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10/04/2008 Peter Jones appointed within Lookers
Charles Hurst, -part of Lookers plc are pleased to announce that Peter Jones joins us today as an Operations Director in the Motor Division.
Peter will report directly to Chief Executive, Ken Surgenor and will work alongside Andy Bruce and Brian Schumacker, strengthening our franchise focus, and optimising our business performance.
Peter will be responsible for a number of our franchises in England including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, PSA and Chrysler Jeep Dodge and also have accountability for the Used Car Supermarkets.
Peter has a number of years of experience in the motor industry, was Commercial Director at Rover prior to spending the last ten years in motor retail. He joins Lookers from Bramall and Jones, prior to which he had a short time at Inchcape, and six years at CD Bramall, where he was Chief Executive.
Everyone at Charles Hurst welcomes Peter to the Company and wishes him every success.
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12/02/2008 NEW LOOK WEBSITE LAUNCHED
The brand new websites for Lookers and Charles Hurst are up and running, bringing an exciting new online resource to the group’s customers. The sites offer up-to-the-minute information on all of the group’s dealerships, franchises and products in an attractive and easily navigable format.
Each brand represented by Lookers and Charles Hurst has its own colour-coded home page on the site that’s packed with the latest news, model launches and promotions. Visitors can search the entire group network for new or used cars, read independent reviews on every model and check out testimonials from Lookers’ and Charles Hurst’s many satisfied customers. There’s also the option of signing up for mobile phone or e-mail alerts on the latest special offers as they happen.
Visitors to the site can head straight for the profile page of their local dealership. Every site in the Lookers and Charles Hurst group has its own personalised page featuring contact details, opening hours and directions to the showroom.
Interactivity is central to the design of the new site so as well as gaining information, visitors can request various services. There’s the opportunity to apply for a test drive on your chosen car, request a finance quote or enquire about the availability of a particular model. In every instance, the information is fed automatically back to the Lookers and Charles Hurst team who can respond accordingly.
A strong web presence is becoming an increasingly vital component of every dealer group’s operations and with its new websites, the Lookers and Charles Hurst Group is firmly ahead of the game in this area. Highly accessible and brimming with useful information, the sites set the standard for vehicle retailers on the web and can only be of benefit to the company and its customers.
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08/02/2008 CHARLES HURST CONTINUES TO MAKE ITS NAME IN LONDON
The name Charles Hurst is quickly becoming synonymous with Land Rover in
London thanks to its excellence in customer care.
Never a company to miss an opportunity, Lookers swiftly sought approval for
Jaguar servicing in London when rumours started circulating about Stratstone
Jaguar’s closure in west London.
Approval was duly granted and Jaguar was quick to inform that Charles Hurst
Park Royal now features a Jaguar Approved Service Centre. An effective press
and online campaign resulted in service bookings from the moment the Centre
opened.
Charles Hurst Jaguar operates alongside the impressive Land Rover dealership
in Park Royal, which is situated on one of the busiest roads into central London.
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08/02/2008 TOYOTA EUROPEAN SKILLS GRAND PRIX
Charles Hurst Sales Executive Drives off with
TOYOTA EUROPEAN SKILLS GRAND PRIX
Stephen Smyth, Sales Executive in Toyota Newtownabbey flew to Japan this
summer to visit the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Headquarters as part of a
once in a lifetime reward following his recent success in the Toyota European
Sales Skills Grand Prix.
Representing Great Britain, Stephen finished a very credible fourth place in the
competition against the top 16 Sales Consultants from the 16 European Toyota
markets at the Toyota Europe HQ in Brussels.
He and his fellow competitors had to complete a series of role plays and
demonstrations that focused on all aspects of customer interaction and service,
such as competence in presenting products, handling enquiries and vehicle
handover.
As a reward for his success, Stephen flew to Japan for 5 days
to visit and meet senior board members from TMC (Toyota
Motor Corporation). He also got the opportunity to take part
in a number of exclusive excursions such as travelling on
Japan’s famous high speed Shinkansen (Bullet Train), visit
the Toyota Production facilities, Toyota Formula One
Headquarters and Toyota Museum.
Speaking about competing at the Toyota European Sales
Skills Grand Prix and his trip to Japan, Stephen said:
“Getting the opportunity to represent Toyota (GB) in the
European Sales Skills Grand Prix, against the top Toyota
Sales Consultants from across European, was a daunting,
yet exciting challenge”.
“The competition had a ‘Group’ format with the 16 Sales
Consultants divided into 4 groups of 4. Each competitor
had to complete a series of exercises such as dealing
with a new customer, make a follow-up phone call to a
prospective customer, present a range of products
that suited a specific customer outlining the
features, functions and benefits of the
products to that customer and make asuccessful hand-over of a new Toyota Prius to a customer. The final exercise was the
Toyota challenge quiz, where each contestant had to answer a series of questions on
their product knowledge, technical knowledge and Toyota’s history, values and core
promises.
“The whole event proved to be a tiring, yet exhilarating experience with everything coordinated
to the highest possible standard from the full-scale showrooms that were
built in the Toyota Europe HQ to the spectacular awards ceremony at the end of the
event.
