Car Katespade Outlets

John Leigh Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognised for 40 years as key industry figure.

John Leigh, Managing Director of Europcar UK and National Car Rental, has received the highly coveted lifetime achievement accolade in the Holiday Autos Partner of the Year Awards, confirming his status as an industry legend. In acknowledging his enormous and positive influence which has helped to shape and evolve the sector, the Holiday Autos Partner of the Year Awards ceremony honoured John for his dedication and commitment to the vehicle rental industry.

The Award was presented by Brian Murphy, Group Managing Director of Lastminute.com at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

“The evening was very emotional for me and I feel proud to be honoured by the industry in this way,” said John Leigh. “The Award was a complete surprise and it means a great deal to me to be recognised by my colleagues and partners who have put this industry where it is today.

John Leigh began his working life promoting concerts of legendary acts like Roy Orbison and Pink Floyd. In 1967 he decided to get a proper job and joined Godfrey Davis eventually to become Europcar, where he held a number of management roles. In 1972 he joined Swan National where he enjoyed a successful career culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in 1990 shortly after it had rebranded itself as EuroDollar.

Following an MBO from TSB and the acquisition of EuroDollar by National Car Rental USA, John was given responsibility for launching National into the EMEA marketplace.

In February 2007, the European operation was acquired by Europcar and John was appointed Managing Director of Europcar UK Group the largest daily rental company in the country.

As Chairman of the BVRLA in 2006/7, John played a leading role in defining and implementing industry standards for quality and customer service. He is also a Vice President of Chelsea football club, as well as being a very active patron of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, a charity that grants wishes to often terminally ill young people. Two years ago he was also honoured with an “Unsung Hero Award” by the Celebrity Guild of Great Britain in recognition of his charitable work.

“I cant think of anyone more deserving of this award than John” confirmed Brian Murphy of Holiday Autos. “He has been the driving force behind the success of the industry, not just the growth of his own business. His vision and dedication has led to many of the innovations car rental customers now take for granted and he continues to challenge and lead the sector forward to new levels of service.”

How To Remove Bird Poop Droppings & Not Damage A Cars Paint Job

Most car owners have no idea that bird droppings cause permanent damage to car paint, until it happened to their car. Paint damage from bird poop is an expensive problem for car owners Internationally. A study from Zurich Insurance found that repairing the damage caused by bird droppings costs British motorists 57million pounds annually.

A sunny day can turn your cool car into a hot oven. So, classic car owners prefer a parking place in the shade to protect their cars paint job. If your shady spot is under a tree, its also the home of the worst enemy of your car finish birds. There is NO product on the market that can protect your finish from bird droppings for more than a few minutes. Birds poop is highly acidic, and the longer you leave it on your cars paint, the more damage it will cause. If you try to clean it the easiest and most obvious way, wipe a it off, even with a wet towel, you can scratch the paint. This is because birds use gravel to digest their food. So, wiping bird droppings off your car is like rubbing gravel into it!

Every car owner should carry the following items in their car for quick and easy access a microfiber towel & a fresh bottle of SALT FREE seltzer water. This is simply water and carbon dioxide, which will not harm your cars paint job. You can take the lid off the water, place your thumb over the top, and shake it up really well to create a blast of water to wash off bird droppings BEFORE they ruin your cars paint job!

Tools Youll Need For This Job:

Rubber Gloves
Eyes goggles that hug close to your face, without openings on the sides.
Paper face mask or respirator
Plastic garbage bags & bag ties
Misting spray bottle full of water ,or a garden hose, if cleaning a large area.
Wide wallpaper or floor scraper with a smooth flat edge
Long Sleeve Shirt, long pants, closed shoes, socks and a cap for your head
Old Broom & dust pan used ONLY for this job. Do NOT use in your home.

Use a cover to protect your car, especially when you park it outside.

The quickest, and safest, way to remove bird droppings from your cars paint job is with a microfiber towel and a quick car detailer spray. If the bird dropping is dried on the paint surface, you can use a microfiber towel soaked in a 5050 mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol. Place the wet towel over the bird poop and let the droppings soak up the liquid for a few minutes. Then gently BLOT the surface to remove the bird poop. DO NOT WIPE OR SCRUB BIRD POOP. The gravel in the bird droppings may scratch your cars paint job.

In some cases where old bird poop has been dried onto the cars surface for a long time, it may still come out with a mild polish, such as Scratch-X. Use caution with Scratch-X, as it contains abrasives. If the bird droppings damaged your cars paint job, sometimes a good paint polish can fix the damage. HINT In a pinch you can try WD40, as it will not harm paint and will dissolve the bird droppings. Be sure to wipe up residual WD40 with soapy water. Follow this up with a good coat of car wax. In only the worst cases, old, dried bird droppings can cause irreparable damage.

