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Cars for Stars reveal their expansion plans and job opportunities

Cars for Stars have unveiled exciting development plans for the coming year as the company looks to expand its workforce following the acquisition of larger business premises in the South Wales area. The Cardiff based company, which provides luxury chauffeur driven limo and car hire services throughout the UK, is planning to recruit 50 new staff members at the company’s brand new purpose built head quarters in South Wales within the next year.

As specialists in the luxury car hire industry, Cars for Stars offer an extensive range of chauffeur cars and limos for hire throughout the UK including the latest models from world renowned brands including Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Bentley and Ferrari. Cars for Stars regularly provides chauffeur driven limousine hire for a whole host of occasions including birthdays, proms, weddings and hen and stag parties, to corporate events, product launches, awards parties and airport transfers.

Over the next 12-18 months, managing director of Cars for Stars and founder of The Transport Broker Group which is the collective name for a group of leading transport operators of which Cars for Stars is part of, Tej Randeva, predicts that the organisation will create between 50-80 new jobs at the company’s new head quarters in Cardiff.

This forecast is supported by NatWest senior relationship manager, Andrew Parker, who described the recruitment plans as “entirely realistic.” NatWest helped facilitate the group’s move to larger business premises with the provision of a financial support package.

The busy call centre handles as many as 1,600 calls daily during peak times, with the Transport Broker Group coordinating up to 15,000 journeys every year. In 2010 the organisation reported 75% growth which led to the group being named the 30th fastest growing company in Wales as part of the Fast Growth 50 Awards 2011. The organisation recently received an Investors In People Gold Award, the highest accolade attainable, which demonstrates the group’s commitment to developing and supporting is workers.

News Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2012/03/31/transport-company-driving-ahead-after-further-expansion-91466-30663014/

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Chauffeur sells Damien Hurst sketch for £4,500

A chauffeur who was given a sketch by contemporary artist Damien Hurst as a thank you for an enjoyable journey, has sold at auction for a massive £4,500, 15 times more than the estimate price placed on the item.

The unnamed chauffeur expected to sell the biro sketch from an autograph book for between £250 and £500 however when the Hurst original went under the hammer, a bidding war broke out with the sketch selling for a final price of £4,500.

It’s understood that the renowned artist quickly sketched an outline of a sharp in about 30 seconds while sitting in the back of a car. The sketch depicts a shark, which is likely to be a reference to Hurst’s most famous work, “The Physical Impossibility of death in the mind of someone living” which was a tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde.

The Damien Hurst sketch with the biro drawn image of a shark features an original signature from the artist and also a brief message which reads “A great drive xxx” stretching across two pages on a pink page as part of the chauffeur’s autograph book. The artist presented the driver with the off-the-cuff sketch after the chauffeur drove him to a TV studios in London several years ago.     

The sketch was eventually bought by an anonymous British collector following the auction which took place over last weekend.

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Going out in style – Introducing the Rolls Royce Phantom hearse

Want to travel in style and luxury even after you’ve shuffled off this mortal coil? Then coachbuilders, Biemme Special Cars, probably had you in mind when they came up with the design for the world’s most luxurious hearse.

The Rolls Royce Phantom Hearse will receive its official debut at the Tan Expo in Bologna, Italy where the 23 foot long Roller will be showcased to its full glory. The customised Rolls Royce benefits from a raised roof and elongated shape so as to allow the transportation of coffins of all sizes. It’s believed to be the longest hearse in existence at 7 metres in length, 3 metres longer than the average Phantom model.

While the Rolls Royce Phantom hearse B12 looks like an overgrown Phantom from the outside, under the bonnet it is a standard Phantom ll model with a 6.75 litre V12 engine. The customised hearse also benefits from specially created coach hung rear doors, and the trademark Rolls Royce grill complete with the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy sitting on the front of the bonnet.

However, this luxurious hearse does come with a hefty price tag, an eye-watering £418,000 to be exact. Do you think this new standard of premium hearses will catch on with undertakers across the world? Is there a demand for luxury hearses? Let us know your thoughts by dropping us a comment below.

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Ferrari F50 crashed by FBI agent sells for $370k

Despite being smashed into a hedge by an FBI agent causing thousands upon thousands of pounds worth of damage, a red Ferrari F50 sports car has been sold for a staggering $370,000 after being put up for sale on an online auction website.

The Ferrari in question hit the headlines several years ago when the FBI agent who was taking care of the powerful sports car after the new owner of the vehicle reported his car to the authorities after discovering it was stolen, crashed the Ferrari while it was in his care.

