Used cars

By Sam Hardy

12th March 2007

That’s accor­ding to British Car Auc­tions (BCA), which shifted more than 150 Fords in a recent sale at its Nottingham site – with demand strongest for the S-MAX and Galaxy people carriers.

Ford main dealers and approved inde­pendent traders made up the 132 buyers present at the sale, and all the cars were 06-platers with an average of 2,000 miles. The S-MAX models made from £15,000-£18,700, while the Galaxy ranged from £15,100 to £21,900. That’s an excellent retained value of 78.8 per cent for the S-MAX and 72.6 per cent for the Galaxy.

The results have vindicated Ford’s strategy to cater for different buyers with its MPV line-up; the S-MAX is offered with five or seven seats, and foc­uses on driver appeal, while the Galaxy is the more spacious, practical option, and is a seven-seater only.

“Both cars have enjoyed a strong start, which suggests they will continue to sell well second-hand,” said Alan Gupwell, BCA’s national remarketing manager. “Ford’s models are highly sought after at BCA, and this clearly reflects the exceptional retail demand being reported by dealers.”

Indeed, it wasn’t only the people carriers which proved popular at the Nottingham sale. “While the S-MAX and Galaxy took pride of place, there were strong supporting roles for the Fiesta, Focus, Focus C-MAX and Mon­deo,” explained auction manager Chris Shambrook. “Prices held up well, and overall exceeded even our own high residual value expectations.”