7:53 am, October 23, 2008
DEALERS have joined a mile-high club with a difference… with the first ever car auction on an aeroplane!
Honda UK teamed up with The Fleet Auction Group, to sell off 140 cars from the company’s used car department.
What better location than on a plane, taking Honda dealers to Spain? Thus, soon after take-off, the sale commenced. By the time of landing, every car had been sold.
Steve Clarke, the auctioneer from The Fleet Auction Group said: ‘This was a truly unique event that Honda dreamt up. The months of planning that went behind it was well worth the experience from an auctioneering point of view.
‘This is the most unusual place I have ever offered cars, and at one point, due to the cabin pressure, I thought I was going to lose my voice!’
Richard Battams-Scott, used car sales manager at Honda UK, said: ‘We are delighted with the outcome, especially in the current difficult trading conditions! Although it was partly a dealer incentive, the most important point was selling £1.8m of stock, at values in excess of our reserves.
‘The dealers could view high definition pictures of the cars on PDAs we supplied and were sat in aisle seats to help Steve Clarke see all bids. The feedback from those who took part has been excellent, so it was a hugely successful ‘virtual auction’.’
