BCA’s new and enhanced pulse report charts current and historic trends in the wholesale used car market. Prices of over one million vehicles sold at BCA are analysed and tracked across nine sectors to provide a definitive picture of price trends in the wholesale marketplace.

BCA Pule looks at three distinct top-level sectors - nearly new, fleet/lease and part exchange - and new for 2008. Sub divides each sector into three categories of budget. Volume and Premium this provides a more accurate picture of what is happening in the three key areas of the market and reflects potentially different activity accross the price ranges. The new report publishing later this month suggests that prices were smoother in 2007 than may have been anticipated.

Despite some commentators voicing concerns about the ‘Credit Crunch’, both January and February were better than many expected and the early days of trading in March have delivered more of the same.

Our Experience is that professional buyers are generally pradmatic about their prospects for 2008 - they know the market has strength in depth and that motorists will still be buying used cars this year.

There’s certainly nothing to be gained by pressing the panic button, but sourcin the right stock at a good price and in a timely fashion will continue to be crucial. dealers are best placed to know their customer base and what sort of cars they want to buy.

Professional buyers continue to bid strongly on the most attractive, best specified vehicles in the right colours at a sensible mileage, because those vehicles are the ones that attract buyers to on the Forecourt. While February has seen plenty of demand for smaller, more economical cars, the market has been strong in the upper-medium and executive sector and we are still seeing plenty of interest in the prestige and performance market.

Price may well become an issue if economic conditions tighten, and if they do then the nearly new market is likely to see it first. Prices in the nearly new sector tend to be more colatile as volumes are lower and prices in the nearly-new sector tend to be more colatile as volumes are lower and prices cna be effected by activity in the new car market, where specific manufacturer activity such as 0% finance, cash-back deals or no-cost specification upgrades can affect used demand.

In the three to five year old used car sector, where volumes are much larger, condition becomes very important. The best -presented cars will continue to make the strongest values, but tatty and tired vehicles are likely to struggle to attract the buyers.

The budget used car market remains active and is likely to continue forward. Of Course, at the end of the chain is the consumer, who is incredibly well-informed and will do the sums accordingly. Our experience suggests when it comes to buying used cars, motorists know exactly what they want to buy and seek to get that car at the best possible price.

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Used cars UK website offer a range of special prices and discounts to the UK market looking for great deals and customer service information about the used car market. We track price fluctuations and changes by monitoring the current UK market. Shortly we will have a range of useful tools on our site for anybody and everybody to access free of charge.