BRITAIN'S recent heatwave has given a boost to the values of used cars with air conditioning and has made cars without the feature much harder to sell.

Glass's Information Services claims that even with temperatures dropping, dealers remain cautious about buying cars without air-con for their stock.

Jeff Paterson, senior car editor at Glass's, said: 'Right across the market buyers are shunning cars that don't allow them to escape the heat. Although temperatures are now easing, dealers remain very cautious about adding cars without air-conditioning to their stock. In addition, the premium for a family-sized hatchback or saloon with air-con before the heatwave would normally be about £200, but that figure is now nearer to the £500 mark.'

Air-con is becoming a minimum requirement when customers are looking to buy a used car, he said. Paterson added: 'Even small vehicles at the budget end of the market, such as the Daewoo Matiz, now include it. As a result, the increased premium over non-air cars may well stay in place during the winter months.'