Was snooping around the Manheim car auctions today(Colchester) with lots of Mercedes C and S class cars,so much so that towards the end there were absolutely fantastic cars with only 3 or 4 people present as the audience + the auctioneers and staff .ie total less than 10 present.
Pity I didnt require a Mercedes!
Another absolute bargain but without a V5 was this Toyota Avensis 05 reg 2.0 D-4D T Spirit 4d for approx 9000.
If I had known , would probably have been tempted at that one,.since I discovered later that the list price is atleast 15000!
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Sounds like I was at the wrong branch of Manheim this week then! I've never been to a Manheim auction before but because I have been tired of getting constantly outbid at BCA Blackbushe I thought I'd give Manheim Bristol a go!
There were plenty of very presentable cars but everything I bid on ended up making mad money (in my opinion!!)
There were several 2002 BMW 320d SEs with around 80k miles and all made around the £9000 mark which I thought was pretty dear. There was an immaculate 2002 Volvo S80 2.4 D5 SE with 77k that I thought was worth £7200 but that one ended up making £7700. When I came home I saw that similar cars were available from garages for only £7995!
I was also interested in a 2002 V70 D5 SE Estate with 111k miles, it needed a service, tyres and looked as though the bonnet had been resprayed yet that made £8600 - again not far behind what you can buy one from a garage for!!
It's great to see that Honest John provides a report of BCA Blackbushe prices, I've always found car auction prices fascinating but I've never been able to find a source of UK auction prices on the internet - has anyone found any sites that provide auction reports?
I am hoping that prices will fall in the lead up to Christmas, I am hoping to find a diesel BMW or Volvo soon but I'm not sure where best to find a cheap one!! I know some people say cars are cheaper up north but I've always found cars make pretty much the same at all auctions - what does everyone else think?
Happy hunting
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DON'T FORGET...the price in the auction hall, may NOT be the actual finish price!!
Notice how many of HJ's detailed vehicles, have a p, next to the bid amount = provisional bid, so don't be surprised to see re runs, in the next sale.
As for the Mercs, guess this was one ot the Mercedes/DaimlerChrysler finance sections. Even I've been impressed with the seemingly 'bargain' bids, these cars fetch.
& I don't like Mercs!!
VB
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Thanks for that, sounds like I should check out the Merc/Daimler finance sections. I have heard of those auctions before but never attended one!
Trouble is, I dont like Mercs either!
I'm finding that any auction in a place beginning with 'B' seems too dear, ie Blackbushe, Bristol and Brigwater but I'm a bit reluctant to travel any further as I've always found in the past that cars seem to make the same money wherever you go in the UK!
I used to subscribe to a magazine called Car Auction (not sure if its still in circulation). That was an interesting reference guide but the trouble with comparing prices from auction reports is that it is highly likely that the so called bargains will have been in inferior condition!
I remember seeing a very cheap BMW 530d that sold at Blackbushe provisionally. I saw that it was back in another sale so I jumped on the train and when I saw the car literally every panel was dented!! So that explained why it made so little the first time around.
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Think the inverse publicity law applies here.
Since BCA Blackbushe are probably the most well known,and in no small measure due to the audience HJs website attracts, it is almost certain that the number of bidders will be more there(Correct me if Im wrong)
Whereas in Colchester I have seen the usual number of small time traders looking for a bargain, but never more than a handful of public on the weekdays(except some like me who like to watch out for the car that will someday catch my fancy or the secret hope for an impulse buy!)
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Hi John X,
The market value of a car is, by definition, the sale price (ie NOT the provisional price) at auction. The provisionl price is the price at which it DIDN'T sell, because no-one on the day was prepared to pay what the seller was asking.
BMW diesels are currently among the most sought-after used cars on the market. Demand is high relative to supply and prices are therefore high. It's just basic economics. When everybody wants one of anything, it is a seller's market and there are no bargains.
If you want a diesel beemer, you will have to grit your teeth and pay the market price. If you don't someone else will, that is how markets work.
If you really want a bargain, try a Mondeo.
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Yes, I think its fair to say that Blackbushe is probably the best known auction in the UK. Although there are always a vast amount of bidders, there are also always a vast amount of cars. While some cars seem cheap 'on paper' I tend to find that the 'bargains' usually have a fair amount of scratches and dents.
I have tried a few of the smaller auctions over the years and I have personally found that the cars seem to make the same sort of money regardless of where they are offered. As there are usually less cars available at smaller auctions, prices tend to be as high as the bigger auctions.
I agree about the final hammer price representing the true market value. It is always a bit frustrating to buy a car provisionally - it is usually very difficult to be the highest bidder so when you are you dont expect to have to pay anymore! It's also annoying when unrealistic reserves are set, I bid £9k on a BMW only to be told (after an hour!) that the reserve was £10k!! A guy in front of me bid £11k on a Merc and the reserve was £12.5k! When you are hanging around to hear about a provisional you can also miss other cars that are going through.
Given the vast majority of cars at auctions make top trade prices I wonder if there will come a time when reserves are done away with? It would save all concerned a lot of administrative work. I remember years ago an XJ40 Jag being entered 4 times, it made £2200 provisionally the first time, then £2300, then £2200 and finally £1900!! It actually sold for £1900!!! So sometimes not taking the first offer can result in a lower sale price! (Not to mention 4 rather than 1 entry fee!)
The other thing to bear in mind with auctions is that the indemnity/buyers fees are a consideration for the private buyer. I had to pay around £250 for a £7300 car back in the Summer which seems a lot to HPi the car, especially as the main source of commission comes from the vendor (possibly as high as 7 or 8%)
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>>has anyone found any sites that provide auction reports?
www.smag.co.uk/guide.aspx
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www.automotive.co.uk
search for the word 'auction' and there is a list going back weeks from multiple sites
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