The story began after the Ferrari was stolen during a test drive. The man, who was later identified as pilot and a known criminal, Tom Baker, requested the test drive, making off in the rare sports car when the car salesman got out of the vehicle momentarily during the test run.

After being stolen in 2003, the Ferrari seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth for five years. The insurance companies assumed that the sports car had been shipped out of the States, and so paid up to the car salesman.

However the Ferrari had been stored by the thief and was sold to a doctor from Kentucky in 2008. When the new owner went to register himself as the new owner, he discovered it was a stolen vehicle and alerted the police, which was when the accident occurred.

The authorities succeeded in tracking down the thief who was jailed for two years. The debate over the car and the damage caused by the FBI agent has wrangled on for several years, however the Ferrari has now been sold without being repaired, by an auction site acting on behalf of the insurance company.

The new owner has shelled out $370,000 and will have to spend several hundred thousand more to restore the rare sports car back to its former glory.

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Is this the world’s most extravagant Rolls Royce Phantom?

A Rolls Royce Phantom decked out with £3 million of gold? We’d call that pretty extravagant! Well that’s exactly what one wealthy middle Eastern based businessman has used to customise his top of the range Rolls Royce limo, waiting a whole 18 months for the transformation to be completed.

The anonymous owner commissioned the services of Liverpool based designer, Stuart Hughes, to help realise his dream of owning a car decked inside and out with solid gold trimmings. The British designer is famous for using gold to customise luxury items having used the precious metal to create one-off iPad and iPod covers amongst other things.

120kg of 18 carat solid gold with a total cost of £3 million was used to create moulds of all the interior fixtures and trims, as well as the trimming on the exterior of the luxury limo.

As well as being blinged-up-to-the-max, the highly customised white Roller is also indestructible. The Rolls Royce has been strengthened to withstand hits from no less than two hand grenades and also 570 rounds fired from an AK-47 rifle.

While a regular Rolls Royce Phantom has a price tag in the region of £330,000, after the extra bullet proof additions and gold plating features added to this Roller, the cost of this one-of-a-kind Phantom is thought to be a cool £5.2 million.

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The (new) Rolls Royce Phantom Series ll makes debut at 2012 Geneva Motor Show

Rolls Royce has updated their luxury Phantom model. As the renowned car maker’s flagship model, the Phantom is arguable the most sought after vehicle offered by Rolls Royce, and so any changes to this popular model are likely to come under great scrutiny from Phantom fans and motoring experts alike.

The Rolls Royce Phantom Series ll made its official debut at the recent 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The new family of Phantom models will offer a raft of exciting and highly innovative improvements in order to offer a premium vehicle which is as much fun to drive as it is to be chauffeured in.

For the first time on a production car, the Phantom ll models will feature full LED headlights as standard, the new and improved Phantoms also feature a restyled front end and rear bumper. The new Phantoms also offer greater driver assistance with the introduction of all new media controller which boasts an integrated satellite navigation system with 3D topographic mapping.

All information, maps and videos are displayed on the car’s 8.8inch control centre screen display. The Phantom ll series models boast cameras to enable the driver to manoeuvre with ease as the rear view camera automatically flashes up on the screen display when reversing.

A brand new 8-speed automatic gearbox has also been unveiled on the new improved Phantom, designed specifically to complement the V12 direct injection engine which offers an improved fuel consumption of 10% compared to the previous model.

Pricing for the all new Phantom ll series are not yet available.

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Classic Rolls Royce limo could fetch £2 million at auction

A rare Rolls Royce limousine, believed to be the only one of its kind left in working order, could fetch as much as £2 million when it goes to auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 29th.

The 1912 double Pullman Rolls Royce Limousine, nicknamed the Corgi after the toy manufacturer copied its design in the 60’s, is thought to be the only vehicle of its kind still in its original condition and the only surviving model of the 7,874 vehicles manufactured between 1906-1926.

During the First World War, many of the Rolls Royce limos were converted into ambulances or used as other types of emergency vehicles. However this particular Roller avoided that fate, and still retains the majority of its original features.

Despite being 100 years old, the Pullman limo can still cruise along at a top speed of 40-50mph with its 7.3 litre, 6 cylinder engine producing a fuel consumption of approximately 15 miles to the gallon.

