E Type coupe is star of wedding day



Great Escape Classic Car Hire's 1969 Jaguar E Type coupe took centre stage for a wedding in September in the Cotswolds, so much so that the bride named it one of the highlights of her day.

We hired our red E Type coupe to Jo and Tim in early September for their wedding at Crumps Barn in the Cotswolds.  Click here to find out more about the day and Jo's highlights of the day, including stepping into the Jaguar after the wedding ceremony.

Self drive classic wedding car hire is a simple, flexible and inexpensive alternative to chauffeur wedding car hire.  It adds another unusual and memorable element to any wedding day.  Great Escape Classic Car Hire has the largest choice of classic cars to hire for weddings in the UK available to rent from 8 convenient classic car hire locations, including Yorkshire, Cotswolds and Devon. Prices start at just £95 for self drive wedding car hire.  To find out more visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk or call 01527 893733.

Grooms, put the vroom vroom in your wedding

If you can't drive the car of your dreams on your wedding day, when can you?  While she's off choosing dresses most self respecting grooms are settling down to the main task at hand - selecting the wedding cars.  An entirely unscientific straw pole of Great Escape Classic Car Hire wedding hire customers shows that bride and groom both agree that the man's top task for the big day has four wheels.

Unlike most wedding car hire companies, Great Escape Cars puts the groom behind the wheel of their dream drive.  Self drive wedding car hire, particularly for grooms cars, is an increasingly popular trend as couples swap the boring old white Roller for something a little more distinctive, characterful and above all Them.  For grooms it is a chance to justify driving classic exotica like a DeLorean, Jaguar E Type, Jensen Interceptor or even an Aston Martin DB6.  And all with a great excuse - it's for the big day!

Self drive wedding car hire is simple and easy.  Great Escape Classic Car Hire offers a choice of 2 and four seaters that are suitable as groom cars or bridal cars.  With 80 cars to choose from and 10 handy starting locations, it couldn't be more convenient.  We also offer a special 36 hour hire package, which enables you to collect the car on the day before and return it on the day after, giving maximum flexibility and minimum inconvenience and hassle on the wedding day. Prices start at just £170 for wedding car hire, which includes insurance, breakdown cover and in most cases unlimited mileage.  

Hiring a wedding car on a self drive basis also means you don't risk falling foul of proposed new EU regulations covering the hire of chauffeur driven wedding cars.  These regulations, planned to come into force in November 2013, will remove the current exemption for wedding cars from the private hire licencing requirements.  This change is expected to remove many wedding cars from hire because owners will be unable to justify the hefty cost of licencing and compliance.  Self drive wedding cars are not affected by this change.

You can find out more about Great Escape Classic Car Hire's range of groom cars for hire by visiting http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk or call 01527 893733.  Booking during October 2012 and save 15% off the total price.  

Get a vintage wedding feel with a vintage car

For a wedding day that needs to be a little different but with a fashionable vintage feel, a Morris Minor convertible is ideal.  With Great Escape Classic Car Hire's fleet of classic Morris Minors wedding cars you also get the chance to drive them too - our cars are all available on a self drive hire basis, so you or your family and friends can enjoy them rather than the chauffeur. 

Self drive classic wedding car hire is cheaper, more flexible and, we think, more enjoyable than traditional chauffeur hire.  

With Great Escape Classic Car Hire's current special offer you get a 15% discount on the normal hire price for these cars.  And there is a choice of four Morris Minors to hire from locations in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Midlands.  We have a choice of three white Morris Minors with red interiors and red roofs (based in Yorkshire and Cotswolds) and one red car with a tan interior (based in Lincolnshire).  

The special Morris Minor self drive wedding car package on sale here includes:

• 36 hours use of the car
• Unlimited mileage
• Insurance for 1 driver (extra drivers just £25)
• Wedding ribbons
• Full UK breakdown cover

Compare that price and package to traditional chauffeur driven wedding car hire and we think it offers great value.

The 36 hour package enables you to collect the car the day before the wedding and return it the morning after, giving you maximum flexibility without paying the full cost of 2 full days hire of the car.  The price is based on collecting the car from one of the three locations listed above - we can also deliver or collect the car if necessary, at extra cost.  

All of Great Escape Classic Car Hire's Morris Minors wedding cars are standard cars in excellent condition.  They are simple to drive and provide excellent interior space.  We hire the cars regularly for weddings and brides find them easy to get in and out of, even with a big dress.  The convertible roof is also simple and easy to operate.  Most of our cars have featured in advertisements as well as BBC and ITV TV programmes.

