A grand total of 50 years in the motor industry will be celebrated today (January 6) by Tony Worthy.  

Worthy, who works as a consultant for HPI, where he was previously managing director, has spent the half-century in the finance, information and fleet sectors.

He is a fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry, secretary of the motor trades benevolent fund BEN and last year received the Freedom of the City of London for his contribution to the industry.

His distinguished career began in 1960 when he began a 27-year stint at Mercantile Credit Company where responsibilities ranged from collection and recovery, sales, branch and area management and secondment to a vehicle manufacturer.

Subsequently to this Worthy worked for British Credit Trust, Forthright Finance, First Mutual Contracts, HPI and consultancy for Equifax and CAP.

Most recently he was founding director of Incident Director, a company established to provide business support to SMEs.