In 2025, it was any colour you like as long as it's grey - or green... by Dave Moss. Britain's vehicle manufacturers' trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has just released details of the best selling car colours in 2025 - and for the eighth consecutive year Grey has emerged as Britain’s most popular new car colour, with no less than 558,050 cars registered. It … [Read more...]
Features by Dave Moss
Dave has a lifetime connection with the world of motoring. His father was a timeserved engineer from an age when car repairs really meant repairs: he ran his own garage from the 1930s to the 60s, while Mum was the boss’s secretary at a big Austin distributor. Both worked their entire lives in the motor trade, so if motor oil’s not in Dave’s blood, it’s surely a very close thing.
Though qualified in Electronics, for Dave it seemed a natural step into restoring a succession of classic cars, culminating in a variety of Minis. Writing and broadcasting about these, and an ever widening range of motoring topics ancient and modern, gathered pace in the 1970’s, and has taken over since, embracing books, magazines, newspapers, radio programmes, phone-ins and guest appearances – not forgetting hard graft on the garage floor. Latest book: The Efficient Driver’s Handbook. Latest project: That 1968 Mk 1 Mini Cooper S will one day move again…
Watch out: Potholes galore – but is your council doing its job in fixing them properly?
Just how well is your council fixing local road potholes? - by Dave Moss. It was National pothole day on January 15th (yesterday as this was being written), and according to new analysis of the latest AA Pothole Index, last year UK drivers were hit harder than ever by repair costs associated with pothole damage. The analysis estimated the financial impact of potholes on vehicles reached £589 … [Read more...]
Motor insurance premiums shake-up – or possibly not?
Motor insurance premiums – inevitably high due to increased costs generally today, or are there other reasons that are not always appreciated? New report sends mixed messages on cheaper motor insurance - by Dave Moss Shortly before Christmas, the Government unveiled its snappily entitled "Final report of the cross-government taskforce on motor insurance", following a commitment soon after it … [Read more...]
DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses – Wheels-Alive ‘Part Five’: Findings in greater depth
Further to Wheels-Alive’s initial summary of the DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses on classic, kit built and radically altered vehicles, and those converted to electric power... In this, the final instalment of our five-part analysis, Dave Moss once again delves deeper into the complexities of the resulting information available. This feature covers: Section 4 on: Q and QNI … [Read more...]
DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses – Wheels-Alive ‘Part Four’: More findings in greater depth
Further to Wheels-Alive’s initial summary of the DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses on classic, kit built and radically altered vehicles, and those converted to electric power, Dave Moss once more delves deeper into the resulting information available. This feature covers the sections on 'Kit-built and kit-converted vehicles', and 'Radically altered vehicles' and 'Vehicles … [Read more...]
DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses – Wheels-Alive ‘Part Three’: Further findings in greater depth
Further to Wheels-Alive’s initial summary of the DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses on classic, kit built and radically altered vehicles, and those converted to electric power, Dave Moss now delves deeper into the resulting information available. This feature covers the sections on 'Rebuilt vehicles' and 'Restored vehicles'... If you missed it, or wish to refer back to it, the … [Read more...]
DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses – Wheels-Alive ‘Part Two’: Findings in greater depth
Further to Wheels-Alive’s initial summary of the DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ consultation responses on classic, kit built and radically altered vehicles, and those converted to electric power, Dave Moss now delves deeper into the resulting information available. This feature covers the sections on 'Historic and classic vehicles registration' and 'The reconstructed classic scheme'... If you … [Read more...]
Introduction to the Wheels-Alive analysis of results from the DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’ on classic, kit built and radically altered vehicles, and those converted to electric power.
Dave Moss reports on this important 'call for evidence' and responses to it. Kim writes: I am greatly indebted to my colleague Dave Moss for his in-depth and very time-consuming work in analysing in detail the published results from the DVLA/DfT ‘call for evidence’, as outlined above. These results run to many pages and many thousands of words, and rather than try to include all these in one huge … [Read more...]
Toyota’s fascinating history – notably concentrating on the enduringly popular Corona model, which arrived in Britain exactly 60 years ago, on 1st October 1965
Long lives, big anniversaries - and big numbers - by Dave Moss (All photographs © Toyota). Though just pre-dated by the original Land Cruiser, Toyota's first post war passenger car was also the first to have been entirely designed and built in Japan when it appeared on its home market during 1955. Badged as the Toyopet Crown - named after the long established loom manufacturing company from … [Read more...]
