When energy giant Centrica announced recently it had agreed to sell the Automobile Association, which it bought from the members back in 1999, it said money raised from the deal will be better spent on its core activity of electricity and gas production. The British Gas owner decided to offload the breakdown and financial services firm in a £1.75bn deal. When Centrica took over the AA in 1999, profits were £6m. By 2003, they had zoomed to £93m. But the number of patrols stayed roughly the same - about 3,500. So are motorists paying a small fortune - for breakdowns which happen more rarely these days? To be fair, the AA never claims to make most of its money by looking under overheated bonnets. It is so strong in the personal finance sector, for instance, HBOS is mooted as a possible buyer. During the period of Centrica's ownership, however, roadside recovery has become a furiously competitive business. Last November, Tesco hit the market with low-cost "form-free breakdown cover", run in conjunction with Green Flag and sold in more than 400 stores by a simple swiping of a customer's Clubcard. At the top end of the market, Tesco charges £79 for high-quality cover which it says would cost £160 at the RAC and £171 at the AA. At MORE TH@N, the direct insurance subsidiary of Royal and Sun Alliance, rescue cover starts at £24, while roadside assistance and recovery starting at £34 includes free European cover and English-speaking European Breakdown call handlers. Similar cover, it claims, would cost £81 from the AA and £79 from RAC. The newest entrant to a crowded market containing well over 30 different products is Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, with cover offered in two forms: a standard package, to get drivers to their destination and provide windscreen and tyre replacements, and Housecall, to tackle problems within a one-mile radius of a vehicle owner's home. Carefully tailored to appeal to women drivers, Liverpool Victoria promises priority treatment for "vulnerable" drivers in an emergency - perhaps a woman travelling alone, a person with children, or someone who is disabled. Annual standard cover costing over £80 at both AA and RAC costs just under £45 at Liverpool Victoria, claims the friendly society. According to Richard Mason, of the website moneysupermarket.com, motorists find better value - and lower premiums - at smaller operators in the sector. Its three "Best Buys" for a standard family car doing less than 12,000 miles a year are currently Gem Recovery (£35 a year); First Call (£39.55) and Autonational Rescue (£57). Obviously, the market leaders emphasise other attractions to shift the focus away from price. Although the annual cost of its top quality Option 400 cover costs £155 per person, or £182 per couple, the AA says customers readily pay extra - for superior service. AA spokesman Michael Johnson said: "We are very marginally - slightly - more expensive than some rivals, but nobody is forced to join. People choose us because we are a trusted brand." * INFORMATION: AA (08705 444444); RAC (0800 828282); Green Flag (0845 246 1557); Tesco Instant Breakdown Cover (0845 246 0717); Liverpool Victoria (0800 864865); MORETH@N (0800 300220); see comparison of roadside recovery providers on website www.moneysupermarket.com. | 
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