Manheim – Car Auction

How to Profitably Buy a Used Car at Manheim Auction?

Car auctions are a very popular way of purchasing used cars in the USA. A car auction is a public platform where you can choose and purchase a vehicle. A feature of the American auto market is that owners of used cars, as a rule, do not sell them themselves. This is done by auto auctions.

In recent years, purchasing cars at the largest American auctions with subsequent export to other countries has become very popular. One of the leading US auto auctions is Manheim.

History of Manheim Auction

Manheim auction is the oldest auto auction in the USA. Its founding date is considered to be 1945. It was then that two little-known American citizens – Benjamin Z. Mellinger (who worked at the time as a Ford dealer) and Arthur F. Walters (a Firestone dealer), after visiting an agricultural equipment auction, decided to apply a similar scheme for selling cars.

By 1959, Manheim Auto Auction became the largest automotive exchange. Year after year, Manheim auto auction strengthened its position and by 1966 became a world leader in vehicle sales volume, selling 45 cars per hour.

In 1996, Manheim became the first auction to organize electronic trading platforms, providing buyers with access to auctions, sales calendars, and vehicle information. In 1999, Manheim auctions opened in France, New Zealand, and Australia.

Manheim — Major Player in the Auto Business

Today, Manheim auto auction is one of the largest wholesale auto auctions in the world. In total, 145 company auctions are located in the USA and Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The largest auction is located in Pennsylvania. 33 simultaneously functioning trading lines allow selling more than 50 cars per minute. Daily, tens of thousands of used cars pass through Manheim platforms, and up to 10 million per year.

Manheim auto auction has a very good reputation. The high reliability of the auction is emphasized by the popular American expression "Only General Motors is cooler than Manheim." And the auction very carefully monitors its reputation, definitely taking responsibility for the quality of cars offered for sale.

Manheim Auction Features

Key features of the trading platform include the following:

• Sale of fully road-ready used vehicles and retro cars that require no repairs
• Large selection of cars of various makes, years, modifications, and configurations
• Auction access is only possible with a special license
• Maximum complete information on each lot: year of manufacture, mileage in miles, VIN, color, engine size, options, vehicle condition report, photos
• Full auction responsibility for the accuracy of all information and photos
• Opportunity to buy a vehicle approximately 15-20% below market price
• Presence of trading platforms in almost every state allows selecting the optimal option in terms of transportation convenience
• Wide choice of ways to participate in bidding: direct presence, online bidding, use of mobile applications

What Cars Are Put Up for Auction

The following cars are put up for auction:

• Repossessed by banks
• With expired warranty (often with no mileage at all)
• Cars on the balance of leasing companies
• Trade-in vehicles from dealerships
• Cars after car-sharing
• Vehicles with minimal defects that cannot be sold through dealers

Can You Order Additional Vehicle Inspection at Manheim?

Manheim auction also offers a paid vehicle condition check service. Its cost is a small percentage of the car's value. In this case, the buyer receives up to 14 days warranty. If a defect appears in the car during this period, the auction takes the car back and returns the money.

A large assortment of cars is offered for sale daily. Therefore, you can always find the option you need: make, year, color, options, etc. Putting a car for sale after an accident is a big rarity here.

Auction Access and Bidding Procedure

Access to the auction is only possible for certified players – dealers. To participate in bidding, you need to register and pay a fee. You can inspect the car yourself in advance or hire a local specialist.

On the auction date, dealers register and authorize on the platform. Then the car drives out on a special conveyor and bidding begins. The auction step is from $50 to $200.

The auction winner must transfer the full amount within one week after the end of bidding. In case of refusal to buy the car, the buyer faces a serious fine and permanent exclusion from auction participants.

Purchasing a Car at Auction with WESTMOTORS

After the customer has approved the purchase budget and provided all initial data, work on acquiring the car begins:

• Car selection — our specialists carefully study options, information about the history of cars and their technical condition
• Option approval — after the customer has agreed on one or more possible options, preparation for participation in bidding begins
• Bidding — at the set time, the auction is held, our specialists participate in the auction within the budget set by the customer
• Documentation — in case of successful completion of bidding, the process of preparing necessary documents begins
• Delivery — cars from auctions are delivered to the nearest seaports, from where they are transported in shipping containers to the destination country
• Vehicle handover to customer — upon arrival of the car at the destination, it is transferred to the customer as soon as possible with all necessary documents

Advantages of Purchasing a Car with WESTMOTORS

WESTMOTORS has all necessary accesses, so our specialists have access to all major closed auctions in America and are ready to select the optimal option from tens or even hundreds of thousands of cars, based on the parameters specified by the customer.

WESTMOTORS specializes in providing a full range of services: car selection, participation in bidding, processing auction documents, resolving customs issues, transporting the car and handing it over to the customer. All calculations and interactions with the customer are completely transparent.

• Access to all major closed auctions in America
• Expert car selection according to your parameters
• Participation in bidding on your behalf
• Full support of the transaction and delivery
• Transparent calculations without hidden fees