AUTOMOTIVE logistics group AutoLogic has secured five new customers - Jaguar, Avis Rent-a-Car, Volkswagen's Dutch importer Pon, Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Smart, the Mercedes-Benz subsidiary producing a two-seat city car. The contracts will see AutoLogic distribute the new Jaguar S-type saloon with the company expecting to distribute more than 40,000 cars a year to franchised dealers and UK ports for exports.

The company will PDI cars before they join Avis's rental fleet and refurbish them prior to disposal. AutoLogic is a subsidiary of Walon and the latter's Benelux operation - Walon BNL - will distribute 20,000 vehicles a year from January 1 from Pon's import centre in Holland to Volkswagen dealers in the south of the country.

The contract with Smart covers the distribution of 11,500 cars a year from the Smart factory in France to dealers throughout Benelux and the contract with Mercedes-Benz covers the transport of 2,500 trucks a year from the factory in Worth, Germany to dealers across the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi has signed a new distribution agreement with Walon, extending Walon's responsibility for the movement of Mitsubishi vehicles up to 2001. The company has been responsible for the business since the early 1980s.