Great Escape Classic Car Hire is the UK's largest classic car hire company with a fleet of over 80 cars to hire from 10 UK locations.  You can find out more by Googling Great Escape Classic Car Hire or call 01527 893733 or email info@greatescapecars.co.uk. 

We have historically offered chauffeur driven as well self drive wedding car hire but the popularity of self drive hire means we have decided to specialise in this.  Self drive hire means:

• You get much more time to enjoy the car
• You can be more flexible on your timings
• You have the fun of a family member or friend driving you to the wedding
• You can enjoy the car before and after the wedding
• The car is available all day and evening for photographs - not just a short while
• You can use the car for multiple trips to and from the church without increasing the cost

Frequently asked questions

Who can drive the cars?

Anyone aged between 25 to 75 who has held a full UK licence for at least 2 years and has no more than 6 points on their licence.

Where can I collect the cars?

We have Morris Minors based near Harrogate, Stratford Upon Avon and Grantham.

Are there any hidden costs?

There are no hidden costs - the price you see here is the full price you pay.  The only extra costs are if you want extra drivers (£25 each) or you damage the car - there is an insurance excess of £750 on the car.  you will also need to pay for fuel, but each car does at least 40 mpg.

Can I see the car before I choose?

We are open 7 days a week.  You can arrange a no obligation viewing of the car by calling 01527 893733.

Are the cars easy to drive?

The Morris Minor is one of the easiest classic cars to drive - it has light steering, a simple gearbox and a good driving position.

Do the cars run on Unleaded Fuel?

All of our cars run on unleaded petrol.

For more details visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk or call 01527 893733.

Don't let your wedding chauffeur have all the fun



Wedding c`rs used to be just like Post Office vans - one colour and all the same.  If you didn't fancy a white Rolls Royce you'd struggle to find an alternative.  In the last few years all that has changed.  Today there is a huge choice of wedding cars with a vehicle to sort all kinds of individual requirements.  But generally with one constant - they've got to be chauffeur driven.
Yet here things are changing and may be about to change quite significantly.  Great Escape Classic Car Hire is one of an increasing number of companies offering wedding cars on a self drive only basis. This option is growing in popularity because it is cheaper than chauffeur hire, provides more flexibility and also the chance for at least one member of the wedding party to drive the car. 
The popularity of self drive wedding car hire is also being boosted by the Government's proposal to make all chauffeur driven wedding cars subject to the same regulations as private hire taxis and minicabs.  Currently vehicles used specifically for weddings are exempted from the normal checks and legislation applying to other public service vehicles.  The Government has created a draft bill that intends to close this loophole.  The legislation will go before Parliament in November 2013 and if successful will significantly reduce the pool of chauffeur driven cars available for weddings. 
At Great Escape we expect this legislation to be passed so as a precaution we have stopped offering a chauffeur driven alternative with our fleet of wedding cars.  We have also found that in the current straightened economic times that most couples actually prefer to hire their wedding car on a self drive basis.
Hiring a wedding car on a self drive basis opens up a huge range of cars to use on your wedding day.  You are no longer restricted to four seater saloons - if you decide to drive yourself you can use a 2 seater because you don't need space for the chauffeur.  At Great Escape we have a wide selection of 2 and 4 seater coupes, convertibles and saloons in a wide range of colours, covering everything from Morris Minor convertibles to Jaguar E Types, Aston Martin DB6s and DeLoreans. 
Whereas a chauffeur driven wedding car will typically cost at least £300 for 5 hours, a self drive classic wedding car can be hired from just £150 for a full 24 hours.  The only extra cost is for your petrol. 
Great Escape Classic Car Hire offers a special wedding hire package that includes 36 hours hire instead of our normal 24 or 48 hour hire periods.  This means that you can collect the car on the day before and return it by lunchtime on the day after.  This can significantly reduce the stress and hassle of hiring a wedding car on a self drive basis without incurring the full cost of a 48 hour, which may not be needed.  Great Escape can also offer a full collection and delivery service, although this can work out expensive for long distances.  Often if the wedding is local to one of Great Escape's 10 UK locations couples will opt for a 24 hour hire and arrange for Great Escape Classic Car Hire to collect the car - this arrangement can be simpler and often cheaper even than the 36 hour hire option.
We are already experiencing significantly higher demand for wedding cars in 2013 than in any other year.  To discuss your plans and obtain a quote on self drive wedding car hire call Great Escape Classic Car Hire on 01527 893733 or email info@greatescapecars.co.uk.  Or for more information on the cars visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk.  Mention this article and claim 10% off the total cost of your self drive wedding cars.