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Plenty of action at Manheim Auctions, Haydock, as van buyers begin to stock for the new year.
Page 68
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Words: Kevin Swallow WITH JUST TWO more sales to go before Christmas at Manheim Auctions, Haydock, buyers have turned their attention to stocking up their forecourts ready for the new year.
The Christmas period normally signifies a downturn in trade, but 2009 has not been a normal year: new vehicle sales are down 36.9% compared with 2008.
The used van market, although short on volume, has picked up the slack, with buyers opting to go down the second-hand route.
With demand just eclipsing supply, prices have increased each month since December 2008, according to figures published by Manheim. Its decision to turn Haydock into an van-only outlet has been justified by this, says auction centre manager Simon Joyce.
It has seen stock levels drop by 36% year-on-year, but he adds that the conversion rate has improved by 28% through the same period. Highlights in the Lombarddominated sale included a repossessed 12-month-old Americanbuilt Ford F150 pickup with a 5.4-litre petrol engine.
It would be easier to list the options it didn't have than those it did, and the buyer paid the best part of £18,000 to drive it away.
There were several other European and Japanese-built pickups going under the hammer, too, with the late-year stock making some strong returns. There were some trends echoing through the sale, including the belief that vendors overprice some popular brands.
George Alexander, chief vehicle editor at Glass's Guide, says that highly-rated used Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter vans have been receiving a mixed reception over recent weeks.
"Unrealistically high reserves for these models are at odds with the current depth of most buyers' pockets," Alexander says "While the best examples still command plenty of attention, and correspondingly high bids, those less presentable, higher-mileage examples are struggling to sell."
VW's Caddy TDI is setting the benchmark figures in the small van market, and Alexander notes that trade has warmed towards the Renault Kangoo and Fiat Doblo as they represent good value for money.
"Not surprisingly, the latest Citroen Dispatch, Fiat Scudo and Peugeot Expert vans continue to perform strongly with the 90hp Li model proving to be a winner," Alexander says. The T5 Transporter from VW is also sought after as it "continues to attract most interest and the best prices". •