THE fleet and lease sectors are benefiting from a shortage of stock as demand for end-of-contract company cars increases and prices rise to their highest in 18 months.

Latest analysis has shown that prices for a three-year-old/60,000 miles car in the third quarter of 2005 averaged £6,308, a rise of £134, or 2.1% over the second quarter.

Values have risen £339 year-on-year, equivalent to a rise of 5.6% since Q4 2004, according to BCA’s quarterly report The Pulse. Average mileage has risen slightly, while the age of cars on sale has fallen marginally from 38 months a year ago to 37 months.

Performance against CAP Clean for fleet and lease cars improved to an average of 98.4%, up two points against Q2 2005 and a single point up on Q1 (see table left).

Fleet and lease

Period		Age/months		Mileage		Sale Price		% vs CAP
Q3		2005 37.01		57,706		£6,308		98.39
Q2		2005 37.83		57,532		£6,174		96.43
Q1		2005 38.36		58,763		£6,080		97.48
Q4		2004 38.38		60,851		£5,868		97.25
Q3		2004 38.20		59,708		£5,969		98.23
Q2		2004 38.29		59,912		£6,137		95.22
Q1		2004 38.02		60,243		£6,334		98.08

Source BCA