If you decide to buy a used car privately you will be opting for the most risky option because you will not secure any warranty with your purchase.  This means that if a serious fault develops the day after you buy your used car there is little you can do about it. This may well be reflected in the lower price of a vehicle being bought privately as the seller has no follow up responsibility, unlike a dealership.  If you do decide to buy privately take someone with you that is very knowledgeable about cars, or arrange an AA inspection before you part with your money.

Another way to purchase used cars is through an independent car dealer.  Varying greatly in size, car dealerships usually have a range of different models of used cars for sale on their forecourts.  Very often they will also offer part-exchange on your old car, which will save you the time and effort of selling it privately.

The final option for buying used cars is to visit one of the many car supermarkets around the UK.  These are dealerships on a grand scale, where the showroom and forecourt house an enormous range of used cars.  Because they operate on such a large scale and sell in high quantities, car supermarkets tend to offer excellent prices on their used cars.

Both independent car dealerships and car supermarkets offer warranties on the vehicles that they sell.

To be legal, UK plates must now be sold only with the modified Charles Wright font, which must be a minimum of 79 mm in height (64 mm for motorcycles), and black font on a white plate at the front, black font on a yellow plate on the rear.  There are a few other requirements such as minimum spacing between letters, but if your plate does not adhere to these standards, set in 2001, you could face a fine of up to £1,000 and withdrawal of your registration plate.  If you have paid for a personalised or cherished plate, that could be quite a loss.

Part of the reason for this rule change is loss of revenue.  The police are using Optical Character Recognition, or OCR software much more frequently these days, and these machines cannot read the non-standard fonts that are used on “fancy” or “show” plates. 

The OCR software can tell in an instant to whom the car is registered, whether there is insurance on the car, and other information – as well as whether or not you are travelling too fast on the road.  Fancy plates circumvent this, and now the police are cracking down.

If you have a vehicle that you take to shows, by all means keep your show or fancy plate.  Display it proudly at the show.  But if you plan to drive that lovely car on a UK road, put a legal plate on it for the trip.  Otherwise, that car could land you in a whole lot of trouble.

Several websites advertise number plates for sale.  You can sell your plate outright to a private party or a company.  The company will probably turn around and try to sell it for a profit.  This may be a good choice for you if you need money quickly or don’t want to deal with the paperwork and DVLA reporting that will need to accompany the transfer.  The company that you sell to will usually take care of all of that for you, but because of the speed of the sale and the company’s work on your behalf, you’re not likely to get the highest prices. 

Other companies can agree to sell your plate on a commission basis, where they take a commission on the total sale price of your registration plates.  The company will of course then be interested in selling the plate for a higher price, but keep in mind you may net less with this scheme, depending on the final selling price and the commission percentage.  However, there is often a chance that you can request a “reserve” or minimum price, below which you will not accept an offer. 

When selling your private number plate or cherished plate through a company; make sure to read all the fine print so you know what is expected of each party.  Don’t allow yourself to be rushed through the transaction – remember, your plate is worth something or the company wouldn’t be interested.

In the UK, car registrations became mandatory with the passing of the Motor Car Act in 1903. Initially registration was managed on a local level, but by 1919 the Government realised that the tens of thousands of car registrations needed to be managed by a central authority, and established a Ministry of Transport to deal with this process.

The earliest registrations that started in 1903 were dateless registrations where the first letters of the number plates were associated with the local authority. These began running out quickly, and in 1932 the second dateless system was installed with a different configuration. The 1950’s introduced another system as car registrations again ran out, but by 1965 the system had to be changed again, illustrating how the popularity of cars increased exponentially during this period.

1983 brought on the prefix system but these also ran out, and in 2001 the Government introduced the number system we use now, which is again more complex than the previous system. Currently plates consist of 2 letters followed by 2 numbers and then ending with 3 letters. The DVLA believes this new system will be sufficient until 2050.

If you fail to have your vehicle taxed and then return it to the UK, you will need to have it transported and not drive it back into the country.  You will also need to declare a “Statutory Off Road Notification” or SORN right away.  Taxing the vehicle or declaring a SORN can be completed by phone or online.  However, you cannot declare the SORN while the vehicle is still out of the UK.

If, by some chance, you do not have a DVLA registrations certificate, and you are planning on taking the vehicle overseas temporarily, you can obtain a replacement car registrations certificate from the DVLA by either applying by mail or over the phone.  Just be aware of the fact that it could take up to a month to receive it.  So if you need to be travelling within that time period, you will need to obtain a V379 temporary registration certificate.

