Interest grows in light CVs
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The used van market is
gathering pace. Alex Wright,
Manheim Auctions' light commercial vehicle sales director, reports that prices are being boosted by strong newcomers and a short supply of old favourites.
The buoyant mood in the used CV marketplace continued into February with busy auction halls, enthusiastic buyers and some excellent vehicles on offer.
The car-derived van sector continues to be in short supply, with those on offer selling well. The Vauxhall Corsa was once again a very strong performer and the Ford Courier remains a popular buy.
But the new-shape VW Caddy is still the star of the show, with buyers willing to pay over book price for well-presented and average-mileage vans. Manheim predicts that with so few Caddys in the market, this popularity will continue. Other popular buys in the CDV sector are nonwhite Renault Kangoos and Citroen Berlingos. Fiat Doblas with side doors are commanding healthy money; at least 1_500 more than vehicles without side doors.
Panel vans There's been a U-turn in the small panel van sector, with the old-shape Mercedes Vito 108 coming back into favour with buyers. Manheim believes that this trend is down to a lack of 110s.
A batch of new-shape Volkswagen Transporters offered at Gloucester in February were fought over by five or six prospective buyers demand was such that prices reached up to £1,000 over reserve.
The Citroen Relay is a good alternative to the more expensive Transit; the VauxhallVivaro is also holding its own in the large panel van sector with tidier vehicles proving to be the better buy. A resurgence of Transit 280 models with 84hp engines has helped to breathe some fresh air into this sector, with all examples achieving strong money.
Now is the time to buy a van in the three-tonne-plus sector as prices are very reasonable. A popular buy is the LT35: lots of these are coming in from rental fleets.They are generally in good condition with reasonable mileage and this has helped keep the prices high. •