BRITISH Car Contracts has won its first supply deal via the internet to supply Transamerica Leasing with 80 new vehicles for its British sales force. The company is one of the world's major lessors of transportation equipment. A large part of the deal was negotiated with the company's US director via the internet.

Essex-based Transamerica Leasing's entire car fleet will be supplied through BCC, with 70% provided via sale and leaseback and the rest through traditional contract hire. The company operates a user-chooser system and will be supplied with vehicles ranging from Ford to Lexus.

Larry Kalis, director of facility management at Transamerica Leasing, said: 'We had to choose our contract hire agency under extremely difficult conditions. Although the supplier would be providing vehicles to our UK operation, the decision was made by the US and the UK management teams, so a large portion of the negotiations had to take place electronically.'