CHERY Motor Australia has appointed Manheim Australia as its dealer-used car auctions partner.  

Factory-backed Chery Motor is one of Australia’s fastest-growing car brands and the appointment of Manheim covers off the strategically-important ex-fleet demonstrator auctions role for the emerging newcomer. 

Initially the partnership is for dealer-only ex-company fleet vehicle auctions but the companies say they are pursuing other areas of remarketing services and OEM services that Manheim or Cox Automotive Australia could perform.  

Cox Automotive Australia, Manheim’s parent company, said in a statement: “From April 2024, Chery Motor Australia will work with Manheim … to run its dealer-only closed internal auctions. 

“These campaigns are the channel through which Chery’s franchise dealers can bid on low-kilometre used vehicles from the company’s own fleet for their stock.”

“The first Chery Motor Australia and Manheim digital dealer-only auction held earlier this month saw more than 30 ex-company vehicles sold to the highest bidder within the company’s franchise dealer network, each destined to be sold as low-km used or demonstrator vehicles for even more budget-conscious buyers,” the company said.

Stephen Lester

The Manheim auction saw 33 of Chery’s more than 60 dealers participate with more Chery dealers expected to be taking part in the coming months. The clearance rate was 100 per cent. 

Dealers were linked online and the auction was viewed by Chery Motor top management in Sydney and in China.

Cox Automotive Australia chief executive Stephen Lester said: “Cox Automotive Australia is really pleased to work with Chery Motor on its remarketing strategy, and delighted to see so many of its franchise dealer partners participate in ex-company fleet vehicle auctions.

Heath Stubbs

“In today’s retail market, low-kilometre used vehicles are an important piece in the puzzle for franchise car dealers, and the results suggest Chery’s growing range of SUVs are ticking the right desirability boxes.

“We also note the online auctions were watched by Chery Motor executives in Sydney and in China, such was the degree of interest in how the first run went.”

Cox Automotive Australia’s head of OEM partnerships, Heath Stubbs said: “The burgeoning relationship with Chery Motor has scope to grow beyond closed dealer auctions. The company’s respective senior management teams are now exploring new ways to broaden the collaboration between the two organisations.

“Cox Automotive Australia is eager to explore additional services we can offer to support Chery’s impressive volume aspirations in Australia,” Mr Stubbs said. 

“This presents us with an exciting opportunity to further strengthen our partnership and drive even greater success together.”

As well as Manheim wholesale auctions, Cox Automotive Australia offers a range of retail services to OEMs and dealers, including its newly developed AI-enabled lead management system Lead Driver, and fixed operations customer experience platform Xtime, which counts several of Australia’s top automotive OEMs as clients.

Mr Stubbs said that Cox Automotive Australia was able to offer OEMs a single point of contact across the Cox portfolio of automotive products and services.

He said that dealing with Chery with its ambitious volume aspirations has been “infectious”.

“The volumes we will handle will be modest initially but Chery has aspirations to be in the top five in Australia in the next five years and I would not be surprised to see that happen given their growth here already and their growth internationally,” Mr Stubbs said.

Chery Motor managing director Lucas Harris said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Manheim who are the proven leaders in the digital auction space and the results are testimony to the fact that the growing range of Chery models in Australia are meeting the needs of consumers in Australia.

Lucas Harris

“We look forward to working closely with the Manheim team and our dealers to continue this positive momentum.”

Chery Motor sees huge global growth:

In 2023, Chery Group achieved twelve months of consecutive growth in sales, with cumulative sales of 1.88 million vehicles, representing a year-on-year increase of 52.6 per cent. 

In January and February 2024, Chery Group achieved car sales of 348,019 units, showing a year-on-year growth of 69.5 per cent. To date, Chery Group has a global car parc of more than 13 million vehicles, including 3.35 million overseas users. 

It has eight major R&D centres, including those in North America, South America, and Europe with sales in more than 80 countries and regions worldwide. 

In Australia it offers the Omoda 5, Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 SUVs. It has plans for several additional new models in 2024 including its first electric vehicle. Its 88 dealers in Australia sold 5890 cars in 2023.

About Cox Automotive Australia:

Cox Automotive Australia is a subsidiary of Cox Automotive US, the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Cox is a global leader in remarketing and SaaS for OEMs and

dealers.

In Australia its team of almost 600 people work with 26 automotive OEMs, as well as automotive dealers and with the private and public fleet sector.

Australian brands include Manheim Auctions (passenger, industrial and salvage), Kelley Blue Book, Sell My Car, and digital retailing solutions including LeadDriver and Xtime.