Buying a Salvage Vehicle at a UK Public Car Auction
Written by man on August 30th, 2009 in Other.
What is a Salvage Vehicle
A salvage vehicle is basically a car so badly damaged it would cost more for an insurance agency to fix it than its overall cost. This does not necessarily mean that the car cannot be repaired and made roadworthy. Such autos are often put up in a UK public car auction at a really low cost—they’re put in these categories.
Category A
Category A represents cars that can’t be fixed up at any reasonable price. The cost would be way over the car’s market value. Even the parts in a category A vehicle are questionable, so avoid these cars in a public vehicle auction.
Category B
Mull over investing in a category B inside a public auto auction strictly for the components. This kind of salvage vehicles has parts inside in suitable condition. Since the value of the components are above the market value of the car itself, you should pocket some money for yourself.
Category C
These cars can be fixed and put back on the road. These are great to buy at a public vehicle auction if you know about cars and know how to fix them up on your own.
Category D
Category D autos can be patched up at a cost less than the vehicle’s overall worth. Expect to make a profit if you intend to resell the vehicle at an auto auction or some other place.
Category X
Autos under this category need few repairs if any and wind up here because someone had previously stole them before being confiscated. Since the repairs are minor at best, you should have no problem selling them over for good money at live auto auctions or in an online public car auction.
So what it boils down to for cars found at a public car auction within the UK: Stay with categories X and D if you don’t know a lot about cars and if you have the money. Category C is an alternative for those who know vehicles and can do the fix-up themselves at a good price. Autos in Categories A and B should be avoided except maybe for parts.
