The life of a professional sportsperson brings many luxuries, including the opportunity to drive some of the world’s most prestigious car brands. The AMT group of companies, founded by Neil McGawley in 1995, is a business that’s also driven by a passion for cars. 

 

There are many milestones in AMTs history which underpin this passion. AMT Contract Hire and Leasing was the founding business in the group’s portfolio in 1995 and with the first car ever leased by the business, in fact Neil himself, being a Mitsubishi 3000 GT. He also quotes the rarest car ever leased to still be the iconic Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a 3.4 second, 208mph grand touring supercar.  

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AMT’s rental business which was set up in 1999 was the next to be established. It now has sites covering the whole of the UK and a 2,000 strong fleet which is the envy of many a car enthusiast, boasting brands such as Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche as well as Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover. AMT is also Tesla’s largest commercial customer in the UK with a growing fleet of the Model S and Model X, soon to be joined by the Model 3.

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Late 2017 saw the launch of what could be described as the jewel in their crown, a state-of-the-art specialist cars showroom in the centre of Leeds housing more than 50 cars from the aforementioned brands, all hand-picked by the expert buying team for their history and desirability. They also work with a number of customers whose exacting requirements require help in sourcing and supply which AMT are able to do through their stock or extensive manufacturer and dealer group network.

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Neil McGawley, Managing Director of AMT comments: “When I first started AMT, my vision had always been to provide individuals and businesses the opportunity to access any vehicle for any length of time whatever their individual circumstances, a service you don’t often find with a traditional dealership or leasing company.

 

“By bringing together a rental, leasing and sales business under one group over the last 24 years and by partnering with reputable funders as well as developing our own unique financing solutions, we can do this with the specific needs of our customers determining the service we provide.” 

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And it’s AMT’s understanding of the sports professional that really sets them apart from traditional dealerships and leasing companies. They understand the many reasons why traditional methods of acquiring vehicles don’t support this lifestyle. 

 

Footballers are known for their love of prestige and luxury vehicles but lifestyles can be transient, moving from one club to another every few years with many players coming from Europe or further afield. This means that the outright purchase of a vehicle can be financially inefficient, particularly if the period of ownership is going to be limited to a few years so selling on that vehicle is most likely going to be at a loss.

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Leasing is a more feasible option but a lack of credit history or time in the UK may close many traditional routes to funding the vehicle they want, particularly prestige and luxury vehicles. And with many players holding self-employed status, the barriers can mount.

 

Neil McGawley continues: “We recognise this at AMT which is why we have developed one of the most comprehensive ranges of acquisition and funding methods against what we believe is the widest range of vehicles available in the UK.

 

“We are able to take a much fairer and more objective view of someone’s status, whilst ensuring we treat customers fairly. We focus on someone’s ability to afford any vehicle commitment over traditional credit scoring methods and in addition to offering short and long term rental solutions, we lease for as little as 12 or 18 months right up to five years.

 

It doesn’t matter whether it is a Mercedes A Class, Range Rover, Ferrari or even a modified or converted vehicle, we work hard to ensure any professional footballer or their family get into the vehicle of their choice, for however long they need it.”

 

As well as individuals, AMT work with businesses across the UK consulting on various company vehicle and fleet issues including financing, company car scheme design and supply and cars to support employee probation and short-term contractual work. 

 

One of the very unique things about AMT is that it isn’t biased towards a particular acquisition method or held to targets against any particular manufacturer brand. It can work with a business to understand its organisational and financial objectives and provide a blended solution from one day to 5 years. 

 

That said, the nature of the AMT fleet and long-standing relationships with premium and prestige manufacturer brands make it a perfect fit for the likes of the professional services and wealth management sector.

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Premium, prestige and luxury vehicle specialists 

 

Flexible vehicle and fleet funding from 12 months to five years

 

Daily and Long-term rental

 

Specialist car sales

 

New and used vehicle sourcing – any manufacturer, any model

 

Vehicle and fleet purchasing