News from Euro Commercials - Mercedes-Benz vans hit all the right notes for Mr Tuba

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Date: 17 May 2016

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Top brass: Mr Tuba proprietor Mark Carter with the three Mercedes-Benz vans he has purchased from Dealer Euro Commercials


Mercedes-Benz vans hit all the right notes for Mr Tuba

A stunning 73 mpg! That's what musical instrument specialist Mark Carter achieved on a run from his base in Cwmbran to London in his new Mercedes-Benz Citan van.

"It was one of the first trips I'd made in the vehicle," he recalled. "I was on the M4 and it was raining heavily, so I was travelling at a steady 65 mph. When I looked down at the dash readout I thought 'Wow! This van really is as economical as my Dealer promised, as well as being very comfortable and enjoyable to drive'."
Trading as Mr Tuba, Mr Carter is one of the world's leading experts on the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the brass family, the best examples of which can cost anything up to £20,000 apiece.

An accomplished player himself, he sells, repairs and rents tubas for customers throughout the UK and Europe, as well as others in the United States, and boasts a client list that includes members of the London Symphony, London Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestras.

Mr Carter owns three vans, one from each of the three model lines - Citan, Vito and Sprinter - that together comprise the Mercedes-Benz Vans range. All arrived via the Cardiff headquarters of Dealer Euro Commercials, and are maintained under Mercedes-Benz Service Care contracts at its Newport workshop.

The newest is a Long-bodied, high-roofed 3.5-tonne Sprinter 316 CDI, which Mr Carter also uses to support another of his business ventures, South Wales Piano Warehouse. "I bought my first Sprinter in 1995 and they've always been so reliable, practical and comfortable that I've never been without one since," he said.

"We promote our tuba business at numerous exhibitions and conferences on the Continent - the Sprinter is ideal for this role, as well as for making more local collections and deliveries of pianos, which can be very expensive and must be transported with great care. We tend to run each vehicle for four or five years, then trade it in for a new one."

The Citan, by contrast is the smallest van ever produced by Mercedes-Benz. Supplied last year, Mr Carter's 109 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY model is powered by an advanced 90 hp diesel engine and incorporates additional measures such as the ECO start/stop function, low rolling resistance tyres and optimised alternator and battery management systems, all designed to boost fuel economy. The manufacturer quotes a 65.7 mpg figure (combined cycle), with CO2 emissions as low as 112 g/km.

"I'd borrowed one of Euro Commercials' Citans for a weekend, when one of my own vans was in for a service, and found it really enjoyable to drive," explained Mr Carter. "So I told the Dealer's sales executive to let me know the next time they had any good offers; a week later he contacted me with a deal that was too good to refuse."

He continued: "Its size means the Citan is very easy to manoeuvre and park, especially in underground facilities, while it's also incredibly cheap to run - instead of using £70 worth of diesel on a trip to London, as I would with the Sprinter, I can get there and back for just £30.

"I recently drove with a colleague to Frankfurt and we took the Citan, because we didn't have too much in the way of instruments to carry. It was a journey of around 670 miles yet when we arrived I still had about a quarter of a tank of fuel left, which really impressed me."

Mr Carter's third van is a mid-sized Vito Sport 116 CDI, which came with alloy wheels and chrome trim, as well as optional leather upholstery. "I bought the Vito in 2012 and it's very stylish as well as functional," he said. "So while I do use it for work - we took it to a conference in Spain last year - the Vito's main role is as our 'family car'. My wife, daughter and I will once again travel in it to Italy, or some other European destination, for our summer holiday this year."

Euro Commercials certainly lives up to its 'Driven to be the best' commitment too. "The Dealer provides an excellent, 'one stop shop' service," adds Mr Carter. "The hire purchase rates from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services are always competitive and when one of my vehicles requires attention I will drop it off with them at the end of the day and they'll do whatever is necessary that night, so it's ready for collection first thing next morning. This means my vans are always available for work when I need them.

"Given the amount of time we spend in Europe the manufacturer's extensive service network and free MobiloVan roadside assistance package are also very reassuring."

www.mrtuba.com

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Family matters: Mr Tuba's Mark Carter with wife Anne, daughter Ellen, and the Mercedes-Benz Citan that has saved him so much 'brass' thanks to its fuel efficiency


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Three of a kind: From left, Mr Tuba's Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport, Citan and Sprinter


For more information, or to request bigger versions of image files, please contact:
Steve Warren or John Ripley
Impact Communications, 01926 842126
Steve: 07770 470251, steve@impactcom.co.uk
John: 07771 484595, john@impactcom.co.uk

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