My trip To The Import Auctions At Southampton Docks - Today

[SupraAyf]

Right guys, I thought I would tell you all about my trip to the Import Car Auctions at Dock Gate 4 of Southampton Docks. Well I have to say that it was a great experience and an informative one at that.

 

As some of you will know, I have been looking for a little Nissan Figaro for my wife for a few weeks now, but good example Figaro's (with low mileage) are quite hard to find. The best examples are sold on Autotrader or through good Figaro dealers for anywhere between £6k and £9K. My intent was to see if I could pick up a cheaper one and spend a few quid on doing it up; hence my 'info-visit' to the auction today!!

 

The auction took 150 minutes to sell 219 cars and although a few cars and 4x4's were in a slightly tatty condition; the majority were very acceptable indeed.

 

There were only 8 Figaro's at this auction but here is the data on each (Mileage is in Km's). A few were grade 2's but the majority were 3's:

 

1. Cream Custom Figaro with alloys and new chrome - 70K - Final price: £2600.

2. Black - 117K - £2500.

3. Green - 84K - £3500 - Absolutely mint condition.

4. Green - 107K - £2750

5. Blue - 102K - £2000

6. Light Blue - 66K - £2750

7. Topaz - 125K - £2100

8. Red - 102K - £2100.

 

The cars would need a bit of work on them but that would be £500-£750 and then I would have a spanking little car for the missus - A damn site cheaper than what the dealers are selling them for as you can see!

 

Other cars for interest are as follows (Again, the mileage is in KM's):

 

1. 1994 Supra NA (132K) in red (Good condition) - £2500

2. 1995 Supra 6-Speed TT (102K) - £4200

3. 1994 Supra 6-Speed TT (90K) - £5000

4. 1996 Facelift TT Auto (78K) - £5400

5. 1995 GTR 2.6TT Skyline (38K) - Mint - £7400

6. 1998 WRX STi (82K) with mods and in great condition - £1500

 

Just for info but the auction always starts at 11am every Tuesday, and although its is supposedly for 'Trade Only', the guys will let you buy a car as a private buyer - Good news for me, so I am likely to be back there next Tuesday to pick myself up a cheap Figaro. The only extra costs is that you have to pay £150 to the auction house for each purchase and £250 if its the first car that you have bought from them; all others are £150 each thereafter.

 

All I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience;)

[toyotasuprauk]

Sounds pretty good! If it was a bit nearer I'd go and have a look just to see whats going.

[SMiFFAD]

Which auction house did you go to?

 

I went down there last month on the supra hunt, but the only two they had were dogged

[JamieP]

2. 1995 Supra 6-Speed TT (102K) - £4200

3. 1994 Supra 6-Speed TT (90K) - £5000

 

That aint bad, might have to look into this buying selling cars:)

[DaveK]

It seems almost too good to be true. You can buy a 6-speed '95 TT with 60k miles on the clock for £4,200?

[SupraAyf]

Which auction house did you go to?

 

I went down there last month on the supra hunt, but the only two they had were dogged

 

It was a place called Motorway Car Auctions which is 100m on the right from the main Dock-4 Gate;)

[Guest mk47]

It seems almost too good to be true. You can buy a 6-speed '95 TT with 60k miles on the clock for £4,200?

 

may have to look into this. i want a 6sp.

[SupraAyf]

2. 1995 Supra 6-Speed TT (102K) - £4200

3. 1994 Supra 6-Speed TT (90K) - £5000

 

That aint bad, might have to look into this buying selling cars:)

 

And that's in KM's too mate;) I did think the same about Figaro's as its probably the best Japanese Import car to deal in at the moment for profit margins.

 

No wonder the dealers were so chuffed to pick them up.

[SMiFFAD]

It was a place called Motorway Car Auctions which is 100m on the right from the main Dock-4 Gate;)

 

Yes thats one of the ones i went too. I think they have reserve prices, and they dont tell you publically if you met it or not, so they may not have actually sold for that.

 

the other place we went to, A1 i think it was called, said sold/not sold at the end of every auction, they only sold about 3 cars in the hour we were there, reserves were too high for people.

[Guest mk47]

And that's in KM's too mate;) I did think the same about Figaro's as its probably the best Japanese Import car to deal in at the moment for profit margins.

 

No wonder the dealers were so chuffed to pick them up.

 

are those prices on the road though? or do you still have to register them yourself, have them svad, motd taxed etc??

[Pete]

Scooby would be a nice second car at £1500!

[JamieP]

are those prices on the road though? or do you still have to register them yourself, have them svad, motd taxed etc??

 

That wont be otr, register and mot aint much though, no sva if older than 10 years.

