Sunday 31 March 2013

BRITAIN’S FIRST 100MPH CAR CELEBRATES CENTENARY

Iconic 30-98 model underpins Vauxhall’s tradition of sporting excellence

  • Vauxhall 30-98 direct rival to sporting Bentleys during 1920s
  •  Fast, durable and lightweight – top speed validated by factory at Brooklands 
  •  Enduring example of early 1900s’ engineering – nearly 200 cars survive today

The Vauxhall 30-98, one of the greatest sports cars of the twentieth century and the first to top 100mph in production form, is marking its centenary in style this May, when almost 50 surviving examples attempt the Waddington Fell hillclimb, site of the car’s first appearance and competition success in 1913.

Described as ‘The car of grace that sets the pace’, the 30-98 was derived from Vauxhall’s C10 ‘Prince Henry’ – acknowledged as the UK’s first real sports car – and was produced at a time when Vauxhall vied with Bentley in the prestige car market.

But armed with a kerb weight 400kgs less than a Bentley 3.0-Litre, a powerful engine and high axle ratio, the 30-98 became renowned as a high-performance car that could swallow long distances with ease. This made it particularly popular with drivers in the colonies, and explains why so many cars still survive in Australia today.

 A precursor to the recently launched Cascada convertible, the 30-98 was actually developed in just 71 days, but went on to spawn a production run of 600 cars over a 14 year period (with a break for WW1). Remarkably, around a third of these cars still survive today.

At a time when car manufacturers promoted the performance, durability and handling of their products through competition, Vauxhall had already been successful in hillclimbs, grands prix and endurance trials since the company was formed in 1903 (now celebrating its 110th anniversary, it’s the UK’s oldest surviving car brand).

And the 30-98 represented the zenith of those achievements. On its first outing at the Waddington Fell hill climb in Lancashire, it set fastest time of the day, proving to the car’s designer, Laurence Pomeroy, and Vauxhall’s directors, Percy Kidner and Leslie Walton, that the car had a future, and production started in earnest.

 Originally fitted with a 4,525cc side-valve four cylinder engine, producing 90bhp, the model was made in two basic types: E-type and OE-type, with the latter denoting the more powerful overhead valve cars producing 112bhp, and built between 1923 and 1927.

And it was the OE-type that became the first production car to exceed 100mph, partly prompted by a letter to The Autocar’s editor from a Major L.Ropner, complaining that he was unable to buy a road car that could cover a flying mile at more than 100mph!

 Vauxhall responded by producing a stunning two-seater 30-98 for him in polished aluminium, with a full set of road equipment. On March 28, 1923 factory test driver Matt Park took the car to Brooklands and achieved a flying lap at 100.7mph, before delivering the car to Ropner, who used it extensively for competition, continental touring and commuting to London from his home in Yorkshire.

The British motoring press fell in love with the OE-Type 30-98, and in 1923 The Autocar subjected one to an early road test, recording a maximum speed (with standard Velox body and wind-breaking full windscreen) of 82.57mph – no mean feat at a time when most cars were struggling to top 50mph.

 The Autocar went on to say: ‘Few cars have such graceful lines yet at once suggest unlimited strength allied to speed…and very, very few can take a corner stiffly with absolute certainty as this one can.’

This year, Vauxhall Motors’ own 1926 OE-Type Velox Tourer (OE268) will join around 50 other 30-98s in Lancashire to celebrate the model’s competition debut at Waddington Fell. Working with the Vauxhall 30-98 Register, local authorities have closed the public road which used to form the course, allowing cars from as far afield as Australia and the US to recreate Higginson’s winning run.

Other events which Vauxhall is supporting as part of the 30-98 centenary include:

•Brooklands Double Twelve (June 15-16)

• The 30-98 Centenary Run (July 5) – Tour starting at Brooklands and travelling to Vauxhall’s Luton HQ and then on to Millbrook Proving Ground with up to 100 30-98s

• CarFest North, Oulton Park (August 2-4)

• CarFest South, Laverstoke Park (August 23-25)

• ‘Thirsty Down Under’ Tour (Oct/Nov) – a three-week tour of Victoria and Tasmania for the thriving 30-98 Register based in Australia

Goodwood has yet to confirm entry of the 30-98 in its centenary year at the Festival of Speed.



