Commercial vehicle update from James Davis - 15th October 2015
It’s nearly a week since Manheim CV delivered its first ever mobile “Pop Up” auction event on behalf of Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicles. The event was an incredible success for vendor and buyers alike and the buzz has still not worn off!
The auction event was held at Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle’s UK HQ in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Featuring 60 exclusive CV lots, handpicked for their premium specification from Hitachi’s de-fleet stock, the event saw 97% of all entries sell to a physical and online audience of over 150 buyers. Our VW Amarok Mobile Auction Unit, provided by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and converted by C Walton Bruntingthorpe, was parked up the day prior ready for all the auction action. The unit’s deployment is entirely flexible, it can be driven around static assets or, as in this case, used as a static rostrum with CV sale lots driven past it, closely resembling the feel of a traditional physical auction hall - albeit a new one for Manheim!
On sale day itself the Mobile Auction Unit was connected directly to Manheim’s award winning Simulcast technology via a flawless 4G Vipranet signal. Matthew Davock, Head of LCV, was the auctioneer on the day and he had bids flying in left, right and centre. Tyre kickers and tyre clickers alike contributed to buying in excess of £480,000 of premium vans, plus one 2010 John Deere tractor! An audience of over 150 buyers, 128 online and 24 physical, were literally fighting it out to secure this fantastic stock. All bar 3 lots received an online bid; a third of everything entered actually went on to sell to an online buyer. With a fixed price of £99 for UK wide delivery, buyers were assured of a top level service and offer.
In continuation of our yearlong celebration of the Transit’s 50th birthday, the Chairman of the Ford Transit Owners Club bagged himself a 2011 Transit Jumbo Trend. It will be seen on the club circuit towing the Club’s bespoke tri-axle box trailer. That trailer contains some Transit gems! Pioneering events like this make me very proud. In the last 12 months we’ve launched six new online sales channels. I’ll tell you a secret, this is my favourite! Sadly I had the auction day booked off. However….having re-arranged a family lunch to dinner (which cost me!) I dropped into Trowbridge as a surprise. And it was! I couldn’t miss this event, it was part of a joint strategic commitment we made with Hitachi.
I’m proud to lead the UK’s Number One CV Auction Business.
JD
