AUSTRALIAN auction house Manheim has extended its logistics services to Volvo Car Australia to include physical and digital support in preparing company fleet vehicles for sale.

The extended agreement, which started this month, includes vehicle inspections, vehicle detailing, photography, online auctions, sale management and administration.

Director of marketing and communications at Cox Automotive Australia, Mathew McAuley, said that the company already supplies logistics services for disposing of fleet vehicles to about 75 per cent of OEMs – including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Ford – operating in Australia.

He said that Manheim’s experience with the sales and account management of OEM fleets was the reason for Volvo’s decision to extend the partnership.

The company will continue to provide Volvo with digital sales channel offerings including web-streamed live online auctions and digital listings as a sales solution for its dealer network.

Manheim head of OEM and online Glen Faulkner said Manheim had “demonstrated outstanding sales performance over the past 12 months.”

“As the market leading supplier of vehicle remarketing services to OEMs in Australia we have the skills and knowledge to continue to deliver a class leading program,” he said.

Volvo’s remarketing manager Brett Nicholson said: “Manheim provides us and our dealer network with a complete remarketing solution which is fully supported by their account management team.”

Vehicles handled by Manheim are sourced from the OEM corporate fleets and include other vehicles such as those used for test purposes by the media.

Manheim carries out the storage, preparation and sale of fleets to dealerships and private buyers on a national basis and almost exclusively uses its online platform.

Mr McAuley said most dealers preferred to use online auctions as a more convenient and cost-effective way of buying stock.

By Neil Dowling