Make people green with envy over this low-mileage 1978 Ford Country Squire

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March 17, 2020

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day may be a little harder than usual this year, but this is one way to keep things verdant and green.

Currently listed for auction on Bring a Trailer, this 1978 Ford LTD Country Squire has the most amazing combination of green exterior and interior.

It may not necessarily bring you the luck of the Irish, but for fans of classic woodie station wagons this could certainly last longer than another pint of Guinness.

The biggest green machine around

The seventh-generation of Ford’s long-running Country Squire name was introduced in 1969. A comprehensive redesign saw full-size Fords become even bigger, with the wheelbase for the LTD range now stretched to 121-inches.

An update in 1973 saw the addition of 5 mph impact bumpers. This pushed the total length of the Country Squire to over 225 inches, whilst the curb weight tipped the scales in excess of 4,700 lb.

This would be the last of the giant full-size offerings, with Ford later moving to the shorter Panther platform in 1979. It makes this particular Country Squire one of the final wagons built on such a vast scale.

Clad with a forest of fake trees

The main reason why we are so excited for this Country Squire is the color. Ford’s Dark Jade Metallic is the particular hue used here, contrasting neatly with the vinyl wood grain cladding.

Only Country Squire models were fitted with the acres of imitation timber trim, unlike regular LTD-based wagons. Being the range-topping model also meant concealed headlights, a deluxe chrome roof rack, and a rear wind deflector.

Ford’s ‘Magic Doorgate’ was also fitted, allowing the tailgate to open in three different ways. This meant for multiple ways to access the cavernous cargo space at the rear.

Room for all the family

Inside, this Country Squire is just as green as it is outside. Optional Jade Duraweave trim – a vinyl said to imitate cloth – matches the exterior almost perfectly. The roof lining and carpets are, of course, green.

Naturally, there is even more wood grain trim on the inside, covering the dashboard, steering wheel, and door panels. The full experience of the late 1970s means the Country Squire comes fitted with equipment such as an AM/FM/8-track stereo, plus air conditioning and power brakes.

More importantly, the original owner plumped for the pair of third-row jump seats that fold into the trunk floor. It takes the potential for up to 10 people to cram hop onboard, and still leave some space for luggage.

Ready for relaxed road trips across the country

However, carrying so much weight is unlikely to aid the performance of this wagon. Made in the heart of the malaise era, this Country Squire comes with Ford’s 351-cubic inch V-8.

It makes for a total of 145 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque heading to the rear wheels, through a three-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. The first owner did specify a Traction Lok differential, though.

What makes this Country Squire staggering is that it has covered only 5,000 miles from new. It was first sold in old new by John Stenach Ford of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, with the owners later passing the car to their nephew.

It was then put into storage for 25 years, before being reacquired by John Stenach Ford. The current seller, based in California, bought the wagon five years ago.

Still want that new SUV?

In a world that feels somewhat chaotic right now, there is something reassuring and familiar about a station wagon clad in wood grain. It has all the practicality, if not the gas mileage, of a modern SUV but without the predictability.

Having had such little use, this Country Squire is seemingly ready for family road trips again. Or, gentle cruises to car meets and classic shows later in the year.

It has already attracted the interest of many commenters on Bring a Trailer, with other 130 comments posted on the listing so far.

The auction itself runs until Monday, March 23rd with this big wagon looking set to gain plenty of bids.

£500 EV charger rebate extended beyond March 31

By

Ethan Jupp

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March 17, 2020

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The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has updated its position on charging infrastructure grants in 2020.

Orders for home EV charging points placed before March 12 will still benefit from the full £500 rebate, even if installed after March 31.

The grant was announced as reducing from £500 to £350 in the Budget of March 12. The original declaration says that the new rate applies to all installations on or after the first of April. However, there is an exemption if you ordered before March 12.

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The electric vehicle home charge scheme allows those that install charge points at home to claim a rebate. This has been reduced, supposedly to allow people to take advantage of it.

Under the previous £500 rate, 30,000 people could use it. Now, with the £350 rebate, 57,000 are expected to take it on.

Eligibility is also extending to those who have larger electric motorbikes, as well as those with electric cars and vans.

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To date, more than 120,000 home charge point installations have been partly subsidised by government grants. The decrease in the grant is considered to be in line with the reduction in the cost of installing a charge point.

In short, £350 is considered to be about the same percentage of the overall cost as £500 was when the scheme was launched.

