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Steam-Powered Car Returns To Racing After 111 Years 

7/18/2016

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If you’re looking for the best car storage Cornwall has to offer for a classic car, you might have heard of local man Dr Bob Dyke who has a passion for and amazing knowledge of classic steam cars. Bob, who’s from Penzance in Cornwall, last week was available to race a steam car called a Whistling Billy for the first time in 111 years after a ban on the car was lifted. 

The 100-year ban was revoked in 2015, after he and his colleagues spent years rallying the Motor Sport Association and this presented the first chance for Bob to race the car competitively. 

The Whistling Billy is a steam-powered car which was first built in 1905 by the White for the whistling sound it made around the track. When it first debuted, it shaved ten seconds off the world record for a dirt-track lap. 

However, after a string of accidents, one of which critically injured the driver, the car was put in storage, after being left to rust and ruin on a farm. 

Cue Dr Bob pitching up 100 years later and building his very own version of the record breaking car, according to The Mirror.

However, the Motosports Association said he was not allowed to race the car, down to the iron wheels and coal used (two things Bob refuted), as well as thoughts that it may be too competitive compared to traditional classic cars. 

The car competed at the Chateau Impney Hill Climb in Droitwich on a 1,000 yard course. 

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Medical Staff Most Likely To Be At Fault In Car Accidents

7/15/2016

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GPs and those working in other medical professions have a greater chance of making a claim on their car insurance for being at fault in an accident, according to recent research from Gocompare.com Car Insurance.

If this sounds like you, you might consider leaving your expensive or classic motors in storage for cars in Devon until you are more relaxed and less likely to get involved in an incident.

Indeed, Professor Andrew Smith, an expert on occupational and health psychology from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, said GPs are more than twice as likely to make an at-fault claim (12.98 per cent compared with the national average of six per cent) due to their highly stressful career.

He stated: “When people experience particularly high stress levels, it’s common for them to become especially clumsy or absent minded as they struggle to concentrate on tasks.”

Professor Smith added the stressful aspect of the job, together with their long hours could lead to lapses in concentration when driving.

GPs were not the only medical professionals who made significantly more at-fault claims than the national average, and the top ten occupations that had the highest proportion of accidents in the last three years all worked in the health industry.

Indeed, 12.65 per cent of hospital consultants have made at-fault accident claims, as well as 12 per cent of chiropodists and 11.13 per cent of surgeons. 

Those who were shown to be the best drivers and made the fewest claims included many occupations that involved driving for a living. For instance, only 4.24 per cent of van drivers, 4.7 per cent of couriers and 4.69 per cent of milkmen have made at-fault claims in the last three years.

It is not surprising many people have to make at-fault accident claims on their car insurance after recent research revealed the number of drivers in the UK who have been caught speeding.

According to figures from the National Driver Offender Retaining Scheme, 1.2 million drivers had to attend a speed awareness course last year, 170 per cent more than in 2010.

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One-third Of Drivers Do Not Check Car Laws When Driving Abroad

6/29/2016

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If you have had your motorhome in caravan storage in Devon, but are now planning to take the vehicle abroad for the summer, do not forget to check driving regulations of the country you are visiting. 

This might sound obvious to you, but according to Gocompare.com Car Insurance, one-third of motorists do not look at the requirements and laws of driving in a foreign country before they hop behind the wheel. 

Only 41 per cent check whether their car insurance is valid or offers the same level of protection, while almost a fifth think all they need to drive in Europe is a GB sticker and headlamp deflectors.

Matt Oliver from Gocompare.com Car Insurance said there are several challenges to driving in Europe, including the different side of the road and unfamiliar language.

“Being able to recognise and understand road signs and potential hazards and knowing what equipment and documents you’re supposed to carry will help to ensure that you’re driving both safely and legally,” he stated.

This advice will be useful to many caravanners and Brits travelling to Europe in their cars this summer, as 23 per cent are planning to drive abroad. However, 28 per cent do not check speed limits, traffic signals, local alcohol limits, car seat laws and safety equipment regulations for the country they are heading to. 

Of course, motorists should not just check driving laws and their insurance policy, but should also make sure their vehicle is safe for long journeys. 

Best Price Financial Services suggests checking tyre pressure, tread and oil levels, carrying a first-aid kit and a car ‘tool kit’ in case you have a breakdown or accident, and packing all relevant paperwork, including vehicle registration documents and insurance certificates. 
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1 In 5 ‘Considering’ Buying A Classic Car

6/24/2016

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Here at Tordown Storage, we know just how much joy owning a classic car can bring. After all, we’re specialists in storage for classic cars in Devon! So it comes as no surprise to us to learn that one in five people are now thinking about buying themselves one of these models, not just for enjoyment, but to serve as an investment for the future.

