'The traditional strong start to van sales in January has been boosted by the roll-over of demand from the latter days of 2003, says BCA's Duncan Ward. Demand has sky-rocketed as buyers compete strongly in the auction halls.
Buyers are active across the board, with Luton bodied vehicles and box vans continuing to be much sought after, which indicates the wholesale and retail delivery market is exceptionally busy. Car-derived vans have seen a resurgence in demand.
This sector is very popular with small businesses thanks to the combination of a decent load capacity and nimbleness around town. There is plenty of stock about, so buyers are able to cherry-pick the best examples.
Land Rover product continues to be good news, with some buyers going to extraordinary lengths to get the vehicle they want – one buyer travelled from Penzance to Preston to bid on a particular Land Rover Defender that he had stock-located using BCA's new online Commercial Auction View service.
Drop-sides and tippers have also been strong, perhaps reflecting the house-building market which is particularly buoyant in the south of the country. Non-trade buyers – self-employed builders and decorators - have been noticeably active here.
It is noticeable that many more vans are now coming to the market with all the correct paperwork, particularly the log book. It is a year since the new V5 procedures were introduced and – of course – we now have the new continuous registration system, so having the V5 at remarketing time is vital. Across the board 95% of all vehicles at BCA are sold complete with the V5 documentation – two years ago it was around 65%.
Looking back, 2003 closed in fine style, with the fourth quarter being one of the strongest in recent memory. Once again, the corporate set the pace with a strong price performance and solid conversion rates of 80% plus.
All 16 BCA centres selling commercials reported high demand for LCVs in the last quarter of '03. BCA Blackbushe in the south has completed a year in its new Thursday sale slot and has cemented its position as the largest van sale in the country, offering up to 500 vehicles every week through 2 auction halls. In the Midlands both Measham and Nottingham have had exceptional years for LCV sales, while Belle Vue in the North has recorded one of its best years for LCV sales.
Business has been strong at BCA's Newmains centre, where the company stages the largest specialist commercial sales in Scotland. A recent sale saw nearly 200 vans sold on the day – a record for the centre - with a large entry of stock from Royal Mail and other blue chip companies such as Scottish Water, XBG Leasing, Extra Leasing, Bank of Scotland, Turner Hire Drive, Lex Vehicle Leasing and BT.
Strong sales early in the year
January has seen demand skyrocket and some exceptional prices achieved. BCA Measham Commercials sold nearly 300 vehicles in the Week 2 sale, with 100% conversions for Royal Mail and BT Fleet. Blackbushe celebrated the first anniversary of the Thursday sale format with a huge sale that attracted hundreds of buyers – frantic buying saw CAP values rise to over 160%!'
Model – Selling price - CAP Clean %
00X Ford Transit 350 LWB Hi-Roof £5,050 113%
97R Ford Transit 190 LWB Chassis £2,600 136%
99V Vauxhall Astra LS TD £3,325 125%
00X Toyota Hi-Ace GS £5,000 122%
00X Renault Master LH35TD £6,800 136%
99V Ford Transit 80 SWB £3,625 118%
0151 Vauxhall Movano 2.8t SWB £4,650 119%
98S VW LT-28 MWB SDi £3,650 131%
98S Ford Tourneo £6,500 115%
00X Peugeot Partner 600 LX £3,200 114%
00W Peugeot Expert 2.0 HDi £5,600 135%
98R Mercedes Sprinter 308D LWB £4,000 164%
99V Vauxhall Movano 3.5t MWB £4,800 158%
00W Mitsubishi L200 4 Life £8,200 120%
98R Mercedes Vito 108D £3,600 154%
99V Ford Transit Hi Cube £3,900 122%
00/X Peugeot Boxer 1.9 270S 5dr £4,200 116%
01/X Iveco Daily Class 2.8 11VT 5dr £6,350 109%
99/T Peugeot Partner 1.9 600 Lxd 4dr £2,800 119%
99/V Volkswagen Transporter 1.9 800 Td 4dr £4,900 143%
00/X Volkswagen Transporter 1.9 10 L Td 5dr £4,800 115%
98/R LDV Convoy 3.5T 2.5 2dr Tipper £5,650 103%
01/Y Ford Transit 350 2.4 90 2dr Tipper £8,250 106%
00/W Ford Transit 190 2.5 3dr £6,600 106%
01/Y Vauxhall Astra 1.7 Envoy Td 3dr £3,800 106%
99/T Ford Transit 80 2.5 5dr £2,500 105%
00/X Ford Transit 260 2.0 5dr £4,700 115%
00/X Peugeot 206 1.9 D 3dr £2,725 107%
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