***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Saturday 30 March 2013

Space Invaders – Study Reveals UK’s Worst Parkers

Audi Drivers Worst in Britain; Drivers of Small Cars Top The League

Drivers of German car brand Audi are Britain’s worst according to a survey looking at the parking habits of Brits.
 
Second in the league table of car brands that are parked badly by their owners was Mercedes, followed by Mazda in third – 8,000 cars were analysed during February by online company www.StressFreeAirportParking.com , the UK’s biggest provider of meet and greet parking at UK airports.

The company looked at cars parked in various city centre and out-of-town shopping centre car parks and found that, per capita of cars on the road for each car marque, Audi-branded cars were streets ahead of their nearest rival in the parking hall of shame.

Almost one in four Audi car drivers (24%) were parked badly, compared to Mercedes (16.6%) and Mazda (14.3%). The brand whose drivers performed best was Land Rover, with just 2.6% of owners parking badly.
With the advantage of more space, drivers of ‘small family cars’ should have no problem slipping in between the white lines of a standard parking bay, yet came out as the worst at parking ranked by size of car, followed by ‘vans’ and then ‘superminis’.

The top five offenders for worst parked cars by colour of the car were black (29.6%), silver (27%), blue (15.1%), white (11.9%) and red in fifth spot (5%). 

With parking spaces at a premium in most city centres, parking infringements cause major frustrations to motorists unable to park their car because a neighbouring vehicle has straddled two bays – 19 (1%) of the 8,000 cars surveyed straddled two or more parking spaces.

Martin Mansell, Managing Director at online company www.StressFreeAirportParking.com , said:
“As the UK’s biggest provider of meet and greet parking at UK airports, we are responsible for parking hundreds of thousands of our customers’ cars every year so we know the importance of good vehicle management.
“We are all aware of the common stereotypes aimed towards certain drivers and what cars they choose to drive; however, our survey, for the first time gives UK drivers a chance to see the real facts.
“Many will be surprised to see drivers of small family cars as the worst offenders when it comes to breaching the parking bay white lines, yet van drivers – second worst culprits – will probably confirm many people’s stereotypes.”

Top Ten Worst Parked Car Brands in the UK, per capita
1. Audi
2. Mercedes
3. Mazda
4. Lexus
5. Jaguar
6. Vauxhall
7. Suzuki
8. Seat
9. Ford
10. BMW

Top Five Best Parked Car Brands in the UK, per capita
1. Land Rover
2. Rover
3. Skoda
4. Citroen
5. Kia

Top Ten Worst Parked Cars in the UK, by class
1. Small Family Car
2. Van
3. Supermini
4. Executive Car
5. Large Family Car
6. Compact
7. 4x4
8. Compact Executive Car
9. MPV
10. Estate
 
Source: StressFreeAirportParking.com 

Statistics taken from 2011 report by the Department for Transport VEOH210 Licensed cars by make, by region, Great Britain: 2011 http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/vehicle-licensing-statistics-2011/vls-2011.pdf




***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Friday 29 March 2013

It wouldn’t happen to an employee! Late payment ‘trend’ is ludicrous, says 2BInterface

Larger companies are crippling SMEs by paying late, and insisting on unfeasibly long payment terms with ‘ludicrous’ extras such as imposed discounts, says UK entrepreneur, Beatrice Bartlay.

Bartlay argued that if the same terms were imposed upon these firms’ employees, it would bring companies to their knees in moments.

Bartlay, Managing Director of specialist staffing firm 2BInterface, set the scene:  
“It’s the last working day of the month and you’re anxiously waiting for your wage slip after a hard month’s slog at your desk. Your FD comes along and says that you will get paid, but not for 30 more days and – by the way – they will be taking two per cent from your salary for the privilege of working for their company and having it on your CV. After all, you should be grateful you’re getting paid in the first place, and oh, didn’t you check your contract?

“The employee wouldn’t stand for it! The unions would have a field day and hundreds of companies cease trading with furious employees who can’t pay their mortgages,” she said.

