cover which will be unveiled to our customers very soon.”

“It is also worth noting that the legal expenses cover has been raised from £50,000 to £100,000 with motor prosecution cover included which can make a big difference when it comes to making a claim. We also offer motor prosecution defence cover which is essential for example if a vehicle was cloned and you were to receive parking tickets, speeding fines, congestion charges we can help defend these claims.” he added.

To check it all out a second time, we were again signed up the Platinum Scheme and without fail, after reporting the accident, there was a Mercedes-Benz S320 long-wheel base on my doorstep. With a vehicle of this spec, you can be sure that your client is going to be more than happy.

The Gold and Platinum cover sounds very extravagant I hear you cry! Direct Chauffeur Line tell us that the premium for the cover is already included in the insurance quotations so there would be nothing else to pay if you was put into the situation of needing a replacement car.

When it comes to renewing insurance, it is always temping to go for the cheapest quote and not think about the cover you may need. But you may be a great driver, but it only takes that one moment, and even it its not your fault, at least you know that you can carry on putting that bread on the table for the family. www.direct-chauffeur-line.co.uk

Would your limousine cope with a 3000 miles across nine countries in just three days? Well, this H2 did just that with hardly any problems at all.

The Gumball Rally 3000 was launched from London’s Trafalgar Square and saw 125 cars leave the capital for the gruelling challenge which would see the Hummer become the star of the show as it travelled across Europe.

Driven by Tony Parbery, General Manager of A1 Stretch in Hemel Hempstead, the H2 was sponsored by 888.com. As you can probably imagine, the rally was no easy task for Tony as the bendy narrow roads of Italy proved to be somewhat of a challenge.

More than three thousand pounds was spent on fuel throughout the run and the Hummer averaged at around 7mpg. Richard Bloch from 888.com, said “It was a really amazing experience and a really hard going trip. It was amazing how much the Hummer attracted attention when we were up against the world’s most amazing supercars, the Hummer still stood out in the crowd.”

Parking was apparently the biggest challenge of them all as the team arrived in various cities. However, there were not many worries as it was clear that no wheel clamp would be big enough and no tow truck would be capable of shifting the 45ft monster. On the last day the team was escorted out of the city by police by causing an obstruction!

Tony from A1 Stretch said, “I felt every mile of the journey, it was really tough. The Krystal Hummer done us really proud thought as we had a few minor electrical faults along the way, but nothing mechanically went wrong with the limo at all so we were really pleased.”

Tony had pleasure of chauffeuring many celebrities along the way such as Kim Mazelle, presenters from MTV and meeting people such as Jodie Kidd and Caprice along the way.
The sponsors 888.com have already promised to enter the car into next year’s event once again.