The first owner of the Rolls Royce Corgi limo is registered as John M Stephens, a well known admirer and collector of the luxury brand. After taking delivery of the limousine, Mr Stephens instructed one of the best coach builders of the day to transform the vehicle’s interior in the style of a Pullman railway carriage. This was not unusual at the time, in fact it was common practice for motorists to purchase a car with the engine and chasis and then to instruct a specialist coach builder to create the finishing touches.

Bonhams auctioneers, who are selling the rare limo, expect the lot to attract attention from bidders around the globe and are anticipating a winning bid in excess of £2 million.

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Limo Forum app to be launched in days

While the limousine and luxury transport hire industry is still buzzing following the launch of the exciting new online limo chat website, Limo Forum, the team behind the brand new limo industry forum have announced that the Limo Forum app is currently under construction and will be available to download in just 14 days time.

Following the sudden closure of The National Limousine and Chauffeur Association’s popular industry forum, Limo Chat, a brand new online platform offering a safe and supportive environment in which to communicate with others working in the limousine rental industry was launched. While LimoForum.com is not connected to the now defunct Limo Chat site, the new website has been able to step into the breach by offering a new space for limo professionals to communicate.

As an online website dedicated to industry chat from the limo hire business, many of the Limo Forum users find themselves constantly on the move as part of their work. Thanks to the new app, which will be available to download from iTunes onto Apple iPhone and Android devices, Limo Forum subscribers will be able to stay up to date on the latest news and contribute to discussions while out and about so they’re never left out of the loop.

The Limo Forum is in the process of being completed and expected to hit the iTunes market by mid March. The new limo app will be available to users worldwide, helping to build a global community linking limo hire professionals. The easy to use app will allow members to view current discussions, post their own questions, browse archived and ongoing threads and launch their own topics for chat, all from their mobile devices.

The new Limo Forum app is due for release in just two weeks, so in the mean time head onto the main Limo Forum website and sign up. Membership is free and you can start communicating with other limo professionals the world over instantly.

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George Clooney reveals his past life as a chauffeur

Actor George Clooney revealed his past life as a celebrity chauffeur this week during an interview on the Oscar’s red carpet. The 50-year-old star admitted that before he hit the big time in Hollywood, like many struggling actors he had a number jobs to pay the bills, one of which as a chauffeur where he was charged with driving the legendary singer Tony Bennett.

Both Clooney and Bennett attended the 84th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday night, with the nominated actor revealing his previous occupation as Tony’s chauffeur during an interview with Access Hollywood. The Descendants star said he spent about three weeks chauffeuring the iconic crooner when he was about 19-years-old.

After a few helpful reminders, the singer racked his brain and managed to recall Clooney’s stint as his chauffeur some 30 years ago, adding that the Hollywood A-lister was a very good driver and that he is very proud of what the actor has gone onto achieve. The Oceans 11 star jokingly told 85-year-old Tony, “I’ll still drive you anywhere you want to go.”

Former chauffeur to the stars, George Clooney, was accompanied to the Oscars by his girlfriend, Stacy Keibler. Clooney was the bookies favourite to scoop the Best Actor award on the night for his role in the movie, Descendants, however he lost out to Jean Dujardin for his role in The Artist.

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Whitney’s chauffeur reveals his story of driving the tragic star

Whitney Houston’s chauffeur of 20 years, Al Bowman, has spoken out in the wake of the 48-year-old star’s death about how he witnessed firsthand the star’s path of self destruction.

The chauffeur who drove Whitney Houston for two decades revealed how he has driven many famous faces during his career as a chauffeur, including both Janet and Michael Jackson and Ozzy Osborne, but out of all of the celebrity names, Whitney’s behaviour was by far the most extreme and worrying, Mr Bowman revealed in an interview with The Mirror newspaper.

In his interview, the chauffeur described how he had wanted desperately to help the Bodyguard star, but Whitney was beyond to help and hopelessly addicted to drugs, with the chauffeur describing in the singer as “tragic.”

Al Bowman retold a story of how Whitney and her former husband Bobbi Brown set the limo he was driving on fire as they smoked crack in the back of the luxury car. In a separate incident, the celebrity chauffeur revealed he even saw the troubled star smoking crack in the back of his limo, while her daughter Bobbi Kristina, who was aged 6 or 7 years at the time, sat next to her, with Al branding the incident “heartbreaking.”

Sources close to the singer say she managed to kick her drug taking habit and was sober throughout much of 2011. However Whitney is believed to have fallen back into her old ways in the months leading up to her death. The singer was found dead in the bath tub of her hotel room at The Beverley Hilton Hotel at the age of 48.