FLEET disposal specialist Cars Direct has settled its dispute with Barclays Bank and Dial Contracts over their use of the same name to brand its own used car retailing scheme. Barclays and Dial have agreed to stop using the name in an out-of-court settlement with the Northamptonshire firm.

Established in 1989, Cars Direct lists the Royal Mail, WH Smith and Abbey National among its clients in a £12 million operation. The action is the third time Cars Direct has had to protect its name. In April 1995, the company was successful in a similar action against Godfrey Davis and the threat of proceedings persuaded a company trading as UK Cars Direct to change its name.