Motoring: The lesser-spotted Ford Cortina, and more

IT’S enough to have Gene Hunt crying into his ‘oops.

Sadly a new survey has found that cars from the 60s and 70s are now almost extinct on UK roads.

The data was compiled by WeLoveAnyCar.com, the UK’s biggest car review site, which launched its #CarCountUK application to check how many cars of a particular make and model are still licensed on British roads.

It found the largest group of drivers on British roads are people born in the 60s and 70s. However, cars of the era have not fared so well.

The study found there are fewer than 22 Bond Bugs, 161 Austin Allegros and just 3,482 Ford Cortinas, once the UK’s most popular car, still registered to drive on British roads.

These figures don’t include those cars where the car is ‘unregistered’ or taken off the road via a SORN notice to the DVLA. In fact, there are thought to be more Allegros in classic car collections than actually licensed to drive on the roads. In total, 2.6 million Cortinas were sold in the UK in the two decades so just 0.1% of the four-generation production run remains on the roads.

There are 4,119 Ford Sierras, the Cortina replacement, still licensed of the 1.3 million sold in the UK. Specialist models such as the Ford Sierra Cosworth (RS and Sapphire) tend to be better preserved than the average Sierra with 956 still licensed – equivalent to more than 23% of all Sierra models remaining.

Even current car owners can be in a very exclusive group. There are only six owners of the Audi Q7 SE TFSI 333 Quattro A model on the roads and just nine owners of the Peugeot 308 Sportium E-HDI S-A variant.

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RANGE ROVER tuning and styling specialist Overfinch has worked its magic on the new Range Rover Sport, creating a high performance version of the already exclusive off roader.

The Range Rover Sport has long been the choice of the SUV owner looking for a performance edge.

With production limited to just 100 models per annum in the UK, the result is as a very exclusive off roader with a price tag to match. Prices start from £87,995 but each car will be bespoke and the price determined by individual design preferences and the base vehicle specification.

Overfinch has been enhancing Range Rovers almost 40 years. Launched in 1975, it remains dedicated to the Land Rover marque.

While based in the UK, the company operates from a global platform with a presence in China, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Japan and mainland Europe. UK showrooms are based in London and Leeds.

The exterior enhancements to the new vehicle have been designed by the firm’s in-house team, led by Tony Fox and produced to standards that match or exceed original equipment with the aim being to accentuate the Range Rover Sport’s imposing stance.

The Body Styling Package is executed in carbon-fibre for strength and lightness, with different weaves chosen for their visual or structural quality. To achieve this, apertures such as the front air intakes and rear diffuser are flared, catching the light and visually widening the car.

At the front, a larger front splitter and LED lights in the carbon-fibre air intakes maximise the vehicle’s road presence. At the rear, the shape and profile of the rear spoiler has been designed to mirror that of the rear bumper with its carbon-fibre diffuser, creating an ‘X’ graphic when viewed from the rear. Cast and polished Overfinch tail-pipes are also neatly integrated within the diffuser.

Inside customers can choose from a range of wood veneers. Alternatively, a real carbon fibre trim is available in a selection of weave colours, from understated charcoal to bronze or green.

Overfinch chairman Kevin Sloane said: “Our customers demand excellence in engineering and craftsmanship: that’s a given. But they’re also looking for something that they simply cannot find elsewhere – not exclusivity for its own sake, but the exclusivity that comes from owning a vehicle that is made for them and to their vision. The Overfinch Range Rover Sport is that vehicle.”

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AUTO Trader has confirmed that almost two-thirds of its vehicle searches are now carried out on mobile devices rather than traditional laptops and desktops.

Its figures from June 2014 reveal 63% of searches were on mobile devices (20% on tablet and 43% for mobile devices) compared with 37% for pc.

“The fact that mobile and tablet use has exceeded desktop should come as no surprise,” said Auto Trader market research director Nick King.

“What is more interesting is the rate of change and the fact that car buyers seem to be blazing a trail in the use of mobile devices. Nearly seven in every ten full-page advertisement views were made on tablet or mobile last month. That should be a rallying cry for dealers who question the value of optimising their websites for mobile devices.”

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