Figures from classic car insurance broker Footman James show that British makes are among the most popular where the classics are concerned, with Aston Martins climbing by 80 per cent in value in the last 12 months alone, City AM reports.

Jaguar, meanwhile, rose 68 per cent, Austin Healey was up 52 per cent and Bentley climbed by 39 per cent, so if you are thinking of making an investment, paying close attention to these stats could be a wise move.

According to the study, the best classic cars investment-wise are the Fiat Dino, the Lamborghini Miura, the Peugeot 205, the Land Rover Defender, the VW Golf MK1GTI, the Morris Traveller, the Jaguar E-Type, the Ferrari 275 GTB, the AC Cobra, the Aston Martin DB4 and the Porsche 911s.

“The classic car market has been picking up speed in recent years, with many people moving away more traditional investments – especially in the face of rock bottom saving rates,” Liam Lloyd of Footman James said.

When buying a classic car, always steer clear of any model that has rust on it and check the mileage since the lower this is the more the car will be worth. However, don’t avoid buying a car that has done lots of miles – just make sure this fact is reflected in the price.

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£17,000 Worth Of Damage Caused By Car Vandal

6/17/2016

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When you park your car on the street, you are trusting to luck to a certain extent these days. You never know who’s going to walk past it and what they might decide to do to it, whether they’ll just leave it alone or think to cause some mindless damage.

According to the South Wales Evening Post, an as yet unknown woman caused over £17,000 worth of damage in just one night, using a knife to vandalise 33 cars that were parked on a quiet road in Chepstow.

Car owner Jane Jones succeeded in capturing the woman, thought to be in her 20s, on some CCTV cameras she had installed. “The damage to my car is about £400, but some of the cars in the street were worse. It’s absolutely senseless what this woman did and we can only hope that the police catch her with the help of my CCTV images,” she told the news source.

If you can, always try and find some off road parking for your car. Not only will this keep it safe (or relatively safe compared to parking on the street), but it could also bring your insurance premiums down into the bargain.

And if you’re going on an extended holiday or will be away from home for any period of time and are worried about the safety of your vehicle, consider putting it into car storage in Devon. Here at Tordown Storage, we specialise in looking after all kinds of cars so you know yours will be well cared for. We also offer optional services that include tyre rotation and general condition check over.

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Fancy Turning Your Caravan Into A Tea Room?

6/16/2016

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The great thing about caravans is they offer home-from-home comfort while on holiday, and one motorhome fan who wanted to provide this luxury to others even turned her mode of transport into a tea room.

Sarah Abbott is now the proud owner of Thelma the Tiny Tea Room, a unique business that journeys throughout Cumbria selling her traditional cakes and treats to holidaymakers in her trusted caravan, the Westmorland Gazette reports.

Ms Abbott only launched her mobile business at Holker Garden Festival last week, but already loves that she can travel all over the region – and even around the rest of the UK – to sell her cakes.

Speaking with the newspaper, Ms Abbott said: “It means we can travel around Cumbria, maybe a bit further afield, meet lost of nice people and give them lovely cake.”

Thelma the Tiny Tea Room specialises in gluten and dairy-free cakes, which are served on vintage china in the cosy premises of her motorhome.

The self-taught baker was inspired to launch the business after a lady called Thelma – whom the cake shop is named after – urged her to do something with her baking talent.

Thelma died last year following a battle with breast cancer, which Ms Abbott also suffered from.

“When she died, it kind of gave me a reason to do something,” she stated.

Her story could inspire those with motorhomes in caravan storage in Somerset to use their beloved vehicles as part of a new business venture too.

They could launch a similar café-style enterprise in southern England, or think of something entirely unique using their transport as a gimmick.

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How Not To Store A Car: The Multimillion Pound Car Graveyard

6/10/2016

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If you’re looking for the best car storage Devon has to offer, you’ll know there are many reasons you may not want to keep a car at home and see the value in a safe, secure location for it. Whether it’s not fit to be driven, isn’t a car for everyday use or you simply want to keep it protected from the world, our specially adapted car storage units have you covered.

If you want to see some examples of the worst case scenario alternative, take a look at this car lot in China where millions of pounds of cars have been left abandoned. According to the Daily Mail, this parking lot in Chengdu is dubbed the ‘tyrant’s car park’ down to the number of luxury cars which have been left there after being abandoned by their owners. 

The lot of 200+ cars include the likes of Mercedes, Range Rovers and three Bentleys – which have a combined value of nearly £1,000,000 alone. 