“The reward for my success in the competition was a real dream come true. The whole
trip to Japan was organised with no expense spared.We flew first class to Japan and
then got the opportunity to visit Toyota’s production facility and see how the various
Toyota models are assembled.We also got the opportunity to visit the Toyota Museum,
go off-roading, and travel on Japan’s high speed Bullet Train. However, for a huge
Formula One fan, the highlight of the trip was our visit to the Toyota Formula One
Headquarters, were I even got the chance to sit in one of the racing cars.”
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08/02/2008 Giants Get Into Top Gear
Giants Get Into Top Gear with
Charles Hurst Usedirect
Charles Hurst Usedirect are back for the third year as the official vehicle sponsor
to the Coors Belfast Giants ice hockey team. The Giants will be arriving at every
match in comfort and style in their new fleet of cars supplied by Charles Hurst
Usedirect.
This sponsorship deal is integral to building the Charles Hurst Usedirect brand and
placing the company in the mindset of not only the 4,500 Giant’s fans, but also the
many more tens of thousands who attend shows and exhibitions at the Odyssey
Arena.
Todd Kelman, General Manager of the Coors Belfast Giants is delighted that
Usedirect continue to support the Giants. “We are extremely proud that Charles
Hurst Direct are back supporting us for another season. This major sponsorship deal
is vital to the team, and I totally love the 4x4 that I am now driving thanks to
Usedirect.”
As official vehicle supplier the sponsorship deal includes key branding and advertising
boards around Odyssey arena and branding of 12 team cars, logo on team kit, mascot
sponsorship, programme adverts, product placement, and website affiliation.
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08/02/2008 TOP MOTORSPORTS TV SHOW LINKS WITH TOP SELLER
Vauxhall, the number one selling motor manufacturer
in Northern Ireland, has linked with RPM, Ireland’s
popular motorsports TVshow,to provide them with a
new high spec. 1.9CDTi Vauxhall Zafira. The new crew
car, resplendent in its RPM and Charles Hurst livery,
will whisk the camera crews between locations
during their frantic late summer and autumn
schedule of events.
August will see the RPM crews at the Lurgan Park and
Ulster International rallies and the Phoenix Park Motor Races. In September the RPM Zafira will cross to England for Tour Britannia, a Classic
Saloon and Grand Touring event, and finish the month in Cork for the final round of the
Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Then RPM will be making two documentaries on Rally
Ireland in November, the country`s first World Rally Championship qualifying event.
“I am delighted to renew my links with Vauxhall. I raced a Vauxhall Magnum Production
Saloon Car with backing from DTV, (Vauxhall’s competition arm), and won the Irish
Production Saloon Car Championship in 1976, so it is good to see the Vauxhall Griffin
emblem back on the central vehicle in our fleet again.” said Alan (Plum) Tyndall, Tyndall
Productions Ltd. The actual `Droop Snoot` Vauxhall Magnum (BIL 1850), now owned by
Drew Hull, which was driven by Alan Tyndall in the late 70`s, was present at the hand-over
of the new RPM Zafira, to mark the long term link between the former Irish Saloon Car
Champion and Vauxhall Motors.
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08/02/2008 Aston Martin is UK’s coolest brand
Aston Martin is UK’s coolest brand
FOR SECOND YEAR RUNNING
In an unprecedented move by the CoolBrands Council, Aston Martin has been
awarded the UK’s coolest brand for the second year running.
CoolBrands is an initiative operated by the Superbrands organisation and
presents expert and consumer opinion on the UK’s strongest brands. It is
considered to be a key barometer of the nation’s coolest brands, people and
places and a benchmark for brand success.
Under the leadership of Dr Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive Officer since July 2000,
the Aston Martin brand has strengthened significantly, with new headquarters,
new models and an enhanced dealer experience.
At the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California in August, Aston Martin
unveiled the production version of the eagerly-awaited DBS. The DBS is the
ultimate expression of Aston Martin’s engineering and technical ability. It
offers pure performance without compromise. It delivers the complete driving
experience and bridges the gap between our road and track cars – the DB9 and
DBR9.
At this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Aston Martin also unveiled two new
special edition models to celebrate their motorsport success. Alongside theDBS were the V8 Vantage N400 and the DB9 LM Coupe. Aston Martin Chief
Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The DBS is the ultimate expression of
Aston Martin’s engineering and technical ability. It offers pure performance
without compromise.
A combination of elegant design, innovative manufacturing processes, racederived
materials and components and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-build
expertise makes the DBS a luxury sports car without equal. Every line, crease
and curve conveys the enormous potential of the DBS, a seductive blend of
refinement and raw power, provided by the hand-built V12 producing 380 kW
(510 bhp/517 PS), a top speed of 191mph (302km/h) and a 0-62mph (0-
100km/h) time of 4.3 seconds.
The DBS will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, near
Warwickshire in the UK, joining the current Aston Martin line-up. This now
comprises the elegant DB9, the agile V8 Vantage Coupe and the critically
acclaimed Vantage Roadster – launched earlier this year.
Deliveries of the DBS are expected to commence during quarter one 2008,
with prices starting at £160,000.
