Kids Under Cover is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to preventing youth homelessness.

Over the years, more than 22,000 cars have been donated and the funds from the sale of those cars have gone to supporting more than 3200 young people through the construction of 700 studios and the awarding of more than 1000 scholarships.

The AMG Mercedes was sold online via the charity’s Donate Your Car program.

The Mercedes, with a three litre six cylinder engine and 9-speed Tiptronic gearbox, has a little over 73,800km on the clock.

The sale price is one the highest received for a Kids Under Cover auction. It is the highest price achieved for a second-hand car and the highest price received for a car from a private donor as distinct from a corporate donor.In December 2021, a new Ford Mustang Fastback GT 5.0 from a corporate donor was auctioned online for the 32-year-old Australian charity. That sale price was $72,000 – ahead of the expected $68,000 and more than the then new-car price of $64,190.

The Mustang was the best car donation Kids Under Cover had ever received.

Last year the charity was offered a used Maserati which sold for just north of $50,000.

Kids Under Cover head of fundraising Adam Walsh told GoAutoNews Premium at the time that the Mustang sale price was almost exactly the same as the cost (then) to provide a two bedroom studio to house two young people. 

By regularly donating unwanted cars to Kids Under Cover’s Donate Your Car program, car dealers across Australia have proven to be strong supporters of the initiative.

Kids Under Cover was started by Melbourne car retailing identity Ken Morgan in 1989, initially to raise funds to provide housing for homeless young mothers.

These days the Victorian-based Kids Under Cover provides studios for young people who are at risk of becoming homeless because they are living in overcrowded households or households where tensions can run high.

The studios are built in the backyards of houses where problems exist to give at-risk young people their own space. The one- or two-bedroom flat-pack studios cost between $70,000 and $80,000 to assemble with utilities connected. When studios are no longer needed by the family they are packed up and re-erected at another house.

Over the years, Kids Under Cover has collected between 1100 and 1200 cars a year and sold more than 22,000 cars through Manheim Auctions.

There are more than 700 Kids Under Cover studios on the ground. Kids Under Cover has helped more than 1800 young people and awarded more than 500 scholarships and every night currently, there are about 1000 at-risk kids sleeping in a Kids Under Cover studio. 

Mr Walsh, told GoAutoNews Premium that the Donate Your Car program is key to helping young people stay at home and in school.

“This donation came out of the blue for us from a very generous donor. 

“We are going to be able to put it to immediate use in our studio program. The value of that donation can’t be underestimated because it will help us to house more young people within our studios and provide them with the opportunity to stay in school.

“That’s the key, keep them at home and keep them in school,” Mr Walsh said.

The proceeds of each car received by Kids Under Cover goes straight into building studios and providing scholarships for young people who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Via Manheim’s transport team, Kids Under Cover conveniently picks up cars from all sources including private owners and companies other than car retailers. The vehicle does not have to be running but there are some minimum standards.

The value the car achieves at auction is tax-deductible to the donor.

The need for scholarships and studios is currently well ahead of the ability of Kids Under Cover to fund them.

Manheim has partnered with Kids Under Cover since 2006 and has been an integral component of the growth and the success of the Donate Your Car program.

When Manheim expanded its early support to allow all Manheim locations to receive and sell donated cars it was key to Kids Under Cover going national with the program. Manheim organises transport, all logistics, the sale of the vehicles and the collection and distribution of sales proceeds to Kids Under Cover.

GoAutoNews readers can donate any unwanted cars by filling out their details on the Kids Under Cover website kuc.org.au

By John Mellor