68,000 drivers caught without MOT after test changes

By

Ethan Jupp

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March 17, 2020

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Figures show that since the test changes implemented in May 2018, police have stopped more than 68,000 vehicles without a valid MOT.

The fine for being caught without an MOT increased, too. The typical charge is around £100, although this can increase to £1,000 if the case goes to court.

Drivers can face penalties of £2,500 if they’re caught driving with a ‘dangerous’ MOT classification.

Simple and essential checks before your car’s MOT test

Overall, the Treasury is thought to have made around £6 million in the 18 months since the changes to the test were made. The prosecution figures were obtained by Halfords, via a Freedom of Information request.

Halfords also conducted a survey of 2,000 motorists. It revealed that 22 percent had driven a car out of MOT, either because they’d forgotten, or didn’t know it was time for their test.

Seven percent said they didn’t know when their MOT was due at the time of the survey.

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“More than 100 motorists per day are caught by police driving without a valid MOT and our research suggests this is just a fraction of the people who are on the road with an expired test,” said Aaron Edwards of Halfords.

“However, for many this isn’t intentional, with many simply unaware their car’s MOT was due. Around one in five motorists have driven a car without a valid MOT because they had forgotten or didn’t know it was due.”

Police are patrolling the M25 in HGV supercabs

Police are patrolling the M25 in HGV supercabs

However, some 15 percent said they knowingly drive around without an MOT. And 36 percent of these said this was because they couldn’t afford it, while 33 percent said they didn’t have time.

Also, 17 percent said it was because they couldn’t be bothered, while 23 percent simply thought they could get away with it.

Electric Avenue: the first entire street with lamp post car charging

By

Ethan Jupp

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March 17, 2020

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A London street has seen all its lamp posts converted to EV charging points. Sutherland Avenue in W9 (dubbed ‘Electric Avenue’) is the first road of its kind in the UK

The project was a collaboration between Ubitricity and Westminster City Council. It saw 24 lamp posts converted to charging points.

A further two adjoining roads are due to be finished in the coming weeks. Siemens and Ubitricity have now completed more than 1,300 installations across the city.

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“Lamp post charging gives people without driveways a very convenient, low cost, renewable, energy-friendly way to charge their EVs,” said Daniel Bentham, MD of Ubitricity.

“Cars spend 95 percent of their lives idle, so it makes sense to charge them while the driver is doing something else, like sleeping or working. Our technology is designed to keep installation and maintenance costs low, which translates to long-term low costs for EV drivers and councils.”

At present, Westminster City Council has more EV plug-in points than any other UK local authority. Electric Avenue is just part of its 296-strong lamp post network. Over the next 12 months, it plans to have 1,000 charge points in the area.

By contrast, public perception on available charge points is not favourable. Motorists believe there are between 100 and 200 EV charging points in London. That’s less than 10 percent of the installations Siemens alone has made. A third believe there are no charging points near their home or where they work.

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“In a city that suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the country, we need to be supporting the change to green technology as much as we can,” said Andrew Smith of Westminster City Council.

“Electric Avenue gives us a glimpse into the future of streets in Westminster, where we hope to provide the infrastructure needed for our residents to make the switch to cleaner, greener transport.”

Halfords waives MOT rebooking fee for virus self-isolators

By

Ethan Jupp

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March 17, 2020

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Car accessory chain Halfords says it will waive the fee for rebooking an MOT test if customers need to self-isolate due to coronavirus symptoms.

Ordinarily, booking for a retest would cost an extra £35. However, those who are self-isolating are exempt from that 10-working-day rule, and can attend another MOT appointment without an additional charge.

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Halfords offers certain services for those who are confined to their homes, too.

Technicians from the company’s Mobile Expert and Tyres On The Drive divisions can repair cars and fit new tyres on your driveway.

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Simple and essential checks before your car’s MOT test

“We are monitoring the potential impact of the coronavirus and want to do as much as possible to help keep the nation moving at this critical time,” said Andy Randall, MD of Halfords Autocentres.

“We’re looking at each situation on a case-by-case basis and pledging to waive the booking fee for anyone who misses their MOT appointment because of coronavirus.”

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Halfords also recently offered ‘free brakes for life’. A one-off payment buys drivers a lifetime supply of braking consumables, such as pads and shoes, which covers any cars you own.

The firm claims this could save motorists around £1,600 over the course of their driving life.

In-car tech impairs drivers more than alcohol

By

Ethan Jupp

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March 17, 2020

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New research has looked at how car infotainment systems affect driver performance. The results show reaction times can increase more than after using alcohol or cannabis.

