ROVER Group and Lease Plan International have won major contracts to supply and manage vehicles for British diplomatic posts around the world. Following an open tender, Rover Group has been chosen as the primary supplier of vehicles, through Lease Plan International.

The five-year agreement will see up to 222 British Diplomatic Missions in 120 countries provided with up to 750 Rovers and Land Rovers. Many of these will be Rover 800s and Land Rover Discoverys, some of which will be used as ambassador flag cars.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will, under the Private Finance Initiative, progressively hand over responsibility for fleet management to Lease Plan International in the 20 countries covered in which the company operates. ABN AMRO Bank will provide the necessary financial services in other countries. The first posts to take up the arrangement, which provides a package of supply, maintenance and on-going fleet replacement, are in Germany. In the past the FCO bought vehicles from various manufacturers on an ad hoc basis.