MANHEIM Auctions has now sold more than $20 million worth of donated vehicles and equipment to help fund the fight against youth homelessness. 

Standing in support of the ‘Kids Under Cover’ youth initiative Manheim for 20 years has been behind the ‘Donate Your Car’ program that has already seen more than 30,000 donated vehicles raise $20.3 million.

As an example of the program, Manheim’s sale of vehicles donated to the Kids Under Cover Donate Your Car program raised $115,800 in February 2025, and $1,260,650 in the past 12 months.Kids Under Cover builds studios for at-risk teens living in difficult households, as well as scholarships, to short circuit the potential for homelessness. 

The Kids Under Cover Donate Your Car program collects donated cars, trucks, caravans, boats and more from the public. It then sells them weekly at various Manheim passenger, salvage or industrial auctions. 

The program collects vehicles within metropolitan Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Townsville, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, and Hobart. All donations are tax deductible, and assets do not need to be running to be given away. 

Manheim said that donated vehicles generally sell in a clearance lane for very affordable prices, some needing work but others ready to drive.

“For example, in the past week we’ve sold a 2013 Toyota Yaris for $9400, and a 2007 Holden VE Berlina for $3100,” the company said.  

It said that there was also a long list of more valuable and desirable metal donated to the cause over the years, highlighting the startling generosity of so many Australians.

Kids Under Cover chief executive Stephen Nash

Headline donated items include a 2021 Ford Mustang V8, 2008 Maserati GranTurismo, 2017 Mercedes-AMG C43, 2023 Toyota Hilux SR5, 1985 Ferrari Mondial, and even a 1979 Compass yacht. 

The CEO of Manheim’s parent company Cox Automotive Australia, Stephen Lester, said generous Australians have given one or more vehicles to Kids Under Cover.

Stephen Lester

“Manheim is honoured to sell them, with funds going to an important cause,” he said.

Kids Under Cover chief executive Stephen Nash said that thanks to Manheim’s involvement “our Donate Your Car program is making it easy for so many generous people to donate their cars to Kids Under Cover to support our life-changing work to stop homelessness before it starts.”

Kids Under Cover seeks to end youth homelessness by giving young people the space and support they need to thrive, through the provision of accommodation and scholarships.  More than 900 young Australians now call one of its 600 studios their home, and several thousand have been through one of its programs.  

Kids Under Cover raises funds through government and corporate support, as well as initiatives such as the Donate Your Car program.

Manheim is one of Australia’s biggest wholesale auction companies, selling passenger vehicles, industrial equipment and salvage nationwide on behalf of car companies, dealers, fleet management firms, financiers, insurers, rental companies and many more.  

The company has sites in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin, and regional centres in Townsville and Newcastle.