More information to come after 26th August regarding DVLA policy changes for classic and modified vehicles
More to come after 26th August regarding DVLA updating classic and modified car registration policies - by Dave Moss. (Photograph © Kim Henson). The DVLA has announced it will introduce updated notification policies for registration of newly repaired, restored or modified vehicles - with effect from Tuesday August 26th. From that date, what it describes as "like-for-like" repairs and … [Read more...]
Daihatsu – Gone, but far from forgotten…
Dave Moss tells the story of Daihatsu in the UK... (All words © Dave Moss). Some car brands seem like unshakeable fixtures on the British market... while others, in blink-and-you-missed-it existences - like UMM, Sao, and Lonsdale - have briefly been, and quickly gone, and seem unlikely ever to return. Then there's Daihatsu, which began building trucks in 1919, placing it amongst Japan's oldest … [Read more...]
A timely reminder if you’re holding a number plate on retention
Dave Moss reports… The DVLA is reminding anyone holding number plates on retention documents or certificates that the first of new regular renewals required under this scheme are now approaching. If it has been ten years since the date of issue of the last certificate or retention document you hold for a personalised registration number, it will probably require renewal in 2025. Renewal is … [Read more...]
DVLA Consultation Response – could it mean a classic vehicle MoT comeback?
Dave Moss investigates the facts around the recent hype… In May 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and Department for Transport (DfT) launched a "call for evidence", seeking views in nine specific areas about policies which currently govern registration and licensing of historic, classic and converted or modified vehicles, including so called reconstructed classics, and vehicles … [Read more...]
Data galore – but what is it they are telling you and where does it go?
What do you – and they – really, really, know about your car? – Dave Moss asks the question… and suggests some answers! (All words © Dave Moss; photographs from car warranty specialists Warrantywise). If you own a car built in the last ten to fifteen years, you'll know all about the colourful array of dashboard warning lights that appear when you first switch on... or do you? True, in many … [Read more...]
Good news from the government for motorists? Surely not…
Surprise, Surprise... Government New Year cheer... or if you prefer... Christmas comes but once every (financial) year... By Dave Moss (All words © Dave Moss; Photograph © Kim Henson). Immediately before Christmas the Government announced that almost £1.6 billion is to be made available in the 2025-26 financial year to help local councils get a tighter grip on fixing the ever-burgeoning … [Read more...]
What future for classics? Views are sought on the way ahead…
Government consultation under way on DVLA/DVSA rules for classic vehicles - by Dave Moss Speaking at a recent Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA) event, Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, asked the classic car community and industry to help future-proof historic vehicles by responding to a current Government consultation into how best to support Britain’s classic car sector … [Read more...]
Bicycles, boats, V12 engines and the Hillman Imp – automotive connections that might surprise you
What links a 19th century Glasgow bicycle maker, a tiny Scottish island, the world's first V12 engine, the Hillman Imp, and the Internal Fire and Power Museum in west Wales? Dave Moss explains… Our story begins late in the nineteenth century, when one Alistair Edward Stuart Craig established a business called Craig Bicycles in Glasgow. It made modest numbers of machines, each emblazoned with … [Read more...]
A fascinating insight into the MG/Rover car that never was (well, almost)…
No longer languishing at Longbridge... a missing link between old and new - by Dave Moss. Anyone interested in preserving the history of Britain's once proud motor industry will surely have welcomed recent news that the British Motor Museum has secured the long-term loan of eight historic cars from MG Motor UK. All have been in storage since 2005, and all depict key moments in the MG and Rover … [Read more...]
“Plan for Drivers” – This is it!
New Government plan for drivers is officially launched - by Dave Moss. Early in October, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced a "Plan for Drivers" - a bold and in places already controversial 30-point agenda, which Mr Harper headlined as a "plan to support people’s freedom to use their cars, and curb over-zealous enforcement measures." He went on to say: "We’re backing drivers, and our new … [Read more...]
The UK government aims to help hard-(op)pressed drivers…
Government announces new long-term plans to support drivers – and put the brakes on anti-car measures – by Dave Moss In a joint statement Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have recently set out plans intended to help protect drivers from over-zealous traffic enforcement, which is said to be part of long-term government plans to "back drivers". With 50 million … [Read more...]
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