The Retail Automotive Alliance Limited (RAA) is the latest vendor to offer its vehicles via Simulcast, Manheim’s online broadcast of physical auctions.

Manheim Auctions operates 20 sales per week for the RAA at 13 of its auction centres, offering 600 vehicles per week and has sold more than 15,600 RAA vehicles so far this year.

Manheim Auctions’ Simulcast links trade buyers via the internet to physical auctions, where they can view, bid and buy vehicles in real time, competing with other online buyers as well as buyers actually in the auction hall.

With its UK centres geared up to broadcast live physical auctions over the web Manheim is now transmitting live action from the auction halls for around 50 auctions every week.

The acceleration in the growth of sales through Simulcast has exceeded all expectations this year as the record number of online sales achieved during the whole of 2008 has already been smashed in 2009.

Last year 13,517 vehicles were sold online. However, this number was exceeded at the beginning of July.