Car leasing can be the perfect solution for the many people who love to drive a new car every couple of years but who would find it too expensive to buy. Leasing a car means that you do not own the car but that you pay money to the leasing company in return for the use of the car. You will pay a fixed amount to the car lease company for an agreed upon length of time. The amount of your mileage allowance will affect the amount you pay each month.

If you want to be economical then car leasing is probably not your best bet. On the other hand, leasing can allow you to drive new cars that you might otherwise have no opportunity of purchasing. For many, the fact that car leasing allows you to drive a new car rather than an old one is something that they would rather pay for even knowing that once the lease is over, they will have nothing to show for it. Most car leases last for about three years and then a lot of people will normally take out a new lease. If you want you can change every year, but this will be more expensive.

New car sales took a massive hit last year as the entire global economy suffered a serious downturn. Although the outlook for 2010 is brighter many people are still reluctant to part with large amounts of cash. Car leasing can allow people to get their hands on a new car without having to dig too deep into their bank account. It also means not having to commit themselves to years of loan repayments for a car that will have suffered a lot of wear and tear by the time that they are finished paying.

Although car leasing is a great solution for many people, it is still essential to try to get the best deal and to be fully familiar with the contract before signing.

When you have to search for different contract hire, having a look at all the different models available for selection is the best thing you can do. Ultimately you could enjoy mazda car leasing or even kia car leasing options.

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Ferdinand Porsche was the founder of Volkswagen.

It is said that he was a technical genius and was employed by a great number of car companies eg Austro-Daimler, Mercedes, Daimler-Benz to name but a few.

In 1930 he opened his own design bureau. In 1931 he asked his team of staff to start designing a motor car with a water cooled 3 cylinder engine. This must also have independent suspension and be able to accommodate 4 adults. The main aim was to keep the expenditure as low as possible to make it affordable to the masses.

In 1932 he found a partner in Zundapp. Originally 3 prototypes were produced using his original design which was equipped with a new engine. Unfortunately however the engine turned out to have a severe cooling problem and melted after 10 minutes of running. Zundapp decided to leave the project.

NSU a motor cycle manufacturer decided to join forces and a completely new cooled 4 cylinder engine was built. The engine was placed in the rear to avoid the traditional transmission with a separate gear box, drive shaft and rear axle. Unfortunately due to the economical climate in Germany at that time NSU decided to withdraw and Porche was once again on his own.

In 1933 at the Berlin Motor Show Adolf Hitler announced his plan to manufacture a small car for the people of Germany. Porche and Hitler joined forces and a contract was signed in 1934. The prototypes were to be built by the RDA, which was the German Auto Manufacturers Association. RDA were shortly to realise that this project had a chance to be successful and this they did not want. They deliberately delayed the project which made Porsche miss the deadline and therefore lose his contract. Hitler realised this and placed the entire project under government supervision. The three prototypes were delivered in October 1936.

To this day the volkswagen has stayed almost identical in design. It has a reputation for being a highly reliable car and indeed Volkswagen van leasing is a very popular choice as they have such a solid history behind them.

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Andre Citroen the famous car manufacturer was born in 1934. He attended the Polytechnical school in Paris where he excelled as a student. From there he began working for the car company “Mors”. By the age of 27 he had created his first company.

In 1913 he also founded another company to make the best use of his patent for carburettors. Early on Citroen was influenced by the methods of Henry Ford who utilised the assembly line as early as 1908 in the USA.

In 1915 at the outbreak of war, Andre received a commission to produce 7500 grenades. Citroen then convinced the Ministry of Defence that he could in fact deliver larger quantities if produced industrially.

By 1919 the 1st “citroen car” was produced. It had a 4 cylinder engine and capable of a speed of 65km/h. During the year they produced 2,500 cars. However the following year they were producing 20,200!

In 1921 the Citroen taxis made their entrance onto the streets of Paris.

Eleven years on at the beginning of 1932 the C4 and C6 were built with the “floating power” engine. The engine was secured by mounts made of rubber in preference to being bolted to the chassis. This obviously eliminated a great deal of the vibrations making it a much more comfortable ride.

