Added: 01/28/2006 |
Hertz Car - Eighty Years of SuccessThe Hertz Corporation, known also as Hertz Rent A Car, is the largest car rental company worldwide, operating in more than 150 countries of the world. Its history can be traced back to 1918, when Walter L. Jacobs started car rental operations in Chicago. Since then, the company has grown significantly to include a number of wholly owned subsidiaries, all of whom providing quality rental service in 7,000 locations throughout the world.
In 1926, this rental business was acquired by General Motors Corporation when it purchased Yellow Truck from John Hertz. The first rent-a-car facility was opened in 1932 at Midway Airport of Chicago.
In the 1960s, Hertz Car Rental became a subsidiary of RCA Corporation, exercising its rights as a separate entity with its own management. In 1987 the company joined Park Ridge Corporation, which was formed by Ford Motor Company.
In 1992 Park Ridge Corporation was transformed into the Hertz Corporation. Due to the Hertz Prestige Collection, introduced in 2000, Hertz launched the new level of superb car rental service. Available are luxurious vehicles from Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, and Lincoln.
Numerous awards granted to the company are evidence of its success. For five subsequent years, Hertz has been recognized as the Best Business Car Rental Company by Independent Travel Agents, Travel Bulletin, Travel Weekly, and Business Travel World. In 2001 and 2002, the company was ranked by World Travel Awards as Europe's Leading Car Hire Company and World's Leading Car Rental Company.
According to Business Traveler, Hertz is the Most Innovative Car Rental Company, due to its numerous "firsts" in the car hire industry. The company's most notable innovations include coast-to-coast network, car rental charge card, centralized billing system, booking system for travel agents, computerized driving directions, in-car cellular phones, on-boarding navigation system, and much more.
In 1950 Hertz car rents became available in Europe. Hertz was the first car rental company to launch on the World Wide Web site in 1996, and a Multilingual Web Site in 1999.
The establishment of the first Club for Frequent Travelers in 1972 has made Hertz rents faster and more convenient. Currently, Hertz Car Rental Club is available around the world, providing its members with the opportunity to save time while making reservations. In addition, Club members can take advantage of the Club Express service, offering a rental counter at more than 50 airports of the United States, and expedited service worldwide. Once you become a member of the Club, your personal data, as well as rental preferences, are on the file, which simplifies the reservation process.
In 1989 the company launched Hertz Club Gold, designed for frequent renters. Its members don't have to wait at any counters. Nearly 40 major airports, and 1,000 other locations worldwide, have the Gold counter, designated for the members of Hertz Club Gold. All you have to do is to make the reservation two hours in advance, and your car will be waiting when you arrive. The most frequent Gold members are offered additional benefits, like free rental days.
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