Aston Barclay highlights most desirable used cars at auction

Aston Barclay has developed a used car desirability index that can help fleet operators understand which models are commanding the most attention at auction.

The index considers three key metrics: web views prior to sale, physical and online bid volumes per sale and the sale price achieved as a percentage of CAP Average.

It can guide dealers as to which used cars to stock on their forecourts and to assist vendors in setting the correct reserve prices.

Martin Potter, Aston Barclay’s managing director – customer, said: “We built the desirability index in response to the industry wanting to understand the latest trends following the market re-opening and us embracing our hybrid physical and digital strategy. We have taken data from across all our physical and digital platforms to provide valuable insights to help both buyers and vendors.”

Not surprisingly, 14 out of the top 25 cars on the list are SUVs. Models at the premium end of the market, such as the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLE, Jaguar F-Pace and BMW X5, rank the highest.

Four out of the top 25 models were from Mercedes Benz, reinforcing the brand’s strength in the current used car space.

The Tesla Model 3 was the only full electric car on the list and the Kia Niro and Lexus NX the only hybrids, which reflects the market’s current appetite towards petrol and diesel cars.

The Lexus NX topped the table, however, while the Mazda MX5, BMW 2-series, Mini Clubman and Countryman were the only smaller cars to appear in the top 25.

Aston Barclay says many of the used premium cars coming up at auction have become more desirable in the past few weeks as semiconductor shortages continue to impact supplies of new cars.