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What better way to celebrate the MX-5 Owners Club 21st birthday than in glorious sunshine and in the beautiful surroundings of Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire. Attracting thousands of MX-5 owners from across the UK and Europe, Lancaster Insurance was proud to be part of the main event, displaying the Lancaster Insurance sponsored BC Cars Motorsport Team MX-5 race car driven by Brian Chandler in the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Championships, as well as the 750 Motor Club MX-5 Cup racing series on our stand.

Which cars will be Classics in the years to come, and why? We take time to consider some options...

Founded on 15 November 1984, the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show is the UK's biggest and best classic motoring show. Held at Birmingham's NEC from 13th to 15th November 2015 and with a new theme of ‘She’s a Beauty’, the show will have lots of areas to explore and a ‘boot’ full of inspiration for attending clubs.

Lancaster Insurance, headline sponsor of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, has announced it will be holding a very unique version of ‘Miss World’ at this year’s show, hosting a classic beauty contest with six stunning cars from around the globe competing for the winner’s crown. Show attendees will be able to vote for a winner, whilst the ‘beauty queen’ cars dazzle fellow enthusiasts with their international glamour.

Here at Lancaster Insurance, we’re counting down the days until the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show! Held at the NEC on 13-15th November 2015, its Britain’s biggest, best and ultimate celebration of classic cars and bikes; bringing together enthusiasts, clubs, manufacturers and traders under one roof for three intoxicating days.

The Germans may have invented the automobile. The Americans may think they are the home of the automobile. And the Italians may have created some of the most stylish automobiles ever to be created. So it may come as a surprise that at one time the home of the most prolific production and greatest ranges of sports cars available in the world was in fact on our very own shores.

There is no denying it, even the diehard classic car lover will admit that modern cars do offer significant benefits in the technology department, from air conditioning to rust free panels. Reliability can also be better compared to many of the cherished classics.

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show will be welcoming 19 clubs to its 2015 line-up that are either brand new to the event or returning after a few years absence. The clubs span classic and vintage car clubs as well as those dedicated to motorsport and youth.

Classic car insurance intermediary, Lancaster Insurance is extending its already strong association with club racing and MX-5s, by supporting the ‘BC Cars Motorsport team’ this season.

Classic car insurance intermediary, Lancaster Insurance, has announced that it will be widening its Classic MG schemes in July, further cementing its long standing association with the marque. The new offering will extend Lancaster’s bespoke schemes for MGs and is specifically designed to cover more recent models such as the F/TF, ZT, ZS and the ZR.

We’ve partnered with Love My Classic to offer one reader the chance to win a year’s classic car insurance* on us! We’ve also been tasked by Love My Classic to pick our ‘wackiest car’ of the 50s so here it is!

To start the engines off in style this summer, we’re thrilled to announce we’ve partnered with Love My Classic to offer one reader the chance to win a year’s classic car insurance* on us!

For the first time in its 32-year history, the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show is inviting privately owned classics to be apart of a Pride of Ownership display for classic cars at its November show.

Lancaster Insurance is honoured to announce that it has ‘accelerated’ into a new partnership, becoming the exclusive insurance partner of the Sporting Bears Motor Club.

One of the most overused statements overheard at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show has been revealed as this year’s show theme. ‘She’s a Beauty’ will provide inspiration for feature and club displays when the season finale returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 13th to 15th November.

Lancaster Insurance is thrilled to announce its status as an official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title holder for the ‘Largest parade of MGs’. The parade took place on Saturday 11th April at Rockingham Circuit in Corby, Northamptonshire; where 144 MG owners and lovers united to take part in a world first.

Lancaster Insurance is excited to announce it will be attempting to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the ‘Largest parade of MGs’ with the help of the MG Owners’ Club (MGOC). Taking place on Saturday 11th April at Rockingham Circuit in Corby, Northamptonshire; all MG owners and lovers are being encouraged to unite and get involved in what will be a world first.

Lancaster Insurance has announced that it will be headline sponsor of the MG Owner’s Club (MGOC) Championship 2015, and has partnered with Prostate Cancer UK to increase understanding and recognition of the disease.

In an effort to combat drug impaired drivers, roadside drug testing will be introduced in England and Wales this year. But there’s more, drivers may be given a breathalyser test to detect alcohol levels instead of instant drug tests or both. Revolutionary new “drugalysers” have been approved to take saliva samples and analyse drivers on the spot for drugs such as cannabis and cocaine. However, legal highs aren’t detectable as of yet.

