50 YEARS OF FLEET MANAGEMENT
29 March 2008 - ALD Automotive

ALD shares its birthday with the UK motorway network.

ALD Automotive is taking staff and customers back in time to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year with a replica of the first car it delivered.

The 1958 Ford Prefect De Luxe is an exact match to the first vehicle the firm ever leased in the UK under the name of Bryan Brothers Contract Hire.

The firm’s first customer was Bristol GP Dr Mick Hickey, who took delivery of the £456.10 car on contract hire, complete with extras such as leather upholstery and a heater!

Sporting Durham beige paintwork, it took to the road when the petrol powering its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine cost the equivalent of 23p a gallon. The 36 bhp engine delivered a top speed of 64 mph and took 29 seconds to complete the 0-60 mph sprint.

ALD Automotive has been closely linked with serving Britain’s growing transport needs since its launch, and it shares its birthday with the UK motorway network. The first motorway built in the UK was an eight-mile stretch of bypass around Preston, which opened on December 5, 1958.

In what has become a transport tradition, the motorway was closed for roadworks almost immediately, so frost damage could be repaired.

There were also a number of other transport firsts in 1958 that are still around today. The first radar speed checks were carried out in January of that year; the first parking meters were installed in Mayfair, London, in March; and the first yellow ‘no waiting’ lines were introduced in July.
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It was also a time when Britain was enjoying a golden era of motorsport. Mike Hawthorn became the first British motor racing world champion, after a battle royal with Stirling Moss. The top five drivers that year were all from Great Britain. It was also the first year of the British Rally Championship.

The historic first car delivery for ALD Automotive in 1958 came at a time when the whole world was entering a new era.

The space race had just started as the United States of America launched Explorer 1, its first ever satellite, which orbited the earth from January to May. The microchip was also invented 50 years ago.

Closer to home, the Treaty of Rome founding the European Union was implemented and the first parking meters were installed in the UK.

Since that first car arrived on its books 50 years ago, ALD Automotive has grown to become one of the UK’s largest contract hire and leasing companies and now runs more than 47,000 vehicles on behalf of hundreds of customers, who also utilise the company’s range of vehicle financing and management solutions.

Now, owned by Société Générale, ALD is one of the largest car leasing companies in Europe, managing more than 685,000 vehicles across 39 countries.

Keith Allen, managing director of ALD Automotive, said: “A lot has changed in the past 50 years and the range of services and vehicles we provide has grown beyond recognition, but our absolute commitment to offering the best customer care and the highest standards of service in the industry remain the same.
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“We have half a century of experience when it comes to serving the needs of our customers and that enables us to provide every business we serve with the best range of services, the best products and the best support available.

“Our totally integrated approach to vehicle management enables ALD to justifiably call itself a ‘total solutions provider’ for all fleet vehicle funding and management requirements.

“And in the next 50 years, I can promise we will maintain that same commitment to innovation and customer service that has made us the first choice among fleets for the past five decades.”

Ford Prefect fact file

Production: 1953–1959, 100,554 produced
Body style(s): 4-door saloon, 2-door saloon, pick-up
Engine: 1172 cc Ford Straight-4 side valve
Wheelbase: 2,400 mm
Length: 3,900 mm
Width: 1,400 mm
Power (bhp): 36@4,500rpm
Torque (lb-ft): 53 lb-ft@2,500rpm
Top speed: 64 mph
Acceleration (0-60mph): 29 seconds

What was happening in 1958

1. Petrol was 56.33d a gallon (240d=£1).
2. Harold Macmillan was Prime Minister.
3. The microchip, computer modem and remote control were first developed.
4. The first parking meters were installed in Britain.
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5. The Treaty of Rome founding the European Union was implemented.
6. The Wham-O company introduced the Hula Hoop; over 100 million were sold.
7. The first successful American satellite, Explorer 1, was launched into orbit.
8. The Austin Healey Sprite and MG Midget sports cars were launched.
9. The British Rally Championship was launched.
10. The Munich air disaster claimed the lives of 23 people including eight Manchester United footballers.
11. Donald Campbell set a new world water speed record of 248.62mph.
12. Prince Charles was named Prince of Wales.
13. The Preston bypass, the UK’s first motorway, opened to traffic for the first time. This stretch is now part of the M6 and M55 motorways.
14. The nuclear powered submarine USS Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole under water.
15. Bertrand Russell launched the campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. It held its first protest march from Hyde Park, London to Aldermaston, Berkshire.
16. BOAC used new Comet jets to become the first airline to fly jet passenger services across the Atlantic.
17. The word Aerospace was first coined, taken from aircraft and spacecraft. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was formed.
18. Cuban rebels kidnapped five-time world driving champion Juan Manuel Fangio. They released him 28 hours later.
19. Popular films included The Bridge on the River Kwai, (which won three Oscars); South Pacific; Gigi; King Creole; and Vertigo.
20. Number Ones included Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire; Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock; Connie Francis - Stupid Cupid/Who’s Sorry Now; Conway Twitty - It’s Only Make Believe; The Everly Brothers - All I Have to Do Is Dream; Perry Como – Magic Moments.

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