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Old cars, new cars, borrowed cars & blue cars. If it steers it's here!

Old cars, new cars, borrowed cars & blue cars. If it steers it's here!

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Features by Kim Henson

kim-hensonIn life, sometimes there are things that you just have to do. In my case many of them relate to my twin loves of 1) motoring, and 2) using writing to convey to others (and share with) my fascination for the subject.

I have been passionate about cars for as long as I can remember, and have always had a thirst for knowledge concerning how and why they work, and how to keep them operating as they should. In addition, I’ve always enjoyed driving, and trying to fairly assess and compare the various good and bad points of different makes and models.

News – First Stop adds Tomato Tyres to its operation…

21st July 2017

Tomato on the menu for First Stop … Kim Henson reports. First Stop’s recipe for success has seen the addition of London-based Tomato Tyres to its portfolio of fast-fit garages throughout the United Kingdom. The rapidly expanding Tomato Tyres has been trading throughout the commercial vehicle industry, keeping businesses on the road around Heathrow and surrounding areas. Joining the First … [Read more...]

News – Bridgestone wins two safety awards

10th July 2017

Bridgestone’s safety work commended with two top awards. Kim Henson reports…  Outstanding achievement and innovation awards presented to company  DriveGuard praised for its stress-relieving, road safety features  Bridgestone’s range of safety campaigns and initiatives earn praise at TyreSafe Bridgestone’s unwavering commitment to road safety has been honoured with two … [Read more...]

Wheels-Alive’s Kim Henson visits… An amazing collection of classic vehicles at Studio434 in Hertfordshire…

29th June 2017

Classics Galore at Studio434... Kim Henson travelled to the Home Counties and counts himself very lucky to have visited a ‘dreamworld’ private collection of 325 classic cars plus 65 motorcycles. He was delighted by the variety of vehicles, the numbers of which are increasing all the time. However that’s only part of the story. Here’s what he found…  Hertfordshire is famous for many things, … [Read more...]

Ford teams up with Mobility Roadshow 2017 (1st to 3rd June)

31st May 2017

Ford: Official Manufacturer Partner for The Mobility Roadshow 2017. Kim Henson reports. The Mobility Roadshow, organised by Goose Live Events on behalf of Mobility Choice, is delighted to welcome Ford as the official Manufacturer Partner for the 2017 event. (NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, 1st to 3rd June.) The Mobility Roadshow (incorporating Get Going Live!) is the original and largest … [Read more...]

Bridgestone tyres for new Alfa Stelvio SUV

19th May 2017

Bridgestone has been selected by Alfa Romeo to be a tyre supplier for its first premium mid-size SUV, it has been revealed. Kim Henson reports… Engineered with Run-Flat Technology and designed with all season capability, the Dueler H/P Sport tyre from Bridgestone will equip the all-new 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. “Bridgestone is honoured to supply tyres for the much anticipated Alfa Romeo … [Read more...]

Diesel Delusion?

17th May 2017

Wot, NO Diesels? Wheels-Alive reports on comments made today regarding future plans for outlawing diesel cars… Alex Buttle (pictured), director, car buying website Motorway.co.uk, comments: “When it comes to his plans for diesel cars, we have to ask has Tim Farron been smoking some of the substance he’s looking to legalise? “A total ban on diesel cars is likely to be highly unpopular for the … [Read more...]

Motoring for Fun – ‘Wirral Going on a Summer Holiday’ (and to the Austin Counties Car Club Rally) – in a 1954 Austin A40 Somerset, says Kim

16th May 2017

Wirral Going on a Summer Holiday – in a 1954 Austin A40 (Somerset) Coupé… Kim Henson explains... I have to admit that until 2014 I had never before visited the Wirral peninsula, nor indeed Liverpool, but twice in that year I made brief visits to that part of the world, and was keen to return to explore in more detail. For those who may not know, the Wirral peninsula sits between (to the west) … [Read more...]

Repair costs compared between different makes within the Volkswagen Group

5th May 2017

Thinking of investing in a Volkswagen, an Audi, a Skoda or a SEAT? The comparative cost of repairs within the Volkswagen Group makes interesting reading... By Robin Roberts and Kim Henson Volkswagen has been in the news a lot lately, and not always for the right reasons. However, the German manufacturer still reigns supreme when it comes to car sales, with the company shifting 10.3 … [Read more...]

Air-free bicycle tyres on track for arrival in 2019…

5th May 2017

Wot, no air for your bike tyres (and, possibly in the near future, tyres for other vehicles too...)? Kim Henson reports. In Tokyo the Bridgestone Corporation has announced that, together with the Bridgestone Cycle Co, Ltd, the company has developed a next-generation bicycle tyre in an effort to realise practical application of their “Air Free Concept”, a technology for creating tyres that do not … [Read more...]

NEW SERIES! ‘Golden Oldies’; Kim’s Retrospective Road Test No. 1 – 1996 Vauxhall Astra 1.7 LS turbodiesel (Isuzu engine).

2nd May 2017

Astranomical! In the first of a new series on Wheels-Alive, Kim Henson assesses Vauxhall’s family hatchback of the 1990s, in the form of a 1996 Vauxhall Astra F (‘Mark 3’), powered by Isuzu’s fuel-sipping 1.7 litre turbodiesel engine. (All words and photographs by Kim). “Astra from Vauxhall. It’s every car you’ll ever need – or want.” So proclaimed Vauxhall when promoting their 1996 Astra … [Read more...]