UK car registrations were changed in 2001 by including a new character style and two-digit year identifier in the majority of plates and registrations.  The numbering and registration system is slightly different between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, yet the basics of the two schemes are very similar.

The post-2001 Great Britain plates should have seven characters consisting of two letters, two numbers, and then three random letters.  Newer plates issued in Northern Ireland currently have a pattern of three letters followed by four numerals.

Both of these schemes lend themselves to plates that have significant patterns—for example, the last four digits of a Northern Ireland registration that has four 1s, or four of any other numeral.  These plates are generally withheld from the DVLA (DVA in Northern Ireland) as they are considered “cherished”.  The registration agency then submits various letter and numeral combinations for auction at various times throughout the year.

The various schemes were enacted partly because of the upswing in the theft of vehicle plates by criminals anxious to avoid being identified at the scene of a crime.  In addition to the new numbering system, the organisation producing the plates is required to place their name and postcode on the plate, usually near the centre and toward the bottom.  Since these requirements make it much harder to produce a legal-looking fake plate, theft of legitimate plates is on the rise.

Should your registration plates be stolen, the theft should be reported immediately to the DVLA and local authorities.

Getting your provisional driving licence is the very first step in learning to drive and it is recommended that you train with a qualified driving school in Lincoln or your local area. Booking a driving instructor is the best and quickest way of passing your test, but you can practice driving with your family or friends as long as they are over 21 years old and have held a full driving licence for 3 years; you must also be insured on the car you wish to practise in.

If you choose to practise in a friend or family member’s car, the car must be roadworthy and properly taxed and tested, you must also display learner stickers on both the front and back of the vehicle.

You do not have to worry about these things when you book your lessons with a driving school in Lincoln, as the car will be fully tested, you will automatically be insured on the car and you will receive expert driving advice.

Here, Chevrolet cars such as the Aveo, Cobalt, Impala, and Malibu are available for everyone to lease. In a Chevrolet leasing scheme, potential car users must pay the actual purchase price of the car, including the interest. These will be proportioned into several monthly instalments within the term, until the amount is fully covered. Usually, leasing terms are decided by the lessees, for them to estimate their financial capability. At the start of the leasing period, car-lessees can drive away in a Chevy, provided that they observe the terms of the lease. Car lessees also have the option to put some performance or design enhancements into the car, depending again on the agreed conditions. After the expiry of the contract, the user can surrender the car, or, with an option clause for purchasing it, he can buy it by paying the remaining balance. However, if the user hesitates about buying the car, he can receive the contract’s residual amount, which is the difference between the car’s actual value and its post-use worth.

With lots of great deals in store, entering into Chevrolet leasing might be the most ideal way to drive a Chevrolet car, especially in adverse economic times.

Temporary car number plates have the same legal characteristics as do regular registration plates. That is, they have to identify the car and its owner by being on the DVLA database. Temporary car number plates have to be clearly legible, with the code consisting of a combination of numbers and letters. Unlike regular number plates however, temporary number plates can be displayed in the window of the car, rather than on the bumper at the front and back of the vehicle.

Temporary number plates, as the name indicates, are only legally valid for a short period of time. National licensing agencies will send out regular number plates without much delay, so that the vehicle can quickly become more standardised from the point of view of registration. In some countries, the particular time limit of a temporary number plate is clearly indicated on the plate itself, meaning policing authorities can verify this. Failure to replace a temporary number plate within the specified time can lead to a fine.

Temporary number plates should not be confused with personalised number plates.  These are completely different and are legal throughout a car’s length of life on the road.

The Lexus IS 220 Saloon features two types of refined, smooth, and responsive engine: diesel and petrol. The 2.5L petrol engine is quiet with wind rush very well suppressed, while the diesel engine is also really quiet at speed – perfect for the motorway.

The primary diesel offered by Lexus is the IS 220d, which exploits all the torque and efficiencies of diesel, plus a good deal of the smoothness you’d be expecting from a Lexus.

The IS 220d Saloon is a rear wheel drive car and it is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission gearbox. The car is also fitted with Start System and Smart Keyless Entry. One of its great features is an MP3 set up that is compatible with an iPod.

The IS 220d Saloon’s standard features include alloy wheels, air conditioning, climate control, electric mirrors, electric windows, cruise control, MP3 or iPod connection, CD player, traction control, and anti-lock braking system. Lexus also offers metallic paint for a small extra charge.

The controls of the car are well set up. It provides a useful touch screen console to avoid a cluttered dashboard. The IS 220d Saloon also has an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

All of the Lexus IS models are equipped with eight airbags and a group of electronic systems which serve as a safety feature for you when braking or cornering.