ATTACK OF THE CLONES: CAR CLONING IN LONDON RISES BY 50% IN ONE YEAR

ATTACK OF THE CLONES: CAR CLONING IN LONDON RISES BY 50% IN ONE YEAR

Cases of car cloning in London have risen by 50 per cent in just one year, with concerns that similar levels of cloning may be rife across the rest of the UK, according to official figures obtained by HonestJohn.co.uk.

The leading consumer motoring website analysed previously unseen Transport for London (TfL) data for the Congestion Charge zone and found that the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) being cancelled due to car cloning has soared.

In 2016 the number of PCNs cancelled on the grounds that the car was a clone was 1099; however, in 2017, this figure increased by 50 per cent with 1652 cases being recorded by TfL. Data for the first six months of 2018 show that car cloning continues to rise, with official figures up by a third on January - June 2017.

The true figure for the number of cloned cars on the road in London is thought to be much higher, given the complex and lengthy PCN appeals process and the fact that the Congestion Charge zone only operates Monday to Friday.

In the event of a PCN being issued due to a cloned car, the legitimately registered keeper will be required to provide evidence to satisfy the issuer of the ticket that their car was not at the time and place where the alleged offence occurred.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said HonestJohn.co.uk’s Managing Editor, Daniel Powell. “On the grounds that it is down to the car owner to prove they are innocent, it would be safe to assume that the true figure for car cloning in London is significantly higher as many drivers will be unable supply the evidence TfL requires to cancel the PCN.

“For those involved, it can be a very frightening and stressful experience, because they will be threatened with crippling fines and court action if they cannot provide comprehensive proof that they were not on the capital’s roads. It also raises an important question - how many drivers simply pay the fine to avoid the stress?

“There are a number of steps car owners can take to protect themselves, with the most obvious one being photos of their car to show the subtle differences between the clone and legitimate vehicle. Legal number plates usually have the manufacturer’s logo on them, while the clones are usually blank. CCTV footage will also prove a car’s location at a certain time, along with footage from a dash camera with GPS tracking.”

As part of its detailed response to HonestJohn.co.uk’s FOI, TfL said: “Prior to issuing the PCN we manually verify that the image of the vehicle observed in the zone matches the vehicle information provided by the DVLA. Only when there is a match is a penalty issued. At the point of issuing the penalty, we would not know if a vehicle had been cloned. 

“On receipt of the penalty, a motorist can follow the representations and appeals procedure and challenge a PCN. If we receive a representation stating a vehicle has been cloned we request evidence to confirm this.”

The Congestion Charge zone is enforced by a network of roadside automatic number plate recognition cameras (commonly known as ANPR), which record the registration and image of each vehicle as it enters and leaves the zone. Drivers that do not pay the London Congestion zone fee are sent a PCN for £130, which they need to pay within 28 days. TfL usually reduces the penalty to £65 if it is paid within 14 days.

Source: HONEST JOHN

FINDING THE VERY FIRST HELP LOCATE THE LOTUS MARK I

FINDING THE VERY FIRST 

HELP LOCATE THE LOTUS MARK I

Hazel Chapman in the Lotus Mark I. Copyright the Colin Chapman Foundation

• The campaign to find founder Colin Chapman’s first car
• Lotus Mark, I built in London in 1948
• Whereabouts unknown for over 60 years
• The inception of Lotus’ performance-orientated approach
• Search marks 70 years since Chapman’s founding principles

Calling on enthusiasts, collectors and car hunters worldwide, Lotus needs your help in tracking down the long-lost Lotus Mark I, the first car built by company founder Colin Chapman

As the British marque continues its 70th celebrations, it wants fans from around the world to pick up the trail of the most elusive Lotus ever – the competition car that the young engineer hand-built in a small London garage owned by his then girlfriend’s parents. Overcoming the standard car’s limitation Chapman applied innovative approaches to improve its performance in challenging trials competitions.

Despite its existence being well documented, the current whereabouts of the Mark I remain a mystery. Built by Chapman, with the help of friends and his girlfriend (who later became his wife), Hazel, he entered a number of events in 1948 with immediate success. However, Colin was constantly innovating, and was soon hard at work on the Mark II. The first car was sold in November 1950 but, from there, the car’s trail goes cold. Despite much research over the years, its whereabouts have never been established.

Joining Lotus in the hunt for the origin of its species is the son of the company’s founder, and director of Classic Team Lotus, Clive Chapman. “The Mark I is the holy grail of Lotus’ history,” explains Clive. “It’s the first time that my father was able to put his theories for improved performance into practice when designing and building a car. To locate this landmark Lotus, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary, would be a monumental achievement. We want fans to take this opportunity to look in every garage, shed, barn and lock up they’re allowed to. It’s even possible that the Mark I was shipped from the UK, and we’d love to know if it survives in another country.”

Caption: Colin Chapman competing in the Lotus Mark I. Copyright the Colin Chapman Foundation

The birth of the Lotus legend

In 1948 Colin Chapman built his first competition car, following his own theories for improved performance. Chapman’s way of thinking and his principles remain as relevant today as they were 70 years ago and his ethos still allows the company to optimise mass and aerodynamics in order to maximise performance and handling.

Covering everything from suspension configuration and layout, making sure that ground clearance was not compromised, improvements included reinforcing the chassis, cladding the body in lightweight bespoke panels and ensuring that components frequently damaged in competition could be quickly reattached. Applying theories learnt from this formal training as an engineer, Colin was already developing the principles that would go on to define Lotus cars of the future. One notable decision was to extend the rear of the car, and include two spare wheels. This allowed for the better allocation of ballast, distributing weight within the car to maximise traction for each event.

In a lock-up borrowed from Hazel’s parents, Colin re-imagined and re-engineered the Austin Seven to create the first Lotus. Built by hand, and with Hazel (his then-girlfriend) helping where needed, he completed the car in the spring of 1948 and immediately entered it in competitive trials. With Hazel in the passenger seat and Colin behind the wheel, they picked up two class awards in the car’s first events.

Originally finished in bare, unpolished alloy, the car was then painted white, before repainted in red. A restless engineer, Chapman was soon working on the next car, the Mark II, designed using the lessons learned from his first and the experience gain through the competitions he’d entered. As a result, an advert placed in Motor Sport magazine, describing an Austin Seven Special four-seater sports-cum-trials car saw the Mark I sold in November 1950. Chapman received £135 for the car, but the only thing now known about the new owner was that they were based in the north of England.

Over the years many enthusiasts have looked for the car, but to no avail. Lotus has previously called on experts to help locate the lost vehicle but, as the company gears up for the highpoint of its anniversary celebrations at the end of September, it’s hoped that a renewed search, on a global scale, will help track down the landmark car

Source:Lotus Cars