Bartlay continued: “So what’s the difference between this and the daily battle SMEs in this country have with companies that fail to pay on time, with some of them even insisting on cut prices just for the ‘honour’ of working with them?”

The Department for Business, Innovations and Skills announced amended late payment legislation in mid-March 2013, but Bartlay says it won’t stop larger companies flexing their big branded muscles when it comes to negotiating terms at contract stage. The legislation states that 60 days is the maximum timeframe acceptable to pay suppliers.

Bartlay concluded: 
“60 days is unacceptable to many owner managers. After all, I can guarantee that if they didn’t pay their tax on time they would see the backhand of the taxman. We have to call for a tighter 30 days as the industry norm for payment periods. The first few years for an SME are a telling one, and they’ll only survive on a decent cash flow. Why hinder what is great about Britain with the masses of innovation and bright young start-ups with something as simple as not being paid for what was delivered?”

About 2B Interface
Employment specialist 2B Interface http://www.2binterface.com/ has been providing companies with fully qualified trades people and professional staff since 2005. Its growing service has been enthusiastically received throughout Europe. And its expanding client base now embraces many specialised trades, industries and professions.



***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Thursday 28 March 2013

British businesses admit that they don’t engage customers with social media

…but over half believes that it will surpass the telephone by 2020, according to new survey from Aspect Software 

A new survey from Aspect has found that a minority of UK businesses (40 per cent) claims to use social media as a two-way conversational tool for customer engagement, instead admitting that networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn are prioritised as a mass broadcast tool.

Speaking to 100 business and IT professionals*, the study from customer contact and workforce optimisation technology provider Aspect, aimed to find out how respondents saw the position of social media within their organisation, how it is or will be used, and how closely it is integrated with other forms of communication with customers and prospects. 

Currently, almost three quarters of businesses (72 per cent) say that they use social media within their organisation, with a further 8 per cent implementing it over the next 12 months and an additional 16 per cent seriously considering using it in the long-term.
“The customer conversation is changing; no more are we restricted to using the telephone when we speak with companies we buy from,” commented Mark King, Senior VP Europe and Africa at Aspect. “Although it is fair to say that most organisations now recognise that being present on the most popular social media networks is a necessity, as that is where their customers are, it should be much more than just another way of talking about how great your brand is and not developing that conversation. Business leaders just don’t know where it sits in the organisation, who within the business should own it, and the ever-increasing importance of harnessing the unstructured content derived from that conversation.”

More than 6 in 10 businesses (62 per cent) say that social media does or will have some form of integration with other business processes and communication channels. Respondents were closely divided when asked whether this was a purely manually-driven integration on a strategic level or full technical integration with 33 per cent and 29 per cent respectively stating this. 28 per cent said that social media is not or will not be integrated at all, and stood alone within the business.
King added: “60 per cent of those we asked prioritised pushing out messages and company updates as the primary function of social media, and 32 per cent admit that they do take customer queries, but it is not a one way channel. With 52 per cent of professionals admitting that they see social media as surpassing the telephone as the main method of customer engagement by 2020, there is this disconnect that needs to be addressed by shifting from broadcast to a dialogue. This will only be achieved by aligning social media with existing metrics and processes proven to work in the contact centre infrastructure in terms of business culture, strategy and technical integration.”

In terms of ownership, 40 per cent of respondents feel that in the main, responsibility for social media within the organisation lay with the marketing department, but over a quarter (26 per cent) believe that this was the job of senior management. 20 per cent say that social media is, or will be, owned by the contact centre. Only 2 per cent stated that social media was the responsibility of everyone within the organisation.

* Survey conducted in March 2013 of 100 business and IT decision makers by Aspect Software

About Aspect
Aspect’s fully-integrated solution unifies the three most important facets of modern contact centre management: customer interaction management, workforce optimisation, and back-office. 

We help the world’s most demanding contact centres seamlessly align their people, processes and touch points to deliver remarkable customer experiences. 

For more information, visit http://www.aspect.com/.

Follow Aspect on Twitter at @AspectSW. Read our blogs at http://blogs.aspect.com/.
 

