1 day, 5 cars. It’s more fun than socks, guaranteed

If you know someone who is impossible to buy Christmas gifts for, or you are that person, we may have the solution. And it doesn’t involve socks or knitwear.

A Great Escape Classic Car Hire Driving Day gift voucher gets you, or someone you know, behind the wheel of at least 5 different classic cars for a full day’s driving on some of our favourite roads.  Each day includes at least 7 hours driving, lunch, fuel and insurance – and we guarantee no more than 16 people on each event.  So everyone gets maximum driving time. 

Save £80 now - all this for just £199 when booked before December 10th (normal price £279). 

Driving Day Christmas Gift Vouchers now available – limited places

We have been running Driving Days for customers for several years.  In 2013 we will be running 5 different Driving Days every year from our Cotswolds and Yorkshire sites – each gift voucher is valid for 12 months and can be used to attend any one of the rallies, just check the schedule and call us up to book your place.

To find out more and view our 2013 Driving Day calendar, click here 

Places on the Great Escape Driving Days are strictly limited – when they’re gone they’re gone.  The special low price of £199 is available until 10th December – just buy a gift voucher online or by phone 01527 893733 by then to secure this low price.

Drive 5 classic cars in one day

If you’re not sure which car you want to drive or you want to sample a cross-section of our fleet then our Driving Days solve the problem.  Each day is carefully planned to give you an interest route driving some of our most popular cars.  The cars include Jaguar E Types and Jensen Interceptors as well as MGs, Alfas and Triumphs. 

Don’t just take our word for it

Click here to view testimonials and articles from customers who have taken part in previous Driving Days.

Book before 10th December and save £80

The special £199 price is available for all online and phone bookings made by 10th December.  You can choose your Driving Day now or buy a voucher and choose later. 

To book online visit our online shop click here 

To book by phone call 01527 893733. 

One day, 5 classic cars. The perfect Christmas present?

It’s every schoolboy’s dream.  Standing on a wet and windy airfield somewhere near Derby waiting for 3 laps in a Lamborghini.  Such, according to a recent article on speedmonkey.co.uk, is the reality of a Drive the Dream supercar day.

I read that article with interest because I run a classic car hire company.  We don’t work with the big experience day providers because they take too big a slice of the income.  This leaves even less to provide customers with a good day out.  And that is what I think we do, for £199.

So here’s the flipside of those supercar days.  For roughly the same price as 3 laps in a Lambo Great Escape Classic Car Hire offers a full day out driving at least 5 classic cars on some of our favourite roads.  We are running 5 Great Escape classic car rallies in 2013 from our Yorkshire and Cotswolds sites and the format is simple and proven.  Each rally includes a selection of cars from our local fleet – usually E Types, Jensen, MG and Mk2 with maybe a DeLorean or Aston thrown in for good measure. 

Our main business at Great Escape is hiring classic cars for 24 hour periods.  But I devised the rally idea after realising that lots of customers don’t want to spend 24 hrs in one car – often an hour or two is enough to say ‘I did it.’  Providing the chance to drive several cars in one day adds a lot of variety to the experience without boredom.  Couple that with a specially chosen route on some great driving roads and you have a pre-planned day that means you just turn up, turn the key and drive off.

We allow no more than 16 people on each rally, with two people per car, in order to keep the day flowing smoothly and maximise time in the cars.  Each route is hand-picked by us to provide real variety and interest and covers at least 120 miles.  This means that everyone gets around 60 minutes driving each car – more than enough time to get to grips with each model.  We stop regularly for driver and car changeovers and refreshments.  The £199 price includes insurance, fuel, lunch and the help of our support crew who follow the cars – and sort out problems if they occur.

The rally idea originated with our corporate clients.  Since we started offering the same package to individual customers in 2011 it has been hugely popular.  The feedback is always extremely positive, with some claiming it’s the best driving experience day they’ve ever done.  

Great Escape Classic Car Hire rally days will always be fairly low key because we don’t want to sell them through activity providers.  If we did, the price would have to virtually double or we’d have to cut a lot of corners.  By selling direct to enthusiasts we can provide a unique and personal service that we think provides decent value for money.  Far better, I think, than 3 laps of a dreary airfield in a tired Lamborghini.

