Are you ready? Car Dealer Used Car Awards night is almost here…

WELL, the big day – or rather, the big night – is almost here. And if you say ‘what big night?’, are you sure you’re in the motoring industry?

Monday sees the Car Dealer Used Car Awards – the biggest ceremony in the country for one of the most important sectors of the automotive world.

There will be close on 500 people packed into The Brewery in London for our glitzy night – sponsored by our friends at Black Horse – to see who has picked up one of our rather smart trophies.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.

It’s not that the food on offer will be so good (sticky beef cheeks sound lovely, but I have no idea what a donkey carrot is), or that there’s free drinks all night (there used to be a gag about what’s the difference between a journalist and a supermarket trolley? You can get more alcohol into a journalist….)

No, it’s the chance to meet and chat with so many of the giants of the motoring world in general, and the used-car world in particular.

And, of course, to see who has picked up a gong – in other words, to find out for myself who are the very best of the best, and just why they’re top of the tree.

It’s been a hectic time at Car Dealer Towers. Sorting out the winners was an exhaustive process – the team of judges must be shattered. I shudder to think the amount of alcohol they’ll be consuming on Monday as they at last get the chance to unwind…

The videos have been prepared (and they’re stunning, I can tell you). The presentations have been gone over, and gone over again, to make sure nothing has been missed out. The brochures are now back from the printers. The table plans are sorted. We’ve treble-checked, then treble-checked again, the names on the trophies. Putting the wrong winner’s name on a trophy is a recurring nightmare…

All the certificates for the highly-commended entrants are now also complete, and looking resplendent in their frames, ready for Mr Wheeler Dealers Mike Brewer, our compere for the evening, to hand out.

It’s going to be some occasion. And I can’t wait.

If you don’t have a ticket, then you’re far too late. It sold out ages ago. It’s the biggest awards ceremony for used cars, the best awards ceremony for used cars, and the most eagerly anticipated – you have to have the acceleration of a Formula 1 car to get your ticket.

If you’re going, make sure you find me and say hello. I would say I’d buy you a drink, but with a free bar, you’d see through that offer for the shallow gesture it is….

This weekend I’ll be digging out the DJ, trying to find a black tie (choice of two nice ones, a black one with delicate silver threads running through it, or a rather colourful one that looks like an explosion in a Dulux factory… probably be the one that’s less screwed up in the drawer) and give my shoes their annual polish.

I look forward to seeing you on the night.

And anyone who wins an award, or picks up a highly-commended certificate, should be very proud. I’ve seen for myself the quality of the entries. And those who have been judged the best are good – very good indeed.

Good luck!

Pictured right: Awards compere Mike Brewer

MORE: The awards shortlist