LINGsCARS
TypePrivate
FounderLing Valentine
Headquarters
Newcastle upon Tyne
,
United Kingdom
Websitelingscars.com

Ling's Cars (stylized as LINGsCARS) is a car dealership located in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The dealership is most notable for its peculiar website.[1]

History

Ling's Cars was founded by Ling Valentine, a Chinese businesswoman. Ling was born in Chengdu, China, and moved to the United Kingdom during the 1990s.[2] Ling best describes herself as a "scruffy Chinese girl".[3] The company was founded in 2000 by Ling and her husband Jon out of their living room.[4][5] By 2006, it was reported that they were doing more than £1 million a month in sales, with a profit of £100,000 for 2005.[4] In 2007, Ling Valentine appeared on the BBC reality show Dragons' Den.[6] In 2013, Ling Valentine moved to Grange Villa from her previous home in Low Fell.[7] On October 21, 2020, Ling announced that she would be retiring from her car dealership as she plans to bike around the world.[8]

Website

The website of Ling's Cars has been dubbed "the weirdest website on the internet".[9] The website features karaoke and online games, as well as a shop and an FAQ.[10] During a 2014 interview, Ling claimed that she wanted to "stand out in a sea of 'same again' car leasing websites".[11]

Controversies

Ling's Cars has had a number of feuds with the Advertising Standards Authority. In 2013, the ASA contacted Ling's Cars over an advertisement in which the dealership claimed to sell a DMC DeLorean model from 1982.[12] In 2018, the ASA banned another advert from the dealership over usage of the phrase "bum boys",[13] and in June 2020, the dealership posted an advertisement on Facebook that carried the phrases "Black Cars Matter" and "Once you go black, you never go back.", amid the height of the George Floyd protests.[14][15] The ad received complaints and was soon banned by the ASA.

References

  1. ↑ Veix, Joe. "Ling's Cars Has one of the Best Websites on the Internet". newsweek.com. Newsweek. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Oberhaus, Daniel. "Lingscars.com Is the Future of Web Design". vice.com. Vice. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Charman, Andrew. "The best websites for leasing a new car". thecarexpert.co.uk. The Car Expert. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  4. 1 2 Moules, Jonathan (2006-02-04). "'All you need is a good website and suppliers who will deliver the goods' The Valentines skip the middle man and attract attention in odd ways, but it pays, says Jonathan Moules". Financial Times. London (UK), United Kingdom. p. 20. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  5. ↑ "CAR LEASING SCOTLAND CHEAP CAR LEASE DEALS GLASGOW EDINBURGH FALKIRK HIGHLANDS PERSONAL CONTRACT PURCHASE". Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  6. ↑ "Rocket woman enters Dragons' Den". thenorthernecho.co.uk. The Northern Echo. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Luke, Adam. "Making a difference: How a Dragon's Den contestant has improved her village". chroniclelive.co.uk. Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. ↑ Batchelor, James. "Lingscars.com owner announces her retirement from business to travel the world – by bike". cardealermagazine.com. Car Dealer Magazine. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  9. ↑ Wheaton, Oliver. "Welcome to Lingscars, quite possibly the worst and weirdest website on the internet". metro.co.uk. Metro. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Rouke, Paul. "Are these the best FAQs in the world by LINGsCARS?". econsultancy.com. Econsultancy. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Jefferson, Sonja. "Valuable Content Award for the crazy LINGsCARS.com website". valuablecontent.co.uk. Valuable Content. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  12. ↑ Burn-Callander, Rebecca. "DeLorean seller gets slapped by ASA". managementtoday.co.uk. Management Today. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Dickinson, Katie. "Car leasing firm which claims to be the UK's hardest working rapped over 'BMW bum boys' jibe". chroniclelive.co.uk. Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Dickinson, Katie. "Gateshead car leasing company rapped by watchdog again over 'Black Cars Matter' advert". chroniclelive.co.uk. Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Hinde, Natasha. "This Car Ad Has Been Banned For Trivialising Black Lives Matter". huffingtonpost.co.uk. HuffPost. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
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