THE new Ford Mondeo has made its auction debut in a special Ford sale at BCA Nottingham. Ford offered just 10 of the new Mondeos to franchised and approved Ford dealers, and achieved average prices in excess of 80% of list price.

The cars were the 1.8 and 2.0-litre models in Zetec, LX and Ghia variants, the majority December 2000 registered with about 5,000 miles on the clock. 'This has been an excellent start for the new Mondeo in the used car market. Residual performances of 80% for this volume market product have set a notable standard that will not go unnoticed by fleet operators around the country,' said a Ford spokesman.

The sale at Nottingham saw 200 vehicles entered direct from Ford, and achieved a 97% conversion rate. BCA's manufacturer sales director, Keith Rogers, added: 'The results from this special event indicate that new Mondeo is going to be as robust a performer in the used market as its predecessors were. New Mondeo is a very good car and has set a standard that underlines its core position as the benchmark vehicle for the fleet market.'