Motor racing ace's firm warned over car ads

A MOTOR dealership part-owned by Martin Brundle, the Formula 1 racing driver, has been ordered by Norfolk County Council's trading standards department to stop running adverts promoting 'minus 1 per cent finance' deals to potential car buyers, writes Russell Hotten.

Officials believe the ads in local papers in the King's Lynn area are misleading and may contravene credit legislation.

Stephen Holland, deputy county trading standards officer, said: 'We have visited the advertiser and advised him that it is unlawful. There is no doubt whatsoever that it would offend the Consumer Credit Act. It is unlawful and a contradiction in terms, in that you cannot have a minus 1 per cent rate.'

The adverts are placed by the King's Lynn-based Brundle Group, a company that holds the local franchise for Toyota and Peugeot cars.

Martin Brundle is a director and his brother Robin is managing director of the firm.

Would-be buyers are told that if they borrow pounds 4,000 over 36 months to buy a new Peugeot, Toyota Corolla or Carina, they will only have to pay back pounds 3,880 over that period. This is pounds 40 off the payment price for each of the three years of the loan. 'Another great idea from the Brundle family,' the adverts read. 'Yes, minus 1 per cent. We pay you.'

Robin Brundle rejected suggestions that buyers would simply pay a higher price for a car in return for getting pounds 120 back when they bought it.

Anyone could come into a showroom, negotiate the biggest possible price reduction on a new car and only then apply for the finance deal. If so, the offer meant a genuine cut in repayments over the 36 months.

He said: 'We are holding discussions with trading standards, and we have put our position to them. The matter will be discussed further next week and we are willing to make some amendments to our adverts. There has been considerable interest in our adverts and we are meeting sales targets.

'Even so, we have been in business in this area for a long time and we would not want to jeopardise our good name in this community just for the sake of one sales promotion.'

(Photograph omitted)