A series of tailor-made sales has seen CD Fleet Services sell specialist vehicles such as funeral hearses and stretched limousines, achieving values above initial estimates.

The two funeral hearses and accompanying custom-built stretched limousines sales saw a fierce bidding competition for the niche vehicles and were bought at substantially over the vendor’s estimated value, said the company.

Eight 2014 Renault Zoe electric cars were also bought by dealers. The same occurred with the request to sell Isuzu truck bodies after CD Fleet Services conducted a targeted marketing campaign to find potential buyers across the country.

Andy Brown, managing director of CD Fleet Services, said: “These niche auctions demonstrate the potential of using an online auction platform to reach a national buyer base, even in a specialist market.

"It also emphasises the importance of getting competing bids for any vehicle, rather than just accepting a trade valuation and a single offer.

He added: “Increasingly we are getting requests for special sales for vehicles that other auctions cannot sell or achieve best value."