***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Wednesday 27 March 2013

SWS Seceuroshield Bottom Slat Handle Update

On the 14th of February we informed you that SWS were changing the handles they supply with the bottom slats on Seceuroshield shutters for a new larger handle. 

As a result of customer feedback and their own testing since the change they feel it necessary to change the handle again.

The new handle is D shape like the old chrome D handle but is larger so has the same hole spacing as the new handle they changed to. 

The new handle will be supplied in a satin nickel finish. This new handle provides a deeper thread for the fasteners used to hold the handle on to the bottom slat.

This new handle has been fitted to all relevant bottom slats manufactured since Wednesday 20th March.
 

Should you require any further information please contact the SWS UK sales office on 01524 772400.



***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Joinery manufacturers get extra help for EU Timber Regulation compliance


Joinery businesses in the UK and their customers are receiving crucial support to understand and comply with the EU Timber Regulation via a set of tools produced by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).

The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force on 3 March. The new law is designed to stop illegally harvested timber from entering the European market, and it is now the responsibility of all companies in the timber trades to ensure their products and suppliers are legitimate or face the possibility of harsh penalties.

The BWF has created an online webinar on sourcing sustainable timber and covering the most frequently asked questions about the change in legislation. It covers why the EUTR is so important, what the responsibilities of operators and traders are, and offers advice about traceability, Chain of Custody certification, and other relevant documentation. The webinar is available to view on the new learning platform Building Academy, Wood Campus and on the BWF’s website and YouTube channel.

The BWF has also published EUTR template documents for use by its member firms, designed to ensure the necessary risk assessment strategies and record-keeping procedures are in place.

Ian McIlwee, chief executive of the BWF, said:
“For well informed businesses, compliance with the EU Timber Regulation is actually more straightforward than it sounds. In fact, most transactions made by BWF members and the majority of UK joinery businesses are probably already compliant with the EUTR. From a legal perspective, they do not require a due diligence system and need only comply with basic traceability requirements.

“But we do need firms to maintain due care and attention, and they need to be able to point clients to an easy-to-understand audiovisual guide too, to ensure that specifiers are not over-reacting or putting unreasonable demands on their joinery suppliers.”

The webinar is available to watch at:

BWF members can download the template documents at: www.bwf.org.uk/publications/environmental-and-waste-management


***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Monday 25 March 2013

Theodore Firedoor enlisted by FDIS to gather dodgy fire door evidence

 
Theodore Firedoor, who lives on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, is fronting a campaign on behalf of the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) to encourage sharing of photos of dodgy fire doors across social media channels.

Theodore Firedoor, with the help of people across the industry, aims to show how widespread the issue of ill-fitting badly maintained or otherwise under performing fire doors is - compromising lives and buildings across the UK.

A stickler for fire safety he wants images of risky fire doors to be uploaded to his Facebook page, to be shared on Twitter @Theodore_Fire or emailed to him at theodore.firedoor@gmail.com. While he won’t be naming or shaming he does hope to inspire action.

Neil Ashdown, general manager of the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) says:

“One of the primary reasons FDIS was introduced was to create a qualified pool of expertise and competence to help those with legal responsibilities under fire regulations. Theodore Firedoor will demonstrate why this expertise is so important to tackle the problems that ineffective fire doors are storing up with the potential for property damage and even loss of life.”
 
 


***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Sunday 24 March 2013

BONHAMS TO OFFER MASERATI AT GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED AUCTION

 
ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE OF ALL 1950S SPORTS-RACING TWO-SEATERS JOINS STELLAR LINE-UP OF CONSIGNMENTS

Bonhams is delighted to announce the sale of Maserati 300S Sports-Racing Spider, chassis no. 3053.

Sir Stirling Moss has described the 3-litre, 6-cylinder-engined Maserati 300S as having been:
 “...one of my favourite front-engined sports Maseratis – one of the easiest, nicest, best-balanced sports-racing cars ever made...”.

This fine example of the coveted model was the third 300S ordered by the great American collector, Briggs Swift Cunningham, for his old friend and team driver Bill Spear. Upon delivery ‘3053’ was co-driven by Bill Spear and Sherwood Johnston in the 1955 Sebring 12-Hours race, the American round of the FIA Sports Car World Championship. They enjoyed a fine debut, finishing third, beaten only by a Phil Hill- driven Ferrari and the winning Mike Hawthorn Jaguar D-Type.

