2:16 pm, April 23, 2021
Manheim has signed a four-year extension to its partnership with vehicle broker Auction Plus.
It covers up to 750 cars and LCVs a year going through Manheim’s Colchester auction centre and builds on the 10-year-strong relationship between the two businesses, which has seen Manheim – part of Cox Automotive – resell more than 15,000 vehicles from Auction Plus.
James Leese, chief customer officer at Cox Automotive, said: ‘The directors at Auction Plus have always been a pleasure to work with, bringing to the table their 60 years of combined experience in vehicle disposal.
‘The strength of our relationship built over many years will only grow stronger as this contract extension sees us through to the mid-2020s.’
Auction Plus director Chris Hodgkinson said: ‘A decade in partnership and the success this has brought to both businesses is the primary reason why we’ve gladly extended our contract with Manheim for another four years.
‘We work well with Manheim and I like to think they believe the same of us, so we look forward to continuing to work with them up until 2025 at the earliest.’
The news comes as Manheim extends its support for dealers as lockdown eases.
The Accelerate package includes free vehicle collection from auction sites and the suspension of online buying fees to help dealers recover quickly from the economic impact caused by the pandemic.
Benefits
It was launched in 2020 as vehicle auctions scrambled to a digital format.
With showrooms reopening in Scotland from April 5 and in England and Wales from April 12, Manheim said all the benefits of Accelerate were staying until further notice.
Its sites have reopened to allow in-person viewing by appointment but online buying fees are still being waived.
In addition, vehicle collection from auction sites remains free. Buyers just have to book a collection time and follow safety protocols.
All buyer account tier reviews have been put on hold as well so dealers’ pricing won’t go up, regardless of their level of activity.
Liam Quegan, managing director of Manheim, said: ‘Dealers are looking forward to a strong bounceback now that they can reopen their physical premises.
‘Our mission is to help ensure they are best placed to take advantage of the resurgent demand for car retail.
‘Therefore, although the Accelerate programme was initially designed as a temporary lockdown measure, we are more than happy to extend it as lockdown finally recedes.’
Image shows a pre-pandemic auction at Manheim’s Colchester centre
