Press Release to Consumer Press
The following information was released to the consumer press on 5 November 2003.
Classic Cars can now be Hired with Confidence
Milestone association guarantees new standards of quality and service and the perfect Christmas present
Hiring classic cars is an increasingly popular pastime in the UK, be it for weddings, a weekend break with a difference or just a dose of nostalgia - a reminder of a car (and lifestyle!) from days gone by. Many such bookings are in the form of a present from friends or loved ones (e.g. a gift voucher for Xmas). So, to ensure this rapidly growing band of customers is guaranteed the quality of vehicle and service it deserves nationwide, four of the country's leading classic car rental companies have combined forces to form the Historic & Classic-car Hirers Guild (HCHG).
Before admission to the HCHG, hire companies have to pass a rigorous inspection by the committee. Once appointed, they are bound by a stringent quality charter: part of a code of business practice that covers everything from marketing to vehicle maintenance. The message is simple, hiring from an HCHG outlet spells peace of mind and a rewarding, hassle-free experience.
Whether it's, say, a loving female searching for an E-Type for her husband's birthday or a male locating an Aston Martin to give himself a buzz, the task of finding the right classic car in the right location has been revolutionised by the HCHG's website, www.hchg.co.uk. It features a member location map, a page for each company with links to their own websites and a database of available vehicles that allows them to be sorted by year, make, model, body type, colour, number of seats, transmission or rental company. Nothing could be simpler.
HCHG's four founding members are The Grand Touring Club (Bury St. Edmunds), Cornwall Classic Car Hire (Bodmin), Rambling Roadsters (Colchester - offering escorted tours across the UK) and The Open Road (Warwick). Approval of a further two members - Caledonian Classic Car Hire (Central Scotland) and Classic Touring (Tunbridge Wells) - has just been granted. Affiliate membership has been awarded to the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warks, home of the largest collection of classic, vintage and veteran British cars in the world. Other full and affiliate members will be appointed in the coming months. All full HCHG members offer gift vouchers - an ideal present for Christmas or any other time of the year.
Between them, HCHG members already offer a unrivalled line-up of popular classics, including: an Alfa Romeo Spider; various Aston Martin DBs; a Bentley Continental Coupe; a Ferrari Dino 246GT; several E-Types and Mark II Jaguars; a host of MGs (TC to RV8 inclusive); a Morgan Plus 4; Porsche 911T; Triumph Stags, TRs and Spitfires.
Said Nick Brimblecombe, Chairman of the HCHG, "Such is now the scale of the UK classic car hire industry, with companies springing up all over the UK to service the demand, we decided it was time to form a regulatory body that would ensure consistently high standards across the country. Renting will no longer be a lottery - HCHG membership is a guarantee of quality, choice, reliability and value for money."
For more information about the HCHG and its members, visit www.hchg.co.uk, e-mail enquiries@hchg.co.uk, or call 01989 769200.
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