Some of the cars are involved in criminal cases, so cannot be claimed back by their wealthy owners, while others have simply been left abandoned. While local authorities try to auction some of the vehicles, they’re proving a real nuisance in trying to dispose of them. 

Many of the cars have been there so long that weeds, bushes and trees have grown up around them, making for quite the amazing spectacle. 

However, we’ll settle for well-maintained, clean, easy-to-access storage for our customers’ treasured motors, thank you very much!
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Theft Of £20k Caravan Leaves Man Homeless

6/1/2016

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CCTV footage has shown the theft of a man’s £20,000 caravan and home in Dundee last week, as reported by the Evening Telegraph.

The Fendt model was just under a year old and had cost something in the region of £20,500. 

The caravan was parked in an area that the unfortunate victim had been developing and he had been living in the caravan temporarily until he had a more secure and permanent home. The victim, only 21 years of age, now finds himself effectively homeless, not to mention significantly out of pocket at the ill-fated loss of his caravan. 

He hopes the released CCTV footage, along with the offers of rewards for information that leads to the finding of his lost home, will help towards recovering his caravan and bringing the perpetrator to justice.

This harrowing story goes to show how easy it is for opportunists and thieves to strike. The man in question was living in the caravan at the time of its theft and had only vacated it for a short period of time, yet most caravan or mobile home owners only use them for sporadic trips and holidays, leaving them vacated and vulnerable for large chunks of the year.

Theft can happen at any time, so it is important to consider the security of your caravan during times when it is not being used. 

When the winter months hit and your caravan might just be sitting in the drive all season, why not consider looking for your local caravan storage in Devon or Cornwall to ensure that it is safe from theft or damage when it’s not in use?
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USA Head Over Heels For British Classic Cars

5/26/2016

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If you need the best specialist storage for classic cars while you await a buyer for your painstakingly restored motor, we’re the best choice in Devon and the surrounding areas- who knows, you may even run into another classic car enthusiast who’s looking for a new investment piece!

However, if you’re struggling to find a buyer here in the British Isles, have you considered looking at marketing your classic car to the USA? You might not think they’re your ideal market being used to a left hand drive, however, new research suggest the USA are going mad for British classic cars at the moment. 

According to an article by Classic Cars For Sale, the demand and price for European classics, including workaday vehicles by brands such as Ford and Citroen, has sky rocketed of late, with some models rising in value by 30 per cent in the last year. 

We Brits are the top pick for US buyers thanks to the ease of a deal here, according to John from Golden Chariots, a classic car transport company. This is not only down to a shared language, but also the amount of bureaucracy involved: “Importing cars from the UK to the USA has so much less paperwork attached,” he says. 

This is all in spite of our classic cars having right hand drives, unlike our mainland European counterparts. The good news for classic car lovers in the UK too is that it’s also easy to import models from the US too!
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Fancy A McLaren F1? Yours For A Cool £10 Million!

5/17/2016

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If you’ve got a spare £10 million stuck down the back of the sofa and aren’t sure how to spend it, may we suggest that you splash out on a McLaren F1, which has just gone on the market for a pretty impressive asking price of £9.5 million.

According to Classic Cars For Sale, McLaren Special Operations has maintained the vehicle and is now offering it as new to some pre-approved buyers. So perhaps you won’t be able to get your mitts on this particular vehicle but we’re sure you can find something else to spend your £10 million on!
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This particular car comes in Carbon Black and all the extras you could ever want that the manufacturer is renowned for. We’re talking about a Tag Heuer owner’s watch, special books, a boxed titanium toolkit and fitted luggage. What’s more, it’s one of the last six F1s that McLaren ever made and has only done around 2,800 miles… so whoever does end up with it is buying a bit of history, as well as ensuring they look nothing but amazing on the roads.

If you are in the market for a new old classic car, what about investing in a 1961 Jaguar E-Type instead? This brand is all about style and even Enzo Ferrari called it the “most beautiful car ever made”. Or you could go for the 1964 Aston Martin DB5. After all, if it’s good enough for James Bond, then it’s good enough for us.

Whatever car you do end up investing in, make sure you drop it in to Dorset car storage company Tordown Storage if you’re going on an extended trip. We’ll make sure it’s well taken care of while you’re away.
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Telephone 07867 690430 - Email: info@tordownstorage.co.uk
Office: Venn Farm, Sandford, Crediton, EX17 4BR
Site 1: Tordown Storage, Venton, Drewsteignton, Devon, EX6 6PG
​Site 2: Devon Car Storage, Credition, Devon, EX17 4BR
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