Daily Archives: May 23, 2012

FTA slams Dartford toll increase

The Freight Transport Association has slammed the Government for increasing charges at the Dartford River Crossing. The first rise comes in October this year, when the toll for a heavy goods vehicle will jump by £1.30, to £5.00. Drivers using the ‘Dart-Tag’ will see their fee jump from £3.20 to £4.33. Car users will see a 50p increase.

£1.2m Aston Martin smashes auction record

Bonhams has sold an Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II Coupé for £1,230,000 – a world record for a DB4. The 1991 car was owned by Phil Collins’ manager, Tony Smith, and has been driven less than 5,000 miles. Only four were ever made, so all the new owner need do is stick it in a garage and watch its value rise.

£32,000 for Fiat 500 Maserati Edition


The latest limited edition fancy pants version of the Fiat 500 will cost £32,000. The Abarth 695 Maserati Edition goes on sale at the end of this year, with just 499 being produced. The car follows the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari in pilfering the name of a revered Italian supercar brand, slapping it onto the city car and charging a whopping premium.

Classic cars to be exempt from MoT test


The DVLA has confirmed that classic cars will be exempt from the MoT test, following a public consultation. The announcement was made by Roads Minister Mike Penning today, who said: “We are committed to cutting out red tape which costs motorists money without providing significant overall benefits.