Volvo V90 D4 AWD Cross Country – Kim’s (brief) First Impressions

27th April 2017

Kim Henson briefly samples Volvo’s state-of-the-art V90 D4 AWD Cross Country estate. In line with developments in engineering and computer systems generally, the rapid pace of change in terms of automotive technological innovation is clear when driving any vehicle produced in the last year or two, and especially so in the case of so-called ‘premium’ brands. This generalisation is certainly … [Read more...]

Firestone Music Tour 2017 takes to the road

26th April 2017

Keep calm and festival on! Kim Henson tells more... With so many different languages actively used across the continent, music is the one language that has the power to bring together people from different countries and cultures. The Firestone Music Tour gives Firestone the opportunity to connect with music-lovers from across Europe via authentic music experiences. Firestone will be … [Read more...]

Latest Honda Civic – Kim’s First Impressions

25th April 2017

Kim Henson samples contrasting examples of the latest (10th generation) Honda Civic… (All words and photos by Kim). Ask any Honda Civic owner, or anyone in the motor trade, or any diagnostic specialist, who has had anything to do with the model, or Hondas in general, and I am convinced that nearly all (if not 100 per cent) of these people will tell you that the Civic is an excellent motor car … [Read more...]

First Stop fast fit network boosted by Hickleys partnership

25th April 2017

The First Stop fast fit network is continuing to evolve and expand, courtesy of an innovative approach to new member recruitment… Kim Henson reports. After increasing to a total of 72 centres by the end of 2016, the First Stop network has attracted another new outlet in the form of Hickleys in Taunton, who will now be boasting a tyre offering for motorists to benefit from, for the first … [Read more...]

30 Not Out! New Forest classic event makes history – A ‘good news’ story!

10th April 2017

On a beautiful spring Sunday in April, two south coast based UK classic car groups made happy history. Kim Henson was there with his camera (as he was in 1987!)… During the past 30 years, so many things in life have changed, and of course world events have been turbulent, but for two separate groups of classic car owners in Dorset and Hampshire respectively, an enduring and tranquil annual event … [Read more...]

Classic Information (Kim’s Tips) – Think positive during vehicle restoration!

5th April 2017

Classic vehicle restoration... Don’t give up! You CAN do it… Kim Henson advises. When trying to restore, recommission or even just re-invigorate a classic car, van or pick-up, to get the vehicle to its rightful place back out on the road where it can be enjoyed, there will almost certainly be times when the scale of the task weighs heavy. Indeed things can build up to the extent that sometimes … [Read more...]

Don’t give up! Bridgestone UK announces Olympic Partnership Campaign: “Chase Your Dream, No Matter What”

29th March 2017

Bridgestone’s “Chase Your Dream, No Matter What” campaign heroes are Olympians who have overcome adversity to get where they are today… Kim Henson reports. Bridgestone – the world’s largest tyre company – has launched its UK activation of this campaign as an official International Olympic Committee Partner through to 2024. The motivational campaign aims to encourage people of all ages, … [Read more...]

Jaguar XJ220 tyres available once more…

24th March 2017

The XJ220 legend lives on – Extraordinary work for an extraordinary car (you can watch the video too...). Kim Henson explains… New tyres for Jaguar’s truly iconic XJ220 were not available for more than 10 years. However, the Bridgestone tyre company has worked together with Don Law on the development of new tyres for the model, so that enthusiast drivers can finally get back on the road without … [Read more...]

Book Review: “The Railway Experience”

23rd March 2017

Wheels-Alive is happy to cover all sorts of transport, and in a change from motor cars Kim Henson has been studying a book covering 150 years of Britain’s once revered railway system… Published by: Shire Publications Ltd: www.shirebooks.co.uk 112 pages (paperback) UK Price: £9.99 ISBN-13: 978 1 78442 123 6 PDF e-book ISBN: 978 1 78442 190 8 ePub ISBN: 978 1 78442 189 2 I read … [Read more...]

Suzuki New Swift First Impressions (and hot off the press Suzuki news)

22nd March 2017

Kim Henson test drives Suzuki’s latest and technically advanced Swift on a variety of roads in and around the French Riviera… (All words and photographs by Kim). To say that Suzuki has been going from strength to strength in recent years is a major understatement. In fact the firm is now the ninth largest car manufacturer in the world, and in sales terms is ahead of (for example) Mercedes-Benz … [Read more...]

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Recent Posts

Klassikstadt – a motoring mecca in Frankfurt, well worth a visit if you are in Germany

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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.

British Motor Museum shortlised for a Green Spark Award

Enjoy sounds, science and sustainability at The British Motor Museum this half-term, October 2025

Motor Ombudsman study finds that AI would steer nearly one in five drivers when choosing their next car

Toyota’s fascinating history – notably concentrating on the enduringly popular Corona model, which arrived in Britain exactly 60 years ago, on 1st October 1965

Kia Sportage MY26 – First Impressions

Contributors

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Our well-respected contributors live and breathe motor cars; aren’t we lucky?

Contributors to the site include talented, highly-respected people (so they tell me) on the hallowed membership list of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and from the similarly well thought-of Western Group of Motoring Writers. In addition there are valued contributions from other knowledgeable and capable motoring writers who have something useful to say about all aspects of driving and running vehicles in the 21st Century. All of our team are passionate about motor cars!


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