THE picture of the used van market is overwhelmingly positive for the first part of 2007.

Dealers avoided the seasonal doldrums at the end of 2006, and recent weeks have seen a notable rise in retail demand.

These are buoyant times, according to CAP.

Some 78% of retail used van dealers have reported increased sales in January, and only 5% said activity had dropped. Additionally, 47% of dealers questioned expected van sales growth to continue.

CAP says van supply will increase with the return of vehicles on three-year contracts, which could lead to stiffer competition.

The two main players continue to be Ford and Mercedes-Benz. The Ford Transit Connect and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter were named as the vans dealers cannot get enough of.