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08/02/2008 Charles Hurst Group Support Local Football Team
Portadown Football Club is delighted to announce a new and lucrative sponsorship
deal with the Charles Hurst Group’s Vauxhall and Jaguar franchises, based at Carn
Court Road, Portadown.
This agreement sees the launch of an imposing 50 metre advertising sign above
the new grandstand at Shamrock Park, along with a prominent site at the front
entrance, programme advertising and website link on www.portadownfc.co.uk.
This is an exciting time to be involved with the Club, as it has just been announced
that there is to be a new, invitational premier league for the 08/09 season, which will
feature 12 teams. Also, the Club is at an advanced stage with
the Sports Council to build a new 1,800 seater grandstand,
with the additional prospect of new changing rooms to
be included. This shows a natural progression and
development for the Club, as it looks to the future
and expands on past successes. The Club also works
hard at building close ties for itself within
the local Portadown area and has
now become a key part of the
community.
The Chairman and Directors of
the Club have spoken highly of
the level of support offered by
the Charles Hurst Group, and
thank them sincerely for
their much needed
sponsorship.
Portadown Football
Club Secretary, Bill
Emerson, said that this
arrangement furthercements the excellent relationship that exists between Portadown supporters and
Charles Hurst, and again thanked the Company for their support and
professionalism in carrying out the negotiations.
Charles Hurst Vauxhall and Jaguar currently have some excellent offers available
to all their customers but would particularly welcome Club supporters to their
sites. Contact Vauxhall on 028 3836 1111, Jaguar on 028 3833 8000, or call in today
for more information.
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08/02/2008 ANOTHER EXCITING YEAR AHEAD FOR SPECIALIST CARS
2008 looks like being another exciting year for Charles Hurst Specialist Cars with all
three manufactures launching new cars.
Bentley’s introduction of a High Performance version ofthe highly successful Continental
GT has seen the horsepower increased from 550 to 610 bhp with increased agility and
control through lowering and spring/damper settings. All this in addition to the aesthetic
facelift have given the Continental GT a more aggressive look and feel for 2008.
The coming year also sees Ferrari introduce the highly anticipated 430 Scuderia, with 200kg less weight than the standard 430 and 20bhp it’s no wonder that the Scuderia is
faster round Ferrari’s Fiorano race circuit than the Enzo! With these credential the 430
Scuderia is sure to be a must have with Ferrari purists.
The star of 2008 is to be the new Maserati GranTurismo. With 405 horsepower from its
4.2 litre V8 engine as well as 4 seats, a good boot, full automatic and F1 paddle shift gear
change the GranTurismo ticks every box on customers demands. All in all the signs are
good for another very successful year for Richard Stinson and his team in Specialist Cars.
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08/02/2008 Ballymena Drive wins 12 month test drive
Glenarm, Ballymena, is the proud owner of
a brand new Kia ceed, after winning a 12 month test drive. She collected her keys
from Charles Hurst Kia today.
After the success of the three-day test drive, which ran until the end of August,
Kia Motors UK has given 100 of the testers the opportunity to continue their test
drives for a year.
Gavin Martin, dealer principal at Charles Hurst Kia said: “We are delighted that a
Ballymena driver has won the year-long test drive from Charles Hurst Kia. With
the success of the test drives and the recent launch of the ceed SW, there has
not been a better time to check out Kia”.
All winners will receive a 1.6 LS petrol ceed with a retail value of £14,005. This top
of the range car comes with 16” alloy wheels, climate control and MP3
compatibility; along with a whole host of safety features including twin front, side
and rear curtain airbags and speed sensing auto door locking.
Kia is very proud of the ceed and is continuing to show this by adding to the
family with two new members; the ceed SW was launched in September, and the three door sporty pro_ceed is set to launch early next year. Being the first Kia
ever to be built in Europe, for the European market, the ceed marks an
extraordinary turning point for Kia.
To find out more about test driving one of the new Ceeds, contact Charles Hurst
Kia on 02890 381721.
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01/11/2007 Charles Hurst go GREEN
We would like to confirm that following your hosting contract with Rackspace, Trees have been planted in Holyland Wood, Pembroke. This will help towards neutralising the carbon emissions created by the server/s.
Rackspace is pleased to be working with International Tree Foundation who are committed to protecting, promoting and planting trees globally.
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29/10/2007 Lookers Acquisition of Dutton Forshaw Group
Lookers announced on The London Stock Exchange the completion of the acquisition of Dutton Forshaw Group, the motor retail division of Lloyds TSB Asset Finance Division.
Dutton Forshaw has 31 outlets which operate under the Dutton Forshaw and Dovercourt brands. The acquisition will increase Lookers total number of Ford outlets from one to eight, Mercedes-Benz outlets from four to eight and vw outlets from five to nine. Other outlets Lookers have acquired include Chevrolet, Chrysler Jeep and Dodge, Citroen, Honda, Hyundai, Land Rover, Peugeot and Skoda.
This will increase the growth of the company and this acquisition will enable us to further expand our currant market areas and build on our strong relationshipd with our manufacturer partners.
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