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Color Trend In Small Cars

Small, efficient, smart and bright colored cars are the trend for 2010 in the automotive market. Automakers are focusing on small cars and as new models surge into the market, bright colors will blossom. Since car manufacturers are focusing on the small car line up, therefore to given them a jazzy and fiery appeal, bright colors are the order of the day. The experts also feel that if bright colors are put in large cars, it will be a little too much for the consumers; hence these colors are best suited for the small cars. When it comes to cars, colors matter a lot because it represents the personality of the person driving that car.

When the buyer visits any showroom, the first thing that attracts him is the color of the car and this is one of the main selling points of the car. The car aficionado feel that colors can bring the customers out of their recession-dull mood, therefore colors carry a lot of weight when it comes to make a purchase decision. People are now tried of black and grey and look for more vibrant colors in small cars like Chevrolet, A-Star, Hyundai i10 and many such names. The automotive color spectrum has been monotonous for many decades with only few colors hitting the car market including black, white and grey. Now even the eyes need a breather and for that vibrancy in looks can play a crucial role.

Jazzy and peppy colors are in these days as small cars represent the same. The new entrant in the small car segment, Maruti Suzuki A- Star is available in vibrant and peppy colors like bright red, paradise blue, sunlight copper, healing green, silky silver, desert brown, azure great, midnight black and arctic white. Why get a grey or white car when you can cruise in sunlight copper or electric blue instead? Dull and monotonous colors will not suit the small and zippy cars which are targeted at the youth. Let black, grey and white enhance the elegance, sophistication and exclusivity of the large or big cars. Small and vibrant is what people look for in todays time because of prices touching sky everywhere.

Reds, lime greens, orange, electric blue are in vogue in small car segment and this has increased the demand of thee cars among the youth. The color one chooses foe his small car is dictated by career choice, personality and popularity. For most of the people, car is more than just a utility item; therefore a lot of stress is there on the colors like yellow, green, red, blue, beige and white.

Classic Car Restoration What to do with a Basketcase Car

Deciding what to do with a basketcase car is one of the toughest decisions for people who’ve already invested time, money, and love into their classic car restorations. At the same time, there are plenty of vintage car veterans who are always ready to finish a difficult project. Whether you want to put the final touches on a half-finished car or you just can’t find the time to complete your own, you need to know how to save yourself time, frustration, and money. Here are a few things to consider before you buy, finish, or sell a basketcase car.

When You Want to Buy a Basketcase

Restoring a basketcase can be a challenging but rewarding experience. However, there are often good reasons why other enthusiasts are eager to get their incomplete hotrods and muscle cars off their hands. Before you invest in an old project, you’ll need to make these important considerations:

*Safety comes first. If the car you’re considering doesn’t even have breaks, an engine, or a steering wheel yet, then you may not have much to worry about. Otherwise, you should test the car in a safe, empty area. You need to make sure the owner is being honest about the car’s reliability and safety – or lack thereof.

*Check the frame and body. Cars that look like they’re on their last legs can sometimes be restored to their previous luster – but only if they still have solid foundations. If a classic car’s frame and body are in decent shape, then there’s good chance you’ll be able to make some headway on its restoration. If not, you’re looking at a bottomless money pit.

*Look for cover-ups. Some restorers and shops will cover large patches of rust and even holes with sheet metal. They don’t always do so maliciously, but unnoticed rust is extremely dangerous. It’s especially important to check for defects in places where larger parts have been replaced.

Sourcing Your Parts

When you’re restoring a barely-finished basketcase, you’ll need to find the best places to get your parts. If a previous owner didn’t get the project finished, it may have been because the necessary components were hard to find, too expensive, or both. Before you even make the purchase, it’s important that you find out how you’re going to get what you need – and what it’s all going to cost.

Once you’ve figured out what parts are necessary, you can check the online inventories of specialty shops across the country. There are also junkyards full of classic cars with parts for the taking, though you’ll need to go in person to see what’s available. Ultimately, you’re going to incur the greatest costs if you need foreign parts or shipping for large items.

When to Call it Quits

Even if you’ve lovingly labored over a classic car for years, there may come a time when you have to move on. A project will sometimes seem too good to be true when you first start – yet it becomes nothing but a financial drain further down the road. Your priorities and interests might also change, leaving you with an immobile heap in your garage or driveway.

Whatever the case may be, you can still get back some of your hard-earned money. Contact a professional classic car restorer now and inquire if they purchase or are interested in purchasing a basketcase project from you.