Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn	Replies: 23

New Sat 21 Aug 21 03:56   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Falkirk Bairn

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is investigating Gordon Maclennan Mr Maclennan is the SPT's chief executive but has now been suspended It relates to two cars that appear to have the same registration plate £153K per year and he tried cutting the cost by having 2 cars with the same number plate. 1 in Glasgow & 1 in the Outer Hebrides. 2 cars, 1 x MOT, 1 x Insurance Mr McLennan has opted for immediate retirement. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 11:24   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Lygonos

Seems to have been caught bang-to-rights. And as he is part-owner of a garage, and has a long history in politics I suspect there will be lots of scheisse to unearth on him and his chums. First thing I'd be looking at is his expenses claims. And if I was HMRC I'd be doing a 'deep dive' into his returns. Last edited by: Lygonos on Sat 21 Aug 21 at 11:24 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 11:50   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - bathtub tom

I was watching a programme about cars being confiscated. One was towed for having the wrong plates on it. The driver claimed somone must have come down the street, removed his plates and stuck the others on. He complained it cost him £500 to insure the car before he was allowed to take it away, but it had to have the correct plates on it first. He appeared to get the plates out of the boot! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 12:32   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Duncan

>> I was watching a programme about cars being confiscated. >> Was that the car pound recovery programme? I saw that and there were some real idiots featured! One woman, 3 times in 3 months! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 12:33   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - PeterS

I know that the Scottish have a reputation for being somewhat parsimonious, but, really - a more than comfortable salary, even with the higher tax rates in Scotland and not only does he clone the plates on his cars, but those cars are sub £1k 20 year old VW Passat diesels. Probably run on chip fat to avoid duty as well. Plenty of that in Scotland ;) Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 21 Aug 21 at 21:44 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 13:23   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Manatee

Malignant narcissist, I'll bet. And probably feeling very badly done to and whining to anybody who will listen. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 14:41   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Rudedog

I wonder if some one he knew grassed him up? Any idea how he was caught? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 16:30   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - MD

>> I wonder if some one he knew grassed him up? >> >> Any idea how he was caught? >> By the short and curlies. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Sat 21 Aug 21 17:29   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Kevin

Today's "Post of the Day". Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 17:46   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Terry

No sympathy for him but two similar cars with the same registration and colour in different places seems like a good wheeze. In all but a detailed examination both would appear to be properly insured, taxed, MoT'd. Even better if they are unlikely to be driven at the same time because you have two homes in different places. Not convinced it would work for me personally - I only have one house and there would be no point in two identical bangers in one place! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 21:49   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Duncan

>> Not convinced it would work for me personally - I only have one house and >> there would be no point in two identical bangers in one place! But it would work if you established that there was a very similar car in a town, say, a hundred miles away. Make periodic checks that the other car's tax, MOT and insurance were all in place. Clone the plates and you are free to go! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 21 Aug 21 22:05   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Netsur

Having read the report on the BBC website it seems the two cars had different colours. Silver and blue. That was stupid of him. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 22 Aug 21 07:15   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - sherlock47

IIRC there was a similar case some years ago featuring Austin 7s. The owner was caught out because an observant (and interested copper) spotted that the crack in a windscreen seemed to have disappeared and then identically reoccurred. Would not happen to today, when was the last time you saw a walking policeman? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 22 Aug 21 08:25   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Dog

>>when was the last time you saw a walking policeman? I saw (he saw) a Laughing Policeman in Southend o/s a few times. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 22 Aug 21 08:52   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Bromptonaut

>> Having read the report on the BBC website it seems the two cars had different >> colours. Silver and blue. That was stupid of him. The blue one was a fairly pale shade and metallic. I guess he thought one would probably pass as the other unless he was seriously questioned. Aside from saving money one wonders if the one on Lewis had perhaps failed the MoT and cloning allowed it to continue as a local bus for shopping and whichever sect's church he worshipped at. He must have upset somebody seriously for then to either investigate and conclude there was an issue or who knew and shopped him. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 22 Aug 21 09:05   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - sooty123

Probably shopped in by a political/business rival. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 22 Aug 21 09:11   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Zero

Could only happen if one is kept in an area with little chance of ANPR detection.. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 22 Aug 21 09:45   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Bromptonaut

>> Could only happen if one is kept in an area with little chance of ANPR >> detection.. Would ANPR detect a clone unless perhaps there was a comparison of hits in different areas for that specific purpose? AIUI ANPR looks for vehicles flagged for reasons such as tax/mot/insurance or association with other criminality? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 23 Aug 21 14:34   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Netsur

I pondered the possibility of my doing this (purely hypothetically) and decided that it would be impossible as in the almost six years I have owned my car I have not seen one of the same hue (champagne coloured or metallic beige to some Crewe based down and outs!). Of course the next day I finally saw an identical car in terms of colour, age and engine size. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 23 Aug 21 14:51   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - henry k

>>Of course the next day I finally saw an identical car in terms of colour, age and engine size And of course ensure all other stickers and even number plate maker etc should match. e.g I have just one obsolete sticker, OEM mud flaps ( splash guards ) and a rare engine size for the year. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 23 Aug 21 15:20   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - No FM2R

And of course ensure all other stickers and even number plate maker etc should match. I doubt it. Similar colour car would be enough. It's not like they will ever be compared sided by side in a "spot the difference" competition. But surely he didn't do this just out of concern for cost of tax, MOT and insurance? That can't be enough of a motivation, surely. Maybe, as Bromp says, there was an MOT issue on one and it was an easier solution. Maybe one needed to disappear after being in a hit and run and so got the plates of the other. Who knows, but I find it difficult to think it's just for dodging the bills. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 23 Aug 21 17:15   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Lygonos

Hence a deep-dive into his finances and tax affairs is required.... Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 23 Aug 21 17:30   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Zero

>> Who knows, but I find it difficult to >> think it's just for dodging the bills. He is a Jock. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 25 Aug 21 08:02   Volkswagen Passat - Keeping costs down running 2 cars - illegally - Bobby

Just watched last weeks episode of Police Interceptors. Guy got pulled and turns out he had two Mondeos and he just moved the insured registration between the cars. Reply to this message | Report message