Super Cover

Sir,

There have been numerous guesses about the cost of subsidising, through the good Lord Ryder, each unit produced by Leyland Cars, before they are offered, through the showrooms, to the taxpayers who help to make up this differential.

Now, with “Supercover”, you can take up Leyland’s second year guarantee—the cost of which varies from £20 to £80 depending on the Size of the car. Is this going to be a further costly miscalculation which will need subsidising? The West Midlands Police obviously think so, for they are spending £8,250 to save an estimated £71,000 in the second year of operation of their new mixed bag of Leyland cars. They say that a random sample of six Leyland cars showed that each one cost an average £430 in its second year even, one suspects, more than the Motor Sport Dolomite Sprint which was under the microscope in March.

It is to be sincerely hoped that the dynamic whizz-kids who concoct these “Super” strategies (inflation-proof, we hope) will be accountable in two years’ time to enable us all to see if they get their Sums right to start with.

“AQUILA” (Name and address supplied)