News in brief

11th February 2008

Cover coup for Skoda’s loader
It starts at only £9,360, but now here’s another reason why the spacious new Skoda Fabia estate makes financial sense: it is a bargain to insure.

The 70bhp 1.2-litre base car falls into band 2E – the lowest
of any supermini load-lugger – while the highest rating is 4E, for the 105bhp 1.6-litre. This makes cover for the new Fabia estate, which goes on sale in February, cheaper than its predecessor, launched in 2001.

Skoda enjoyed its best-ever sales in 2007, shifting 630,032 vehicles worldwide – a 14.5 per cent increase on the previous year.

Firms snap up DVLA records
There has been a 54 per cent increase in the number of drivers’ details the DVLA has passed to private firms in the last five years. In 2002-03 the figure was 868,385, but in 2006-07 it rose to 1,343,903.

Over the five-year period, the number of driver details released was 5.3 million, according to the result of a Freedom of Information request issued to the DVLA by Scottish National Party MSP, Christine Grahame. For a fee of £2.50 per vehicle, firms can obtain a driver’s details as long as they have “reasonable cause” for tracing car owners.

Classic Ferraris under hammer
Fancy a rare Italian supercar? RM Auctions’ next sale of historic Ferraris and Maseratis takes place in Maranello, Italy, on 18 May.

Stars of the show will be two examples of the 250 California Spyder. This is one of the rarest and most desirable roadgoing Ferraris ever, and starred in cult movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Each is estimated to fetch from £2million to £3million.

The event marks the third European outing for the auction house. It staged a record-breaking sale in Maranello last year, as well as a recent event in London, where 50 cars from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s collection went under the hammer.