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Keeping it in the family

20th April 2006, Page 94
20th April 2006
Page 94
Page 95
Page 94, 20th April 2006 — Keeping it in the family
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In the mid-'90s, the arrival of the mini Sevel range gave the middleweight van market a welcome lift British Car Auctions' Duncan Ward provides an auctioneers view of the Scudo/Dispatch/Expert family of small vans.

Now a decade old, the Fiat Scudo, Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert models gave a much-needed jolt in the arm to the light CV market when launched. These vans were pitched firmly at the retail `man and a van' market and were designed to look as good on suburban driveways as on city streets or motorway runs..

Bridging the gap in the market between the car-sized van and the short-wheelbase one-tonne sector, there was little competition for the Scudo/Dispatch/Expert. Only the Nissan Vanette —launched a decade earlier— was of a similar size. Not only were the newcomers goodlooking but they were eminently practical because they had six doors. They were also manoeuvrable for urban work and — if the right engine was chosen — had plenty of grunt for longer trips. Front-wheel drive maximised the load capacity in the back and created opportunities for specialist conversions— to provide wheelchair access, for example.

Comfort and practicality

The cabin offered a high degree of comfort and could carry three people, a first in the small van sector.

The range was hugely successful and a facelift kept the models fresh.The combination of size, good looks and practicality was ideal for the self-employed tradesman who didn't need huge carrying capacity or a long wheelbase.

The family's success has translated easily to the secondary market and demand has seen examples snapped up at auction by both trade and non-trade buyers. Buyers chase examples with the powerful 2.0 HDi engine and particularly models fitted with the dual passenger seat.

Lower mileages

Even though they are more commonplace now than they used to be, the good news for the used buyer is that the Scudo, Dispatch and Expert tend to be sold at lower mileages than other light CVs. The models are not widely used by the utilities or service sectors where vehicles tend to come to market both older and at higher mileages.

Examples entered from the major leasing companies are perceived to be have been well looked after by their smaller business users. Those entered by the manufacturers' own contract hire subsidiaries Peugeot Contract Hire and Citroen Contract Motoring and with the manufacturer's own name are much sought after.

In demand

With these vans being primarily retail, you will over time come across many variants, specifications and colours to choose from. But expect competition, as the vans are very much in the price range for a small business looking for a quality used vehicle.

In a class of their own, this family of vans has little competition in terms of dimensions — the Transit Connect LWB is of similar size but lacks the option of the extra passenger seat, while the modern styling of the Trafic, Primastar and Vivaro come in a much larger body shell.

BCA is selling 02/52 2.0 HDi Experts and Dispatches for £3,20013,600 at sensible mileages —60,000-80,000.The 1.9D Fiat Scudo sells for £3,350 on a 02/52 plate at about 50,000 miles, with both the Peugeot and Citroen models realising broadly similar values.

Buyers like examples in good condition, ideally with metallic paint and a decent quality of ply-lining. Fridge variants are also much sought after by professional buyers at auction, but are exceptionally scarce. •

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