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3,000 Sprinter order

20th February 1997
Page 17
Page 17, 20th February 1997 — 3,000 Sprinter order
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

by Charles Young • Mercedes-Benz has secured its biggest deal in the UK to date— worth £70m and consisting of 3,750 Sprinter vans and chassis-cabs.

Van and truck rental company Northgate Motor Holdings has ordered the 3.5m and 4.0m-wheelbase 308Ds to be delivered at a rate of 125 a month over three years.

Northgate chairman Alan Noble says: "Previously our fleet has been exclusively Ford but we needed a second supplier. We have spoken to other companies and our research shows the Sprinter has improved greatly over the previous 308D and the whole-life costs are very attlactive.

"We are also interested in the Sprinter's strong residual values as we keep our vehicles for between 24 and 36 months before selling them at a rate of 400 a month through our secondhand dealers."

Operations director Charles Hart says: "These days vehicles have to be more and more carlike as drivers live in them for eight to 10 hours a day. Mercedes' three-pointed star represents that sort of comfort to a lot of users. It will enable us to hire them at a premium compared with the Transits."

Northgate has 23 depots around the country. They operate as autonomous businesses, mainly renting to logistics Director of Mercedes commercial vehicles David Thomas (right) hands over the first of 3,750 Sprinters to Northgate chairman Alan Noble.

firms, utilities and local authorities. Their combined fleet currently stands at 15,000 Ford and Iveco Ford vans and trucks. Northgate's Transit fleet accounted for 7% of all Transits registered in the UK last year.


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