Around this time they started to produce small cars for children, a somewhat unusual idea!

Things took a turn for the worse after the Wall Street crash in October 1929. In 1933 their factories were rebuilt causing a great expense. In April of that year there was a strike at the factory. Cars began to stop selling well abroad due to the exchange rates and restrictions against foreign products. By the end of the year they had accrued many debts.

By December 1934 the company went into bankruptcy. Citroen passed away the following year.

It was from here that the Michelin Company stepped in with financial assistance and so the name continues today.

There are still countless “citroens” on our roads today and many of these are used for van leasing.  It is often more viable to lease vans and indeed in years to come Citroen van leasing companies would be spread worldwide.

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Founded on 11th July 1899 it was Giovanni Agnelli who through his determination and imaginativeness for the company became the Managing Director. 

Fiat is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Car Factory of Turin). 

Giovanni’s grandson Gianni then became chairperson from 1966 until his death in 2003. 

The first factory was opened in 1900 with 150 workers 

During the 1930’s trucks and commercial vehicles underwent considerable growth and also the railway and aviation sectors grew. 

In the war years there was a great reduction in the production of cars, whilst commercial vehicles grew considerably. Fiat made military vehicles for the Italian Army and Air Force. 

In 1945 the presidency of Fiat was taken over by Vittorio Valletta. 

In 1948 the plants that were destroyed in the war were completed and profits started to increase as did the number of employees. 

After the war Fiat introduced its very first tractor. 

Betwixt 1957 and 1975 the popular Fiat 505 was produced. This was a cheap and very practical car and measured just 9 feet 9 inches long. It was powered by a small 479cc 2 cylinder air cooled engine and was considered to be one of the first “city cars”. 

The Fiat was also rear engined just like the Volkswagen beetle. 

Despite its small-scale size the 500 proved very popular throughout Europe. 

Output of the 500 ceased in 1975 and the Fiat 126 was introduced two years earlier. The 126 was never quite as popular although it was well known for its mechanical durability and saving. 

In 1978 the “Robogate” system was created which was so named because of the new robotized system that was used for assembling the bodywork. 

In 1980 the Fiat Panda was born. Within the next 2 years the Fiat Uno was also introduced. In 1989 the Tipo was voted “Car of the Year” for its keen edge solutions. 

There have been several Fiat vans introduced which are exceedingly popular for Fiat van leasing. These little, economical vehicles are perfect as a van to lease and are used often for catering and delivery vehicles. 

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Thousands of jobs in the UK are under threat in the wake of the collapse of General Motors (GM), the biggest car manufacturing company in America. The company filed for bankruptcy in the US yesterday, leaving the future of all its workers uncertain. The European branch of GM, which includes Vauxhall in the UK as well as the German brand Opel, has been bought out by Canadian car parts company Magna International.  But although this means that both the British and German brands will continue production, a fall in demand for car sales and car leasing deals could mean that Magna will be making significant job cuts.

The concern for Vauxhall’s workers comes because Magna is a relatively new company in the UK, with ties to the Russian vans company run by oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Sberbank, a Russian bank. The Russian involvement has raised worries about production at Vauxhall’s Luton plant, where they make Vivara vans, could be switched to Russia, putting the 1,400 workers at Luton at risk of losing their jobs. The German government also had a hand in making sure the takeover deal went smoothly, causing worries that the Opel factories and workers may be protected as a priority and that any cutbacks would have to be made in the UK. Of course nothing has been officially confirmed to date as Magna are still assessing the situation before making any decisions and have made it clear that they will do everything in their power to protect as many jobs as possible in all areas.

For Vauxhall’s 5,500 UK workers, all they can do is to remain hopeful that the company will recover quickly after the takeover by Magna, who obtained the company over other potential buyers including Italian car manufacturer Fiat. Car leasing and car sales will need to improve soon for the decision to keep factories open to be viable. In the meantime for buyers interested in purchasing a car from Vauxhall, car leasing could be a better option as it enables you to choose from a wider range of vehicles, and is less likely to leave you in a difficult position if the company suffers any further disaster in the future.

For great deals on van leasing and van contract hire

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