You can find out more about our rallies on our website at http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk or call 01527 893733.  Mention this blog and we’ll knock 10% off the £199 price.

Drive 5 classics in a day for just £199

Our classic car rallies are consistently the most popular part of our year, giving customers the chance to drive at least 5 different classic cars on some of our favourite driving roads in Yorkshire and the Midlands.  

For 2013 Great Escape Classic Car Hire is running 5 classic car rallies for customers from its Yorkshrie and Cotswolds sites. Places are available at a new low price of just £199 per person.  This all-in price includes the chance to drive at least 5 different classic cars, a minimum 120 mile drive, insurance, fuel for the route, touring notes and lunch.  

Great Escape has been organising classic car rallies for corporate and private clients for several years, so you can be confident that each event will be well organised and benefit from our experience.  Each trip is accompanied by Great Escape staff in support vehicles and there are regular rest stops throughout the day.  Each classic car rally is limited to a maximum of 16 people so that everyone gets the maximum amount of time in the cars with minimal hanging around.

"A Great Escape rally is the perfect way to sample a range of classic cars," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape.  "if you're not sure which car you prefer, this is a great introduction.  

"And everything is done for you - route, timings and even lunch.  You also get to meet a great bunch of fellow enthusiasts during the day."

The Great Escape classic car rallies are available to book online now through the Great Escape shop or by calling  01527 893733.  For more details on the rallies, click here or click on the link on the left of the website. 

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Monte Carlo or Bust in a Triumph Stag

A Triumph Stag may not at first glance seem the most sensible choice for a leisurely international sortie down to Monte Carlo, given its reputation for unreliability and shoddy build quality.  But those in the know have proven otherwise, as a recent trip by Great Escape Classic Car Hire's own Triumph Stag hire car proves.
The Great Escape car recently took part in a rally from Beaulieu to Monte Carlo in the company of several other classic cars.  It acquitted itself superbly, completing the 950 mile route without fault and receiving considerable praise from the customers who drove it.  The car covered several hundred miles each day, its long legged four speed overdrive manual gearbox coping well with the French roads.
Despite the Triumph Stag's reputation, Great Escape recommended the car to the customer for the route because of the design's innate suitability.  The Stag is a rare thing in the classic car world - a spacious convertible with four proper seats, a good size boot and GT refinements including comfortable seats, a good driving position and a quiet driving experience.  What hampered the Stag from success in period was poor build quality and reliability caused by the badly designed engine.  Great Escape has addressed these problems on its Triumph Stag hire car by completing an engine rebuild, including sensible upgrades to address the inherent weakness of overheating, and a full bodywork overhaul with new chromework and a new roof.  This investment is coupled to a strict maintenance regime because the Stag needs a very exact coolant mix to remain reliable, as well as regular and frequent servicing.  The result is a reliable car that is durable and up to the rigours of a long distance rally.
Aside from the investment in the car's mechanicals and bodywork, Great Escape did not have to do much to prepare the car for the rally.  The Triumph Stag was serviced in advance and then subject to a safety check on Great Escape's workshop ramp, which did not reveal any problems.
The Triumph Stag became a byword for all that was bad about the British motor industry in the 1970s.  Launched several years too late and competing against the bulletproof Mercedes R107 SL, the Stag suffered from poor development, lack of investment and variable building quality.  Like Marlon Brando, it could've been a contender, but instead was another British Leyland own goal with sales falling well below initial predictions.  The main problem concerned its 3 litre V8 engine, which was effectively a marriage of two 1500cc 4 cylinder Triumph engines.  The design suffered from inherent overheating problems which, coupled with extremely bad production standards (some cars still had casting sand left in the sumps), meant the Stag struggled to compete against upmarket rivals from Mercedes and BMW.
Now, 35 years after the last Triumph Stag left the production line, the model is beginning to find its feet in the classic car world thanks to a dawning realisation of its fundamental attributes.  Good cars are reliable thanks to a useful network of parts suppliers who have developed effective fixes for the car's many shortcomings when new.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire has two Triumph Stags available to hire in the UK, one in the Cotswolds and one in Yorkshire.  You can find out more by calling 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk.  Book either car during October 2012 and save 15% off the hire price.