TOYOTA has scooped its biggest-ever solus fleet contract with catering giant Gardner Merchant in an 1,100-vehicle deal at the expense of Vauxhall. The manufacturer will supply 900 job-need cars and 200 executive cars on a choice list which includes the Carina E, Picnic, Lexus and new Corolla - all of which will be managed by PHH.

Simon Elliot, Toyota's corporate business general manager, said: 'We set ourselves a goal for 1997 to raise our presence and profile with solus and limited badge fleets by becoming known as people to build partnerships with. With Gardner Merchant this meant looking at ways to go beyond their initial requests to offer their drivers better cars and develop interesting initiatives.'

The contract has what Toyota terms a relationship development fund built into it, whereby the manufacturer makes a contribution for every car the client buys, which can then be used for sponsorship, staff benefits or internal promotions.