REDUCED emphasis on the mileage of used cars is the key to stamping out clocking according to Glass's Guide. Such a change could improve residual values for traditional three-year-old ex-fleet stock.

The retail motor industry's obsession with mileages makes clocking attractive, but, with modern cars capable of more than 100,000 miles without a hiccough, a difference of 10,000 or 20,000 on the clock should not have a big effect on price.

With recent reductions in fast churn fleet supply, dealers are forced to look for higher mileage vehicles and fleet replacement cycles are extending with average mileages hitting 72,000 over 3.1 years. Glass's car editor Jeff Paterson said private buyers were increasingly confident about buying higher mileage ex-fleet cars.