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Get the edge on your chauffeur competitors(0)

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Chauffeur warns of income protection flaws(0)

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Blackpool limo firm to hit TV screens(0)

Successful spells in front of the cameras for a limousine firm have turned into a full-blown fly-on-the-wall-documentary.

Staff at Lytham-based Jet Set Limousines are set to be the stars of the as-yet-unnamed Channel Four programme after appearing in smaller roles in other television shows. The firm’s drivers have recently appeared in Sky One’s Ladies Who Lunch, Channel Four’s popular Four in a Bed, and have just completed a pilot show for Channel Five based on celebrity wedding planners.

The staff have been so popular on the shows that Channel Four snapped them up for a TV show of their own.

Jet Set owner Kevin Hinds said: “Our chauffeurs are appearing in so many TV shows at the moment that I’m thinking of becoming their agent and asking for a cut of any spin-off appearance money.

“The filming schedule for the fly-on-the-wall is exhausting and requires a lot of planning around our existing client commitments, although having seen a private eight minute viewing of part of the show, it looks like being a big hit. We are hopeful that all of this exposure will help to continue to raise the profile of Jet Set Limousines and our services to a much wider audience than we have ever been able to reach before.”

A spokesman for PR Doctor, a business devoted to helping firms get noticed on the small screen, said: “Being on television can be a real boost to businesses – so long as it goes the right way.

“It’s very difficult to put a price on it because the sky really is the limit – but that doesn’t mean you can’t crash.

“The Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool saw bookings soar 20 per cent due to the eight-part reality TV show based there in the 1990s. There’s no reason Jet Set firm can’t do the same again – I wish them all the best.”

Source: The Gazette, Blackpool

Addison Lee to buy Lewis Day brand(0)

London’s largest minicab company, Addison Lee, has announced that it is to acquire passenger car operations of Lewis Day Transport. Read More

Daimler to put brakes on Maybach production(0)

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Driver training launched to battle crash figures(0)

According to the Department of Transport, it has been estimated that up to a third of all road traffic accidents involve either a company car or a private car being driven on company business. Read More

Mercedes-Benz revises chauffeur programme(0)

Mercedes-Benz is inviting the chauffeur industry to help celebrate its revised chauffeur programme at an exclusive event in London. Read More

First example of Lincoln MKS limo revealed(0)

A Lincoln MKS custom stretch limousine is about to hit the streets of the Bahamas, the first Lincoln stretch in the wake of the outgoing Lincoln Town Car.

American Limousine Sales, based in Los Angeles, manufactured the custom-converted 100-inch stretch for a commercial client based in Nassau, Bahamas. The white MKS stretch, bought from an area dealership, was converted at ALS’s manufacturing facility in Lynwood, Los Angeles. ALS mostly specialises in building customised stretch versions of the Hummer H3 and the Chrysler 300.

Richard Murillo, from ALS spoke to LCT Magazine about the pros and cons of the MKS stretch, which is not part of the Ford Fleet Limousine & Livery Vehicles official line-up of livery vehicles. The successor to the Lincoln Town Car is the 2013 Lincoln MKT Town Car, a cross-over styled vehicle which debuted at the ILCT Show this year and will reappear with some refinements at the 2012 International LCT Show in February 2013.

He commented; “I’m amazed at how smooth the ride is. I can’t tell if the engine is on or not. There is so much insulation in the engine compartment. Even outside you can barely hear engine running. It accelerates very smoothly.”  The all-wheel-drive MKS stretch is powered by V-6, 3.6 litre engine and seats six passengers comfortably.

Murillo added; “When I discussed these options with my client, I showed him the MKT. He didn’t like it. I showed him what else Lincoln has to offer since he really likes the Lincoln brand. He liked the MKZ and then I showed him the MKS. When he compared them, he chose the S model due to the additional size and amenities that come with the MKS.”

The MKS stretch comes fully stocked with LED flat screen TVs, DVD player, beverage bars, surround sound, and LED interior lights.

Some advantages of the MKS: Strong braking system, good turning radius, consistent acceleration, smooth suspension, and an overall luxurious feel, Murillo said.

Some drawbacks of the MKS: Small boot space compared to the Lincoln Town Car. The MKT actually has 40% more cargo area than the Town Car. Also, the MKS engine is smaller than that of the Town Car, but technological advances have enabled V6 engines to approximate the power and performance of V8′s, Murillo said.  “I don’t think the Town Car can ever be replaced, but if there is a replacement for the Town Car, it’s not the MKT because of its overall look. I think Lincoln has the right intentions, but I think the MKS more closely resembles a Town Car. But it does have some pitfalls.”

American Limousine Sales does not plan to display an MKS stretch at either the 2012 International LCT Show in Las Vegas or the 2011 Limousine Digest Show in Atlantic City, N.J. Murillo has received a lot of inquiries about the MKS stretch since sending out an e-blast about it, but does not have any firm orders as of this week or plans to build any demos. “There are no guarantees at this point.”

Source and images: LCT Mag
Source: The Argus

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Volvo to supply 2,100 cars to Tristar(0)

Tristar Worldwide has renewed a solus three-year car supply deal with Volvo for 2,100 cars to service its Virgin Atlantic Airways’ Upper Class chauffeur contract. Read More