PRE-sale vehicle preparation is more important than ever as oversupply in the used car market allows buyers to 'cherry pick' only the best models.

Following warnings from residual value experts that vehicles with as few as 60,000 miles on the clock could struggle to sell at auction, fleets must focus on condition as the cornerstone of a successful disposals policy.

BCA's customer affairs director Tom Madden said: 'The very last thing buyers want at the minute is more work for the bodyshops and there is no real price-point that will tempt them otherwise.

'The concern is that by the time the vehicle is ready for sale, the market will have moved and any potential small profit will have ebbed away.'

The market is currently dominated by bidders 'buying safe', looking for vehicles that they know they can sell on quickly and efficiently.

There is a great deal of buying to order, where less preparation work means more profit.