Jamie Bagala
- Position: Vehicle Benefits Specialist
A bit about me…
I have always had a passion for anything with wheels including motorbikes, cars and anything in between. Keeping a healthy work-life balance is important and I do this by spending as much time as possible with my family and friends. When I'm not working, you’ll often find me with my wife enjoying a fun day out or a relaxing day in, occasionally trying to be active on the soccer field.
I can’t deny my passion for cars with real motorsport heritage and credit. Anything that was designed with a racetrack in mind as well as being able to commute around suburban streets gets my attention. I think it’s for this reason that lightweight kart-like cars will always be on my shopping list. Growing up with access to rural hobby farms enabled me to enjoy motorbikes and driving much earlier than my peers could dream of. This had fed my passion to always have a vehicle that is enjoyable to drive whether it’s for a sprint through a twisty country road or stuck in the daily city crawl.
My AutoPackage
I currently drive a Honda Jazz VTI-S. It’s incredibly fuel efficient, and when you get the dynamic seating going – there’s a huge amount of internal space for the size of the vehicle. The running costs are low, and it has a great resale value too. I have it packaged on a three year term, and I’m on the lookout for another car to package for my wife. Looking forward to testing out some new cars.
First car
Peugeot 306 Rallye.
Favourite road trip
Driving from Nice in the South of France through Italy, zig zagging our way down the entire country to the very tip of Sicily. A once in a lifetime road trip that will stay with me forever as I recall the winding roads, engineering marvels with bridges and tunnels, beautiful scenery, and amazing cars that would zoom past. We were lucky enough to experience this trip during a European summer where every stop we soaked up the sun, the culture and the surrounding roads.
Starting in Nice we visited Monte Carlo before heading through to Milan. From Milan we toured south from coast to coast visiting places in between like Pisa, Montecatini and Florence before arriving in Rome. After a stay in the Eternal City we headed for Naples followed by the Amalfi Coast. The roads there need to be seen to be believed. How they have buses sharing extremely narrow roads with Vespas and cars is mind boggling, especially when you consider one side of that road is normally a very steep cliff face!
We then made our way to Calabria and stayed there for a few days before heading across the water to Sicily where we drove literally around the island. Some of the best roads were definitely saved for last. The further south we travelled the hotter it became so for me it was the perfect summer and greatest road trip… until the next time!
My road trip round Italy - Sicily
What I like most about Autopia
The team. Everyone will go above and beyond to help someone which is great.
You inevitably become a better person and appreciate what working with great people is all about.