Guide
How Japanese Car Auctions Work
Japanese car auctions sell more than 200,000 vehicles every week, through huge, highly organised auction houses, many run by groups connected to makers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan. They give buyers access to cleaner, lower mileage cars than almost anywhere else.
Every car is inspected first
Before a car is sold, a trained inspector writes its condition report:
- damage is marked on a diagram, panel by panel;
- scratches and dents are noted;
- the interior is graded;
- mechanical observations are added where needed.
That report is why buyers around the world trust these auctions, and why they bid on cars they have never seen in person.
Sold in about 30 seconds
Each car has a slot in its auction lane. When the slot opens, licensed buyers bid on a digital system, the price rises in small steps, and a typical car is sold in around 30 seconds. Buyers decide what a car is worth and set their limit before it starts. Preparation is what wins cars.
Only licensed members can bid, which is why private buyers abroad go through a specialist like Autoselecta.
Auction grades, briefly
Every car has an overall grade, from S and 6 for new or nearly new down to R and RA for repaired cars, plus a letter for the interior. The highest grade isn't always the best buy: mileage, repair history, rust, originality and mechanical condition matter too. We translate every auction sheet before you bid. See how Japanese auction grades work.
How Autoselecta bids for you
- Choose your car from this week's auctions and read its translated auction sheet.
- Set your maximum by 9pm UK time the evening before the auction.
- Pay the deposit: for a maximum up to £30,000, £2,000 held on your card and only taken if you win; above that, 10% of your maximum by bank transfer, sent back if you don't win.
- Our licensed agent bids in Japan when the car enters the lane.
Your maximum isn't your price. If competition is light, you may win well under it. When someone bids against us, we raise the bid in small steps, and we never go above your limit. You pay the winning hammer price plus our fees.
If the car doesn't reach its reserve, the auction house may offer it at a fixed price straight after, or it goes back into a later auction. Either way, we'll tell you what we learned about its value.
Start with this week's auctions
View this week's auctionsHow buying from Japan works
Questions? WhatsApp +44 7908 911 247 · Email hello@autoselecta.com
