A case study of a locksmith and his vans.
Jason Gould, whose firm Dr Locks is based in Halesowen, West Midlands, had owned a string of Vito and Vito Sport models – but then bought another make of van. He says: “I fancied a change, and it was a nice vehicle. But it very soon dawned on me that it just wasn’t a Mercedes-Benz. It lacked the quality and comfort of the Vito, and it didn’t have the ‘feel good’ factor I’d been used to.”
Jason returned to his local Mercedes-Benz Dealer Midlands Truck & Van, where he was invited to take a spin in Managing Director Jon Divers’ ‘company car’, a Vito Sport-X.
Jason says: “I’d scarcely left the forecourt before I realised that this was the van for me. It really looks the part and the fact that it’s so quick makes it a real joy to drive. I dropped Jon’s van back at the dealership and ordered my own there and then.”
Mercedes-Benz say that their Vito Sport-X is powered by a V6 engine that transmits its 167 kW (224 hp) output to the road via a five-speed automatic transmission.
Its appearance owes much to tuning and body styling specialist Brabus, which designed its 18-inch alloy wheels, customised front spoiler and chrome sidebars. Sport-X models also feature bi-xenon headlamps with LED daytime driving lights.
A former Birmingham City Council carpenter, Jason started his own business in 2005 after buying specialist tools and teaching himself to pick locks. The company now provide an emergency 24-hour call out service, as well as offering security and alarms.
Jason uses his silver Vito Sport-X to visit commercial and domestic customers in the West Midlands and beyond.
He adds: “As well as having great performance, my Sport-X came with a huge array of active and passive safety systems, all fitted as standard. This, coupled with the manufacturer’s three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, is very reassuring. I’ve always received a great service from Midlands Truck & Van and have had the opportunity recently to do a bit of reciprocal work for the dealer, which was nice.”
Visit www.doctor-locks.co.uk