After racing ‘3053’ widely throughout the USA, Bill Spear sold the car in 1956 to Joe Giubardo of Valley Stream, Long Island, who owned the car until 1964. Subsequently preserved by prominent Maserati authority Joel Eric Finn, ‘3053’ was acquired by leading German Maseratisto Dr Thomas Bscher in 1986. After some twenty years in his care – during which it was maintained in highly original order while being campaigned successfully in historic racing – the car passed from Dr Bscher to its present vendor.

Such premium-grade Maserati 300S sports-racing cars are very rarely offered for sale by public auction. The appearance of ‘3053’ here as one of the star lots in the Bonhams 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale is certain to generate worldwide interest.

James Knight, Bonhams Group Motoring Director, said: 
“In collecting terms, sports- racing cars of the 1950s are the most coveted of all. The competition between the great marques from this period – Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati – is as fierce today as it was then. The Maserati 300S is right up there among the greats. A car equally at home on road or track, offering impeccable handling and – crucially – able to accommodate two in comfort, it is the perfect all-rounder and eligible for all the great historic events, including the Mille Miglia, Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Revival.”

 For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com .



***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

BONHAMS TO SELL MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIC GRAND PRIX RACING CAR


Last Monday evening, at its New Bond Street saleroom, Bonhams unveiled an incredibly important motor car that will be offered for auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Friday 12 July. The car will become the most important historic Grand Prix racing car ever entered into public auction.

Bonhams is pleased to announce it has consigned the 1954 2½-litre straight-8 Mercedes-Benz W196 einsitzer– chassis number ‘00006/54’ – in which five-times World Champion Driver Juan Manuel Fangio won both the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races. These great victories were the first two to be achieved in succession by the frontier-technology Mercedes-Benz factory Formula 1 team in its postwar racing come-back. Chassis ‘00006’ also has special significance as the first open-wheeled slipper-bodied postwar Mercedes-Benz ever to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix race – having made its debut in that German GP.

The car’s innovative W196 design also marked the successful introduction to Formula 1 of the following technologies:
  • Fuel-injected engine
  • All-independent suspension
  • Multi-tubular ‘spaceframe’ lightweight chassis design
  • All-round inboard-mounted brakes
  • The in-line or ‘straight-8’ engine ‘lay-down’ configuration to minimize the car’s overall height
  • Power take-off from the centre of the engine’s long 8-cylinder crankshaft to minimize vibration

The FIA governing body of International motor sport launched its first truly postwar set of Grand Prix regulations in 1954, demanding unsupercharged engines of no more than 2½-litres engine capacity. Mercedes-Benz – who had previously dominated Grand Prix racing in 1908, 1914 and 1934-39 –missed the first two 1954 World Championship rounds in Argentina and Belgium. But they then made their shattering debut in the 1954 French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux. Their all-new W196 cars ran there in enveloping-bodied ‘Stromlinienwagen’ form, instantly setting totally new performance standards as Juan Manuel Fangio and team-mate Karl Kling finished first and second in both qualifying and the race.

National media and the specialist sporting press trumpeted the same simple message: “Mercedes are Back”!

However, the W196 Stromlinienwagen cars with their enclosed wheels proved difficult to place upon the more twisty venue of the following British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Fangio requested an open-wheeled, W196 variant for the following German Grand Prix on the twisty 14.2-mile Nurburging road circuit. Mercedes-Benz reacted instantly, tailoring new cars ‘00005’ and ‘00006’ to Fangio’s recommendation.

And it was in this actual car – chassis ‘00006’ - now to be offered by Bonhams at Goodwood -that Fangio immediately won the German Grand Prix. He then repeated the feat in the following Swiss Grand Prix on the daunting Bremgarten forest circuit at Berne – storming round at uncatchable pace in ‘00006’ to win by 58.7 seconds from Argentine compatriot Jose Froilan Gonzalez’s out-classed Ferrari. This Swiss victory was Fangio’s third in four Grand Prix races, and assured him of his second Drivers’ World Championship title.

