Following five months of used car prices at auction averaging above £6,500, including a record monthly high in December 2012, British Car Auctions (BCA) has reported a record quarterly high for average used car price performance for the opening three months of 2013.

The average value of a used car reached £7,064 between January and March 2013, 6.27% above the average for the previous quarter, and up by 15.54% on Q1 2012, itself a record high at the time.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

According to BCA, the rise in prices suggests an increased importance of supply, although earlier this week vehicle valuation firm CAP advised second-hand stock availability was increasing with a potential and commensurate drop in prices expected.

Fleet and part-ex records

Average values for fleet and lease and for part exchange cars also hit record quarterly highs. Fleet and lease values were up 4.62% on Q4 2012 to £8,697 and up by 13.85% year-on-year. The average part exchange value stood at £3,568, up 10.60% quarter-on-quarter and 23.42% year-on-year. This included the highest-ever monthly value for part exchanges of £3,588, recorded in January.

Average mileage was down for the third consecutive quarter, by 1,500 miles to approximately 56,500 miles, the lowest since 2010.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Average fleet and lease mileages were roughly 3,000 miles below the figure for Q1 2012, which BCA believed could indicate fleet and lease operators are less likely to extend in-service periods or striving for greater efficiency in journeys.

richard.brown@timetric.com