News

If in the late 1970s you were in the market for a new car, needed four doors and a reasonably sized cabin, but had only the funds for a Mini 850, you may well have been attracted to the Škoda Estelle. - Written by Andy Roberts.

In a new series each month we’ll be focusing on a different area of insurance and explaining how it may be relevant to you and your policy, and this month we’re talking about agreed value.

Entries are now being accepted for the Meguiar’s Club Showcase, with the grand final taking place at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, held from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th November at Birmingham’s NEC.

On the 16th October, Mini enthusiasts will be out in full force for the annual Mini Fair 2 and Spares Day, organised by the British Mini Club. Lancaster Insurance is thrilled to be the sole insurance sponsor and attendee at the event, following on from becoming one of the clubs official insurance partners in March.

The first five entries to be confirmed in the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership display have been revealed. Held as part of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th November, the overall winner will be decided by visitors to the season finale.

Do you dread the thought of leaking hoods and malfunctioning heaters as autumn approaches? Then have no fear of frost or damp as we present a list of our Top Ten 4-Seater Coupes! - Written by Andy Roberts.

We caught up with Jonathan Smith to find out more about this sole survivor, a rather quirky looking vehicle that didn’t have a seat and had no doors or windows. But Jonathan just couldn’t resist the charm of a 1950 Nipper Milk Truck.

The Magnificent Seven Microcars... Or, a wholly and utterly subjective list of my very favourite microcars – all very different and all with industrial levels of charm! - Written by Andy Roberts.

We look back at the Viva HB at 50. - Written by Andy Roberts.

Not many people can say that they own their dream car: this is not the case for Gavin Nettmann. His love affair of a certain classic car has spanned 42 years. Here in an interview exclusive to Lancaster Insurance, Gavin tells us when his dream of owning a classic Mercedes finally became a reality.

This month, for Car of the Month September 2016, our spotlight falls on the stylish Jensen Interceptor!

This month, for Club of the Month September 2016, our spotlight falls on the MR2 Drivers’ Club.

For many years the W123 series Mercedes-Benz was an omnipresent sight across the globe, the taxi that would take Euro-executives to their hotel, the Polizei car that would gong you for speeding or even the ambulance that might save your life. 40 years after the first examples graced showrooms, they are widely regarded as one of the finest vehicles to bear the Tri-Star emblem. - Written by Andy Roberts.

It seems to be a rule of the land that everyone of a certain age had a ‘Dad’, ‘Mum’, ‘Uncle’ or ‘Grandad’ who inevitably ‘once drove a Hillman Hunter’. We look back on 50 years of this classic car. - Written by Andy Roberts.

We look back at the Heinkel Cabin Cruiser at 60. - Written by Andy Roberts.

The recent August bank holiday put me in mind of a car-related film that was forever being screened during the 1970s and 1980s, one that was so bad that it must have been aired to drive the young viewers back to school. Go for Take was made in 1972 and starred an array of depressed-looking British character actors but it did boast, as a sole redeeming feature, a chase involving a Reg Varney and the overlooked gem: Citroen Dyane. - Written by Andy Roberts.

Obviously, there is no need to point out this extremely obvious fact to readers of the Lancaster blog but to the wider world – including owners of ‘zany’ wedding cars and lazy tabloid sub-editors – the fact that the automotive star of Only Fools and Horses was a Regal Supervan Series III does need repeating. The idea of Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter using a Reliant came from the show’s creator John Sullivan; in most shows the automotive star is a 1966 model but in the early seasons, the Trotters use an H-registered Regal. - Written by Andy Roberts.

One common mistake made by owners of classic cars is thinking that break-ins and attempted thefts will never occur to them.

Not many people can say that they own their dream car: this is not the case for Gavin Nettmann. Since 1974, aged 5, Gavin fell in love with cars. At the age of 5, his next door neighbours (an orthopaedic surgeon)and a civil engineer) living across the road both owned a Mercedes-Benz ‘S-Class’ 350SE. It’s a love affair that has spanned 42 years. Here in an interview exclusive to Lancaster Insurance, Gavin tells us when his dream of owning a classic Mercedes, finally became a reality.

In the 1980s it was not uncommon for a television viewer to fall asleep during a BBC1 revival of Dracula AD1972 only to awake not to a be-caped Christopher Lee but a Morris 1100 attempting to overtake a Bedford CA pick-up.