LEASE Plan is planning major growth in 1999 after celebrating the end of a record year which has seen its global fleet grow to an all-time high of 500,000 vehicles. Two major acquisitions - Dutch-based KPN Autolease, which adds 15,000 vehicles to its 56,162 fleet in the country, and Australian-based Dasfleet, building up the fleet by 16,500 vehicles to 42,500 - have been behind much of the increase.

Contract wins have also helped, with two consumer goods companies awarding contracts for 17,350 vehicles to Lease Plan and an engineering company awarding a 3,000-vehicle deal, although the companies have asked not to be named. In the UK it now has a fleet of 72,000 vehicles, an increase of 24% compared to 1997.

Howard Thomas, Lease Plan's managing director, said: '1999 will be an exciting as well as a challenging period in Lease Plan's history and we have some aggressive and innovative plans both in terms of growth and new products for next year.'