Auction company Manheim posted further growth in automotive volume, and strong industrial equipment sales including a record June, across a busy first half of 2025.
Vehicle sales volume driven through the auction lanes increased around 4.0 per cent in the first half of the year (H1) over H1 2024 – with both June and YTD volume results at a five-year high.
At the same time average vehicle selling prices increased over the first half, meaning sellers saw better returns on their assets. Moreover, average selling times decreased year-on-year for passenger cars, SUVs and light commercials by between one and four days.
Further highlights included a 21 per cent increase in sales volume at Manheim’s Brisbane site in Eagle Farm, as well as improved sales in both Perth (+10.0 per cent) and Melbourne (+5.0 per cent).
Manheim saw sales uplifts of cars sold on behalf of financiers (28 per cent) and automotive OEMs (17 per cent). The company also recorded 32 per cent growth in vehicles consigned to auction by dealers – with average selling times for this category sitting at around seven days.
Manheim is the market volume leader for selling dealer vehicles consigned to public auction.
Another bright spot for Manheim in the first half of 2025 was the almost four-fold growth (+265 per cent) in sales of electric vehicles at public auction, complemented by a significant uplift in EV volume (8.0% share) at Manheim’s franchise dealer-only ex-company car auctions.
The business rounded the corner into the second half of 2025 with some momentum, including a YTD record of more than 500 cars offered at the Melbourne weekly auction in mid-July, and the company’s upcoming third EV auction now open for viewing.
Manheim also expanded its core competencies with the successful Tough Automotive Prestige Auction in June — an offsite event held on behalf of luxury vehicle seller Tough Automotive in Brisbane, run on Manheim’s in-person and online digital auction platform.
Finally, the first wave of graduates of the Manheim Auction Academy received their gavel trophies in July having completed intensive training, bolstering the company’s team of auctioneers to nearly 50 people. A broader auction team means better outcomes.
Looking ahead the company foresees a market-led uplift in quality late-model ex-lease and government vehicles through the lanes in H2 of 2025, and further volume growth driven in part by newly signed vendor customers across various key supply channels.
Sticking with cars, Manheim Salvage likewise posted strong growth in H1 2025 across Australia and New Zealand, with volume and gross sales up YTD and ahead of target, with the lion’s share of damaged vehicles stored and sold on behalf of insurance companies.
Manheim Industrial meanwhile grew gross sales 12% across the first half of 2025 driven by an all-time record month in June 2025, on the back of more than 50 event auctions including a number of EOFY campaigns and a new high watermark for sales of trucks and trailers.
The Industrial asset division of Manheim auctions is well positioned for the second half of 2025, driven in part by key hires and further investments in the Advisory and Valuations departments. The company for example has been entrusted with selling the high-profile Don Watson Group fleet of prime movers and cold storage trailers over the coming months.
Manheim automotive insights:
- Overall vehicle selling prices up 0.5 per cent YoY, currently 35.1 per cent greater than December 2019, when the Price Index commenced.
- Selling days for passenger cars down three days, SUVs down four days, utes down one day, over the same month in 2024.
- Passenger car selling prices remain more elevated than SUVs and utes. Car prices are up 55.1 per cent since December 2019 (155.1 on the Price Index) compared to 21.2 per cent up for SUV and 25.2 per cent for utes.
- Top-selling vehicles at auction YTD are Ford Ranger (up 20.1 per cent), Toyota Corolla (up 24.3 per cent), Toyota HiLux (up 30.1 per cent), Isuzu D-Max (down 3.9 per cent), and Mitsubishi Triton (up 11.8 per cent).