Previously, to detect drug impaired drivers, police officers had to rely on field drug impairment tests similar to those before breathalysers were introduced such as making the driver stand on one leg and checking pupils for dilation.  

Drivers who weren’t successful, were taken to the station to undergo medically supervised blood tests. Many individuals however, resisted giving blood samples based on religious beliefs or medical reasons; wasting time and allowing the drugs to exit the system. With the drug analysers available on the streets, there’s no excuse to not providing a saliva sample when asked.

Official numbers indicate that the number of people killed in road accidents whilst under the influence of drugs rose from 3% in 1998 to a staggering 18% in 1998. Furthermore, in a separate report, Durham police found that almost half of the 23 people killed on (roads in the area)  in 2014 showed traces of cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and prescription drugs, which all contribute to impaired driving.

A new drug offence is scheduled for release in March 2015, and these new drug kits will support it as soon as it comes into effect. The initiative to implement drugalysers came after the “No drink, No doubt” campaign that asks drivers to refrain from taking the wheel if they’ve consumed even a drop of alcohol. Policing Minister Mike Penning adds that motorists felt the same about drug impaired driving as they did with alcohol-impaired drivers. Penning also stated that those who get behind the wheel under the influence of drugs and alcohol not only put their own lives at stake, but also those of their passengers and other motorists on the road.

What is a Drugalyser and the Penalties for Drug Impaired Driving?

Similar to a breathalyser, a drugalyser is the machine that will be used for on the spot oral swab tests to catch drug-influenced drivers. It tests for chemical compounds in saliva and can detect up to 16 different drugs. Officials claim that penalties for drug impaired driving will be harsh, and may range from up to £5,000 in fines, prison time of 6 months or more and a license being revoked for at least a year. These offences will also affect future insurance for your car such as classic car insurance and fully comprehensive insurance and will ultimately help keep our roads safer.

You can go buy a clasic performance car if you want, that’s if you can afford it. Modifying cars is an art, and when done correctly it can help engineers improve and design new models. There are a ton of vehicles that can be easily and affordably tweaked to increases their prowess so here are a few of our favourites, and the good thing is that the below all fall within the bracket of classic car insurance now!

Volkswagen GTI – first came the Rabbit and then followed the Golf, and it was called the Rabbit again. Regardless of what you call it, the Volkswagen GTI is a quirky little hatchback that has been a favourite for fine tuners even since its inception. It comes arrives with an already powerful engine, which when tweaked further has the potential to simply sprint across the racecourse. Adding to this, the Volkswagen GTI has a strong online and offline fan base so you will possibly never run out of ways on how to enhance it further. With regards to cost, used GTI’s are easily available and at the right prices, making it an even more appealing proposition for car modifiers.

Honda Civic – Although it was not offered in powerful versions until the introduction of the SI versions, car tuners had already made their way to its hood from the time it was first released. Just about every aftermarket company has a ton of upgrade options for literally any civic version and year you choose. This not only makes it easy to get your hands on parts, but also at a price that won’t break the bank. Adding to this, most Honda Civics are even more valuable when modified correctly so if you’re looking for a car to enhance, there’s no better option.

Honda Integra – This vehicle has became worthy of modifications right from its base model, but if you can get your hands on an Honda Integra Type R, jump on it! You can pick one up in pristine condition for under £10,000 that’s if you look in the right places. In terms of specs, the Integra Type R delivers an impressive 195 hp at 8000rpm in just 7 seconds, making it one of the most formidable sports coupes to modify in the market.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution – The Lancer Revolution was explicitly geared towards drivers who value speed and handling. Rally inspired and literally indestructible, this Lancer model offers a couple different powertrains to choose from so the options for modifications are literally endless. Unfortunately, this model has been discontinued past the 2014 model, but you can pick one up in the U.K. for under £10,000 in good condition.

Subaru Impreza STI – With the 2015 model all set for release in the U.K., the older Subaru Impreza STI’s are definitely not to be overlooked if you’re looking to modify anything worthwhile. Even the latest Subaru Impreza STI arrives with the same 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer engine that delivers a stupendous 296bhp (brake horsepower) and is fitted with a manual gearbox and four wheel drive system. Collectively, these features allow the new and old Subaru Impreza STI to move from 0-60mph in a flat 5.2 seconds so you can just imagine what it’s capable off after a bit of fine tuning.