RISING floorplan and fixed costs has meant quitting used-car stock quickly has become a priority for dealers, which is reflected in Manheim noting that it has auctioned almost twice as many dealer-consigned cars at auction in 2025 as it did in 2023.

Sales volume for the auctioneer over the three-year period is in the tens of thousands meaning big numbers being moved to the general public via the auction lanes.

Manheim said that more than 500 franchise and independent car dealers sold used cars at a  Manheim auction in 2025, held in every Australian state. Its partners included major multi-franchise dealers and small privately held operations.

Dealer used vehicles being offered through Manheim are sold at the same weekly auctions as other stock sold on behalf of other Manheim partners including government and corporate fleets, leasing companies, lenders, and automotive OEMs.  

Manheim said that the active buyer network included thousands of people from dealers and the public.

It said that auction attendance both online and in-person was significantly up in 2025 driving overall sales of all vehicle types to a five-year high. 

Cox Automotive Australia and New Zealand corporate affairs manager and analyst Mike Costello said it wasn’t only sales volume that was on a high, with cars sent to auction by dealers generally selling above their valuation, and more quickly than vehicles sold for other vendor categories.

Mike Costello

“Data shows that dealer-supplied cars sold at auction in 2025 sold on average for 8.3 per cent above valuation – and in the case of cars consigned by franchise dealers – for 6.5 per cent more than their reserve price set by the seller,” he said. 

“Most dealer-consigned cars – in fact 86.4 per cent – that were sent to a Manheim auction facility were successfully sold. That is, about nine-in-10 cars a dealer sends to us, are sold at  auction and therefore taken off their books.

“Not only are the cars selling, but they’re selling quickly. The average selling time,  which is the time between a used car arriving at Manheim for processing and being  successfully sold at auction, is just 10.9 days. 

“It is not unreasonable to expect used cars, surplus trade-ins or otherwise, turned into cash in a dealer’s account in a fortnight.” 

Mr Costello said it was wrong to think that dealers send their undesirable stock to auction.

The average age of dealer-consigned  used cars sold at auction in 2025 was 12.8 years with around 180,000km,” he said.

“But there were  thousands of cars aged under 10 years and with fewer than 100,000km on their odometers. 

“While the average selling price was a touch over $8000, close to 10 per cent sold for more than  $20,000 and six even sold for more than $100,000.” 

Variety is also available for auction buyers. More than 60 brands were represented in the full-year sales list, comprising hundreds of different models from the Audi A3 through to the MG ZS. 

“There’s merit in sending used vehicles to a wholesale auction for rapid disposal,” he said.

“That car becomes cash in short order, with fewer overheads and fewer worries to boot. 

“Doing so saves a dealer but also frees up floorplan for used vehicles that they are particularly confident in retailing. 

“Turnover, as ever, is the name of the game. And that’s why dealers should reach out for a chat with a Manheim dealer representative to discuss how we  can help you make a used car operation smoother and less stressful,” Mr Costello said.