Thus, Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed auction will offer this iconic landmark-technology Mercedes-Benz W196 as the double-Grand Prix-winning car in which Fangio – no less – clinched the second of his long-standing record five Drivers’ World Championship titles.

This Bonhams sale of the ex-Fangio 1954 German and Swiss GP-winning Mercedes-Benz W196 is – on so many fronts –a classic car auction first.

Robert Brooks, Chairman of Bonhams and handling the sale of the Mercedes-Benz, comments, 
“My motoring auction career spans five decades and I have been privileged to have handled some of the world’s most desirable and important motor cars. To handle the sale of this legendary W196 Grand Prix Car – the only one out of captivity– could well be the pinnacle. Our Goodwood Festival of Speed auction is shaping up to even eclipse the record breaking Sale of last year.”



***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Saturday 23 March 2013

Employment is on the rise again, but young people continue to miss out

Commenting on the latest ONS Labour Market statistics, released on Wednesday, Mark Beatson,Chief Economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said: 
“This month’s figures continue the trend that we have seen for the last year or so.  The number of people employed has increased again to record levels – although the employment rate still remains below its pre-recession peak – and this has happened during a period when we have seen little evidence of economic growth.  The number of unemployed people has increased slightly but this could be the result of welfare to work changes intensifying job search activity among those out of work and claiming benefits, and in the long term this should be beneficial to the economy by boosting labour supply.

“One of the explanations as to why employment has continued to grow is the declining real value of earnings.  The annual rate of growth of average earnings was 1.2% in January, which was 1.5 percentage points below the rate of inflation.  As a result, those in work continue to see their living standards squeezed.

“It will be interesting to see whether the forecast accompanying today’s Budget from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility anticipates employment growth on this scale to continue when economic growth resumes, or whether they expect productivity to increase and more moderate rates of employment growth.

“The employment figures for 16-24 year olds remain a matter for concern.  The total number of unemployed 16-24 year olds has increased since last month’s figures.  Young people appear to be missing out on the jobs growth we have seen, risking the future supply of talent and potentially leaving a permanent scar on the UK labour market. The mismatch between young people’s behaviour and employer expectations at the recruitment stage is part of the problem and via our Learning to Work programme we are seeking to address this disconnect.”

Learning to Work is an action-focused programme led by the CIPD to tackle the problem of youth unemployment. Click here for more information.

Source: www.cipd.co.uk



***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833

Friday 22 March 2013

Are you ready for the CE marking Challenge?

Within a matter of weeks, all door makers will be legally obliged to CE mark every non-fire industrial and commercial door they supply. Failure to do so will be a criminal offence from July 1st this year.

Help is on Hand
Recognising that door companies need immediate help in planning and implementing CE marking, the Door & Hardware Federation is holding its second roadshow, this time in Warrington. It is designed to explain the CE marking obligations on door companies and give practical help and guidance on the successful implementation of CE marking procedures. 


Not a DHF Member?
Non DHF member companies are invited to attend the roadshow to help them catch up on CE marking. The attendance cost will be waived should delegates decide to join the DHF. The cost of attendance is £100 per non DHF member delegate. 

Where and When?
The DHF CE marking roadshow takes place at the
 De Vere Village Hotel in Warrington on Tuesday 9 April 2013. Starting at 10.30 am, the event includes practical help on CE marking, how to gain commercial advantage from CE marking, and the role played by test labs and certification bodies. 
There will be ample opportunity during the meeting for any questions. The roadshow will end with a sandwich lunch at around 1 pm.

Book your Place:
Contact Kay Scattergood at the DHF Secretariat for details: kay.scattergood@dhfonline.org.uk

For more information on the DHF, visit www.dhfonline.org.uk

***** Don't Miss the Latest News - Receive these Posts by Email *****

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner


* Read more current and archived articles on our dedicated website *

Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like this in return for a contribution towards our layout costs (typically £25 plusVAT), payable via PayPal or credit card  or receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).

We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

For details on features and advertising rates please contact us or visit our website.

Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Avalon Innovations LLP Company Registration No. 06807833