A BURY-BASED car dealership has gone techno by investing in the new millennium to the tune of £100,000.

The cash has been used to fund state-of-the-art technology at the Rochdale Road headquarters of Bury Motors, a Renault dealership.

More than £75,000 has been spent on computer equipment and software, introducing a selection of unique services aimed at benefiting customers.

The most recent of these is the Renault Intranet, a scheme being piloted by Bury Motors for Renault UK.

This system provides a permanent on-line link between the dealer, customer and manufacturer.

This enables customers to get immediate information on items such as finance, new and used vehicle availability, ordering parts and helping them to make on-the-spot decisions.

Bury Motors has also launched its own world wide web Internet site, already attracting interest from across the globe.

The company's website features detailed information on the dealership as a whole, individual department profiles, current offers and sales, plus services available to special needs customers such as disabled motorists and local businesses.

Managing director and founder of Bury Motors is Mr Nigel Badley, whose wife Sandra is company secretary.

He commented: "These investments have been made over recent months to make sure the dealership remains at the forefront of the industry as we enter a new millennium.

"Technology is developing at a rapid rate, but with the Renault Intranet, our own website, and investments made in state-of-the-art technology for our workshop and parts department, we believe we are able to keep at the head of an increasingly volatile marketplace."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.