Auction house BCA recorded its highest-ever number of unique used car buyers in July as average values remained broadly stable and sold volumes increased by 8.5%.
More than 10,500 unique buyers purchased vehicles through BCA for the first time on record, while nearly 85,000 used cars were sold during the month, the second-highest monthly volume of 2026. Average used car values stood at £7,550, just £18 lower than in June.
Despite the strength of overall demand, BCA said buyers were becoming increasingly selective and generally seeking smaller volumes of stock. Average performance against guide price expectations fell by half a percentage point to 93.5% during July.
Older used cars face pressure
BCA said dealers were increasingly focused on buying vehicles that could be competitively priced on the forecourt, with sellers that valued cars in line with current market expectations achieving stronger conversion rates and faster stock churn.
The trend is particularly evident among older vehicles, with cars aged more than eight years trading some way behind market guides. BCA said those guides had begun adjusting and it expects values in this part of the market to decrease significantly over the coming months.
Competition remains strong for clean, retail-ready stock, particularly three to five-year-old vehicles where supply remains relatively limited. Electric vehicles are also continuing to outperform the wider used car market in terms of desirability and price performance, according to BCA, particularly while the Iran conflict continues and fuel prices remain high.
It said poorer-condition vehicles needed to be priced realistically to generate dealer interest, with buyers increasingly wary of cars requiring mechanical or cosmetic refurbishment. BCA added that the continuing shortage of repair bay capacity was adding to dealer concerns about vehicle preparation times.
Dealers focus on value
BCA chief operating officer Stuart Pearson commented: “The used car sector has continued to tick over steadily in July, despite the ongoing heatwave across much of the country and the start of the summer holiday season, factors that will have affected retail footfall significantly in recent weeks. Larger used car retailers and dealer groups are anecdotally reporting reasonable levels of retail demand, while the message from small to medium retailers is generally more challenging and difficult, particularly for those selling higher mileage, older stock.”
He added: “Understandably, a high percentage of buyers are reporting that they are more cautious than earlier in the year, focusing their attention on ‘value for money’ vehicles that can be retailed with an attractive sticker price. We continue to work closely with our vendor customers to ensure they have the valuation insight they need to price their stock appropriately and the pre-sale services that mean their vehicles can be prepared, presented and sold as soon as possible.”
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