Back-to-back tests were conducted to study driver attentiveness in three scenarios: no interaction, voice controls and full touchscreen use.

Both of the latter – but touchscreens in particular – caused major impairment, with drivers realising they were distracted.

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Although they modified their driving style by slowing down, drivers were unable to maintain a consistent distance from the car in front or hold their lane position. They also reacted more slowly to sudden hazards.

The touch controls yielded particularly concerning results, with reaction times worse than texting on a mobile phone.

They also caused eyes-off-the-road times exceeding the recommendations of America’s NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Touch controls also led to significant impairment of lane discipline and keeping a safe distance.

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There is at least some good news. The research demonstrated that modern media systems perform better. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were both tested in the research. However, the distraction is still there.

Devices that distract drivers’ eyes from the road are linked to as many as 30 percent of road collisions in Europe every year. Using a phone behind the wheel in the UK can land you with six points and a fine of £200 or more.

By contrast, if your use of an infotainment system is observed to impair your driving, you could be charged with driving without due care and attention. It’s a non-specific cover-all charge that usually results in a £100 fine and three points.

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IAM RoadSmart, the road safety charity behind the research, has called for the industry and governments to establish standards by which infotainment systems must abide and be judged. Its aim is to reduce the level of distraction in new cars.

Police are patrolling the M25 in HGV supercabs

By

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

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March 17, 2020

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In a bid to reduce accidents, police officers will patrol the M25 motorway using custom-built Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks. The so-called HGV ‘supercabs’, which are funded by Highways England, will be deployed for Operation Orbital.

You can expect to see the supercabs on the M25 between now and Friday 27 March. In a similar operation on the M1, the use of three supercabs helped to cut the number of collisions by a third.

The supercabs are fitted with flashing lights for use in an emergency and have derestricted speed limiters to allow them to travel at higher speeds. The high vantage point allows officers to film evidence of unsafe driving by pulling alongside vehicles. Offending drivers are pulled over by police cars following a short distance behind.

Officers will be checking for mobile phone and seatbelt offences, along with the roadworthiness of vans and lorries, drivers’ hours and insecure loads. In December 2018, there were 400 collisions on the M25, leading to congestion and delays for motorway users.

Operation Orbital involves police forces from Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Thames Valley and the Metropolitan Police. The officers will also be offering free tyre checks and safety tips to drivers at motorway services.

‘Potentially devastating consequences’

Colin Evans, regional road safety officer, for Highways England in the South East, said: “The busiest sections of the M25 are used for nearly 200,000 journeys every day, ranging from commuters getting to work to haulage firms delivering goods along the route or overseas.

“We know that the vast majority of drivers obey the law but a few are risking potentially devastating consequences by driving dangerously.

“Over these two weeks of action, enforcement agencies will be carrying out a coordinated series of checks all around the M25 to help improve safety for everyone.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, chief constable Anthony Bangham, added: “I welcome initiatives to reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads. We have seen similar successful collaborations between the police and Highways England in the past and I am pleased to see us working together again.

“We want all of those using our roads to do so safely and we will prosecute drivers who put themselves and others at risk by breaking the law.”

More watched virtual Esports All-Star battle than Sky F1 TV coverage

By

John Redfern

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March 16, 2020

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The last-minute COVID-19 cancellation of the 2020 Australian Grand Prix left fans and drivers with unexpected free time at the weekend.

Thankfully, motorsport website The Race’s inaugural Esports All-Star Battle came to the rescue. The online virtual racing challenge pitched professional real-world drivers against stars of esports.

Reports have shown that the All-Star Battle, featuring Formula 1’s Max Verstappen, peaked with 52,000 viewers watching live on YouTube, with over 500,000 watching later.

That is more than the number of people who watch F1 races live on Sky Sports TV in the UK.

More races to follow

Analytics website Stream Hatchet reported that the All-Star Battle had “90 percent more live viewers in history”, than any esports racing event held on a streaming platform.

Whilst the live figures were impressive, within 24 hours more than 550,000 people had watched the footage on YouTube, with 2.5 million impressions.

Such success has seen The Race already began to plan for more events this weekend.

Sunday 22nd March will see two esports races hosted online. One will be held for real-world racers, and another for professional sim drivers.

Icons of real and virtual motorsport

The ease with which The Race was able to assemble a stellar field of real-world and virtual racing drivers is one of the most impressive achievements for esports.

Alongside Max Verstappen were several current and former Formula E drivers, IndyCar stars, and motorsport legends such as Juan Pablo Montoya.

