The 2024 automotive market was marked by significant activity, with dealers leveraging digital platforms to replenish their forecourts and maximise profit opportunities, which according to Dealer Auction has driven impressive results on its platform.
In 2024, Dealer Auction facilitated 11.5 million alerts, resulting in 919,164 bids placed over the year, reflecting dealers’ determination to secure vehicles despite broader industry headwinds.
Trade-to-trade activity remained strong, with vehicles selling at an average price of £6,378. The platform also recorded an average days-to-sell figure of just four, underscoring its efficiency in moving stock quickly. Performance remained robust, with vehicles achieving an average of 103% of CAP clean. Notably, one model delivered a remarkable 128% average CAP clean performance.
Throughout the year, Dealer Auction helped dealers find and purchase vehicles worth a combined £510m in total retail value. The total estimated trade profit generated for sellers reached nearly £13m.
The vehicles traded on the platform in 2024 had an average age of 8.9 years and an average mileage of 72,598. While alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) still represented a small share of transactions, their proportion increased from 3.44% in 2023 to 5.6% in 2024, indicating a growing interest in electric and hybrid models.
As in previous years, black, white, and grey remained the most popular vehicle colours. However, more vibrant hues, such as Fiat’s Lime Green, are yet to break into the top rankings.
Profitability remained a key focus, with Fiat models delivering exceptional returns. Both the Fiat Grand Punto and the Fiat Punto Evo were top performers, achieving average CAP clean performances of 128% and 118%, respectively.
While the Vauxhall Mokka performed strongly throughout the year, it did not make the annual top five for CAP clean performance.
Land Rover led the make and model profit charts, and the Land Rover Discovery recorded an average profit margin of £5,757, making it the most profitable model of the year.
