Manheim Auction Services to open new Gloucester super centre

Manheim Auction Services, part of Cox Automotive, is investing a seven-figure sum to create a super centre in Gloucester.

The investment, it says, will transform the Manheim Auction Services site at Gloucester into a specialist facility for LCV, HGV, plant and equipment sales.

A new auction programme will see more than 1,000 vans and trucks auctioned every month. 

The investment will, according to Manheim, create the largest in-lane physical auction for commercial vehicles in the UK.

It estimates that more than £15 million worth of vans, trucks and plant will be sold each month via the new fortnightly sale event, with as many as 5,000 buyers attending in-person and online.

LCV and HGV stock will be auctioned in parallel, with all vehicles available for viewing before being driven through the auction lanes. 

Liam Quegan, Cox Automotive’s managing director for wholesale, said: “The commercial vehicle sector is experiencing an exhilarating return to form. This investment reflects demand and signals our growth intent and ambition to give our customers the best auction experience.  

“Our Gloucester site has a rich heritage in the LCV sector and this new chapter will create that same reputation in the HGV market.

“There’s a strong overlap of vendors and buyers with an interest in both vans and trucks, and they are chomping at the bit for a bigger, better, more concentrated physical auction experience. This move delivers on that ask.” 

Matthew Davock, director of commercial vehicles for Manheim, explained that the company’s ambition with Manheim Gloucester is to make every sale an event, packed with energy, with LCV and HGV class assets that buyers can physically touch, see and hear.

“We’re aggregating more stock into a fortnightly sales programme delivered by a team focused only on commercial vehicles,” he added.

“The reaction from team members and customers to this news has been overwhelming and I can’t wait for the gates to open.” 

The 9-acre site – located off the M5 near Dursley, Gloucestershire - will open in the autumn. Further details on the sales programme will be available in September. 

Rob Atkinson, Manheim’s director of HGV and industrial, said: “Gloucester will be the new home for a large proportion of Manheim’s HGV operations in the UK, around 70% of our volume will sell through this new combined in-lane and Simulcast sales programme.

“This marks a return to physical auctions for HGV and machinery and represents an important milestone in the growth of our truck and plant operation.”