Magnums sell at list plus 14,000
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Second-hand Magnum A E43o tractors are fetching up to f4,000 above CAP guide prices, reports Martin Rhodes, general manager, used operations at Renault. "They're dependable, they look good, there aren't many of them about—this version of the model made its debut in the UK three years ago—and everybody seems to want one," he adds. "The Magnum has been around for a long time but it's well-built and it's got a big, roomy cab."
Disposing of the growing number of Premium tractors that are coming back may be more of a challenge. "Fortunately most of them have got 385hp engines-1'd be more worried if they were all at 34ohp—and some of them are Gus," he says. "We're using specialist engineers TVAC (The Vehicle Application Centre). which is an approved Renault converter, to turn 4x2 Premiums into 6x2s if that's requested. We've done a few, and sold all of them right away"
About 40% of the Premiums being returned have Privilege cabs. and that's what buyers want. Rhodes believes. The remainder have standard cabs, and he and his colleagues may have to work a little harder to move them on. '1999 was a difficult year for the trade and z000 is likely to be a hard year too.' he says. "But the manufacturers are getting more professional in the used market and aren't just dumping vehicles into the auctions; although some still do."
Disposing of low-powered fleet. spec tractors in overseas sales can sometimes backfire badly on the manufacturer, says Rhodes. One manufacturer used an auction in Dubai to get rid of some last autumn—but they were fetching such low prices that UK dealers who happened to be out there snapped them up and brought them back to Britain for resale. "All in all it was a bit of a pointless exercise," Rhodes observes.