[SMiFFAD]

are those prices on the road though? or do you still have to register them yourself, have them svad, motd taxed etc??

 

fresh off the boat, everything else is up to you. Most of them are over 10 years old though, so just require an mot to get them legal (and tax etc obviously)

[JamieP]

And that's in KM's too mate;) I did think the same about Figaro's as its probably the best Japanese Import car to deal in at the moment for profit margins.

 

No wonder the dealers were so chuffed to pick them up.

 

Can i come with you next week bud?

[Guest mk47]

That wont be otr, register and mot aint much though, no sva if older than 10 years.

 

that aint bad at all then. probably a few hundred more to get it registered and you still have yourself a bargain.

[SupraAyf]

Scooby would be a nice second car at £1500!

 

 

Pete, one Scoobie (in Black) went for £2300 and it was near on perfect with every conceivable extra imaginable. It was a 98 so SVA would have to be sorted.

 

Just for info guys but the Auction house does full SVA's for £650 all-in and they take between 10-14 days to sort it for you;)

[tDR]

You are absolutely stark raving mad to buy from a UK port auction IMO. The cars tend to be clocked and / or accident damaged. I have been to both the Southampton and Liverpool port auctions and sampled the poor quality examples on sale. Ask yourself this - why do none of them have last oil change or timing belt change stickers under the bonnet or on the inside door posts? All properly sourced Jap imports have these things. Why do they not have Japanese grading certificates to prove their condition / mileage / lack of accident history? Again, properly sourced Jap imports have these.

 

In addition, the prices are normally pre registration / MOT / SVA so you could get stung on top of the hammer price.

 

Avoid IMO.

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

[SupraAyf]

Can i come with you next week bud?

 

Jamie, if I'm down South then I'll be there mucka - Of course you can come mate.

 

Egg and Sausage butty's are only £2.50 and tea & coffee is all free, so that's us set up for the visit:)

[JamieP]

Jamie, if I'm down South then I'll be there mucka - Of course you can come mate.

 

Egg and Sausage butty's are only £2.50 and tea & coffee is all free, so that's us set up for the visit:)

 

Cool, would like to pick up cheap STI for ripping about in;) pm'd

[DaveK]

You are absolutely stark raving mad to buy from a UK port auction IMO. The cars tend to be clocked and / or accident damaged. I have been to both the Southampton and Liverpool port auctions and sampled the poor quality examples on sale. Ask yourself this - why do none of them have last oil change or timing belt change stickers under the bonnet or on the inside door posts? All properly sourced Jap imports have these things. Why do they not have Japanese grading certificates to prove their condition / mileage / lack of accident history? Again, properly sourced Jap imports have these.

 

In addition, the prices are normally pre registration / MOT / SVA so you could get stung on top of the hammer price.

 

Avoid IMO.

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

 

I half agree - hence I said it seems too good to be true. However - in the original post he mentioned grades. Surely an accident damaged car wouldn't be grade 3? Or was this a verbal "it's grade 3" without documentary backup?

 

MOT / SVA etc. does not sound like significant cost - assuming it passes, and they don't find that it's two cars welded together.

[tDR]

I half agree - hence I said it seems too good to be true. However - in the original post he mentioned grades. Surely an accident damaged car wouldn't be grade 3? Or was this a verbal "it's grade 3" without documentary backup?

 

MOT / SVA etc. does not sound like significant cost - assuming it passes, and they don't find that it's two cars welded together.

 

Grade 3 is a low grade. Usually it is awarded to cars with mechanical faults and / or bodywork imperfections. I can bet they don't give documented proof of the grading even still though. Accident damaged cars in Japan tend to be graded R, RA, RA1 etc. depending on the severity and quality of the repair.

 

If you need to clear the car through customs then register it / SVA / MOT it expect around 50% on top of the hammer price as a rough guide. If they are already cleared (import duty and VAT paid) it's not so bad.

 

These port auction companies are not around to save us money, they are there to make a profit. Ask yourself how can they sell these cars for less than they can be bought for in Japan before shipping?

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

[SupraAyf]

I half agree - hence I said it seems too good to be true. However - in the original post he mentioned grades. Surely an accident damaged car wouldn't be grade 3? Or was this a verbal "it's grade 3" without documentary backup?

 

MOT / SVA etc. does not sound like significant cost - assuming it passes, and they don't find that it's two cars welded together.

 

Dave, all cars had the written grades on the window certificate and a good number had the Japanese supporting certficates on the dash;)

[toyotasuprauk]

Its a very good point does import duty/ VAT still need to be added to these cars?

[supra steveo]

hells bells thats cheap as chips if i had of known that when i was buying i would of bought 2

[JamieP]

Andy is there vat to pay ontop?