Halfords. Britains one stop shop for all things driving related. Or, in other words, Britains one stop shop for a handful of parts that fit cars nobodies fucking got. Haynes. Britain’s reliable and dependable car manual producer. Or, more accurately, britains top maker of amusing merchandise cashing in on a historical brand they no longer seem interested in developing.

I’ve had 2 cars I’ve needed to buy parts for over the past 5 years. One was a Ford Ka. 1.3 litre, made in 2004. I should explain about the Ford Ka. It had a very long production run, using the same body for the entire length of it’s 12 year run, from 1996 to 2008. There were some special edition models released after this date to use up the remaining stock too.

The first ones, made between 1996 and 2002 used an old, 1.3l pushrod engine. In 2002 it was replaced by an updated model featuring a 1.3l SOHC engine, along with some other bits and bobs. This was the Ka they retired in 2008. So, a 6 year run for both engine types. In 2003 a 1.6l version was released.

Haynes make a Ka manual. It covers… the first one. They haven’t released a second updated one. Clearly too busy making fun and amusing manuals for babies and such. Anyone with a 1.3 after 2002 or a 1.6 of any kind will have to just use the force to handle their car repairs. So, despite having a production run of the same 6 year period, and a similar car with a larger engine had a 7 year production run along side it, the modern Ka didn’t get a manual. What, not sell enough to bother making a manual? 12 years of popular, cheap to buy cars not a long enough time to make a manual for?

Halfords on the other hand. According to them, Ford changed to a 1.6 model in 2001. No, that 6 years of updated 1.3l model didn’t happen. No, all you 6 years of people who bought your Ka after 2001, you can’t buy parts from Halfords. Ebay for you. Halfords don’t want your money. They’d rather stock parts for some obscure, little sold japanese models instead.

Fast forwards a few years. I need brake pads for my Skoda Octavia. I have the second generation one. It started to appear in 2004, and in a slightly facelifted edition is still on sale now.

Haynes do a manual for the Octavia. For the old one. They haven’t released one for the updated models. Clearly too busy making fun and amusing manuals for teenagers and such. The first Octavia was sold in the UK from 1998 to 2004. 6 years of sales. The new one was sold from 2004-2012… and still going. So far 8 years of sales. Where’s the Haynes manual for this car?

Halfords… they have never heard of an updated Octavia. At least not if you want brake pads. 1998-2005 and then…. nothing. Brake pads are stocked for many many other cars, far more obscure and far less popular, with much shorter production runs. Given the fact that many of the cars they do claim to stock parts for are almost identical vehicles, it’s likely that they do even stock the right pad and just haven’t been arsed to check.

Both companies have made some pretty massive mistakes here. Halfords; Fire your buying department. Buyers usually command big wages, and in Halfords’ case they just aren’t ensuring you have the parts to really appeal to the mass market customers you have.

Haynes; These “comedy” tee shirts and books are all very nice, but they play off the fact that everone remembers using a haynes manual. If you don’t make haynes manuals for the current generations of cars, pretty soon you won’t have a car manual business at all, and evenutally then the novelty of all your “joke” products will wear off too as the hanyes name and brand is forgotten….

Think about it. Sell shit we want to buy, not what you want to sell.