‘September finished as predicted: with stock in short supply and prices rising, leading to the trade being more frustrated with the market than I’ve seen in a long time. To complicate matters further, auction houses are seeing a rise in the number of “retail punters” fighting with the trade to buy stock,’ said Hill.
‘In terms of small vans, Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta are good news. As always, the better the specification the easier it will be to sell. Renault Kangoo stock is drying up now so values will start to firm up. The same goes for Citroën Berlingo and stable mate Peugeot Partner. When it comes to Volkswagen Caddy, we are seeing the gap between the 69ps engine and the 104ps unit getting bigger.
‘We saw the first Mercedes Benz Citan models come to market in September and values were as expected. Mercedes Benz Vito if straight and with tidy paintwork will sell even with starship miles on them. Volkswagen Transporter is the same; people are not frightened of the miles providing everything else is in order.
‘Ford Transit short wheelbase models are thin on the ground at the moment, so expect to pay more – even low mileage ones with damage are selling. Vauxhall Movano and Renault Masters are still good news, along with Fiat Ducato and their partners Citroën Relay.
‘Chassis cab product is still selling well, with even older Luton derivatives getting buyers fighting over them. Curtainsiders are a rare thing so they demand premium prices, and standard cab Tippers and Dropside variants are also more appealing.
‘With the summer behind us, expect the 4×4 market to pick up. All models are seeing an increase in interest that, along with the export activity and shortage of stock, makes you wonder why leasing and disposal companies don’t hold on to 4×4 stock until this time of year,’ he concluded.