This was matched by a collection of the best esports racers in the world, with sim racer Jernej Simoncic defeating all others to claim the first Esports All-Star Battle title.

Live commentary from BBC F1 commentator Jack Nicholls, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, and esports expert René Buttler added to the experience.

Welcome to your digital future

The All-Star Battle was organised by The Race and Torque Esports. Based in Canada, Torque Esports is involved in developing racing games and promoting esports across the world.

President and CEO of Torque Esports is Darren Cox. He was previously responsible for developing the Sony PlayStation-based GT Academy, which saw the best Gran Turismo players become real-world racing drivers.

Cox commented that “the beauty of esports racing competition is the fact you can set up events anywhere around the world at any time” and that “esports is growing dramatically as a competition and entertainment platform and now rivals the box office, TV and digital music combined”.

Real-world racing drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Felix Rosenqvist have already committed to this weekend’s upcoming virtual competition, with more names due to be announced.

It proves that racing drivers will always want to compete, even against the challenges of a global pandemic.

A genuine Mad Max V8 Pursuit Special is for sale at a Florida car museum

By

John Redfern

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March 16, 2020

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With people in quarantine, global flight restrictions, and people panic buying toilet paper, you could be forgiven for feeling the world has gone slightly apocalyptic.

We might not have reached the dystopian nightmare seen in the 1979 movie Mad Max, but one of its automotive stars is conveniently now up for sale.

If the V8 Pursuit Special was able to help Mel Gibson’s character survive in Australia, then it should be more than enough for our current world.

Cult of the V8

Although many replicas have been built, this is the genuine 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT used in filming of Mad Max and the 1981 sequel.

Power comes from a 351-cubic inch (5.8-litre) V8 engine, with a huge supercharger mounted on top of it. The ‘charger was purely for show during filming of the first movie, but functional in Mad Max 2.

Explained in the first film as having been specially commissioned for the lead character, other modifications include the black paint, flared wheel arches, and Concorde-style nose. The sequel saw even more changes made, with the addition of two huge long-range fuel tanks.

Saved from the wasteland

Following production of Mad Max, the Pursuit Special was given to actor and mechanic Murray Smith as payment. The success of the movie saw the car brought back for the sequel, and subsequently sold to a scrap yard once filming concluded.

Rescued in the 1980s, the car was partially restored and spent time appearing at events across Australia. The then owner, Bob Fursenko, subsequently sold the V8 Pursuit Special to the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in the UK.

Located in Cumbria, the Cars of the Stars museum closed in 2011. Almost all of the famous vehicles, including the Pursuit Special, were bought by American car collector Michael Dezer.

Having accumulated more than 1,000 vehicles, Dezer created the Miami Auto Museum. Now located in Orlando, the museum has 1,500 cars and motorcycles currently listed for sale on its website.

Later changes to the car included the addition of new accessories to the interior, intended to enhance the appeal of the famed movie machine.

The V8 Pursuit Special is included in the cars up for grabs, although the Orlando Auto Museum has not listed a selling price for the V8 Pursuit Special. However, it could prove to be wise investment in the current climate.

Your new Mercedes-Benz will now read your horoscope

By

Ethan Jupp

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March 16, 2020

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The Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) operating system has been updated with four new entertainment options.

Using the voice command “Hey Mercedes,” you can now ask MBUX for the day’s horoscope report, along with a number of other queries.

MBUX: Looking into the stars for the driver

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MBUX-equipped Mercedes can now deliver your forecast from the stars. For example, if you’re an Aquarian, you’d say “Hey Mercedes, give me a horoscope for Aquarius”.

Only available in German or British English, the date of birth or the star sign of the driver will be requested for a forecast to be given.

It joins region-specific weather enquiries and even a quiz feature.

The former means that someone planning on skiing in Samnaun, for instance, can ask “what’s the snow like in Samnaun?”. This feature is available in virtually any language. The car would show details on the depth of snow and how many lifts are available, as well as how many are operating.

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MBUX can now act as a quizmaster too, with a geo quiz on capital cities of the world. This will help ease long journeys, and make Mercedes-specific journeys more enjoyable and memorable.

Take that, Tesla Arcade mode.

Another update in April will make MBUX more informal. This will be available for users in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Poland, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Mercedes says that MBUX has ‘loosened its tie’, with the ability to use the familiar form of “you”.

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The MBUX user interface debuted on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, with significant updates coming to it upon the introduction of the A-Class.

It already features touchscreen controls and augmented reality navigation, with the latter overlaying directions onto a video image of your surroundings.