At a glance:
- Dealer Auction reports a 10k increase in the total number of bids in August
- The month proved broadly consistent, with platform data across vehicles sold, total retail values and average sold price holding steady
- The Nissan Qashqai Hybrid breaks into top 10 for models over £10k and proves a quick seller
- MINI secure a top-three spot in brand chart for the first time this year
- A new entry for the BMW 3 Series for 2026
September 2026 – Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor for August has reported a consistent month for the platform, highlighting continued positive performance across key metrics. The month delivered a healthy supply of fresh vehicles, strong sales volumes and a solid average sold price.
Notably, the total number of bids increased by over 10,000, demonstrating continued engagement and demand from retailers. Meanwhile, the total retail value of vehicles sold remained solid at £49.7 million month-on-month, reinforcing the platform’s consistent performance and ability to deliver valuable stock to the market.
Turning to the model charts for August, Land Rover models continued an impressive run. However, the month also saw some notable challengers emerge, with the petrol Nissan Qashqai and diesel Mazda CX-5 both breaking into the top five of the models retailing under £10,000, showing high potential retail margins.
Dealer Auction’s Marketplace Director, Kieran TeeBoon, commented: “These latest results are a really positive sign for the used car market, showing strong buyer and seller activity, rising demand and continued confidence in used vehicle stock. The Retail Margin Monitor is a market indicator showing the potential spread between wholesale purchase price and retail market value across a volume of vehicles and the trends the platform sees, and it’s great to see the Qashqai and CX-5 making their mark.”
“These movers and shakers are a clear indication that the market remains resilient, with dealers continuing to show a strong appetite for quality stock and confidence in the months ahead.”
The Qashqai was particularly impressive across the board, with its hybrid variant breaking into the top 10 over-£10,000 models while also recording the best days to sell in the chart. This standout performance indicates the growing appeal of hybrid stock and the opportunities it presents for dealers looking to balance demand, profitability and speed of sale.
Elsewhere on the platform, for brands with models under £10,000, BMW returned to the top three, while MINI achieved its first top-three finish of the year.
Volvo secured its second consecutive month in the top three brands for models retailing over £10,000, demonstrating continued strength and consistency in the higher-value market.
TeeBoon concluded: “It’s particularly positive to see strong performances from established favourites alongside emerging models. The hybrid Qashqai’s performance is also an interesting development, combining the strongest retail rating with the fastest days to sale in the over-£10k model rankings.
“Alongside MINI’s first top-three brand finish of the year, August demonstrates just how dynamic the used car market continues to be. With sales volumes and average sold prices also rising, it will be fascinating to see whether this momentum continues into the autumn.”
ENDS
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About Dealer Auction
Dealer Auction is the UK’s leading digital remarketing platform. We give buyers and sellers more choice, better insight and greater margins. Dealer Auction is an independent company, created through a joint venture between Cox Automotive and Autotrader. For more information, visit www.dealerauction.co.uk.
Launched in January 2022, Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor tracks the potential retail margin that can be achieved on vehicles bought via Dealer Auction’s open network. We track models meeting two key criteria: more than 20 units sold with a retail price of less than £10,000 (we also track any standout models that retail at more than £10,000). We then compare the sold price for each model with the Autotrader market average to reveal the potential margin. For the brand table, we compare models with more than 50 units sold of models retailing at less than £10,000. We crunch the numbers at the start of every new month.
This edition analyses data from 1 to 31 August 2026.
