Bidding and buying cars over the internet reached a new peak in September with a record number of cars sold online in one month via Manheim Auctions' Simulcast, breaking the 1,000 sales barrier for the first time. A total of 1,009 cars were sold during the month at over 150 auctions 'attended' via the internet by 1,023 individual dealers who generated more than 7,000 online bids.

To the end of September Simulcast car sales in 2008 are 35% ahead of 2007. During the same period the number of individual registered online attendees has risen a staggering 67% while the numbers of active buyers, in other words buyers who have actually bid on vehicles, has doubled.

Manheim Auctions' Simulcast is the UK's premier trade-only online wholesale channel, linking trade buyers via the internet to physical auctions, where they can view, bid and buy vehicles in real time, competing with other online buyers as well as buyers actually in the auction hall. With all of its 19 UK centres being geared up to broadcast live physical auctions over the web Manheim is now transmitting live action from the auction halls for around 40 auctions every week.

Mike Pilkington, Managing Director, Manheim Auctions & Remarketing said: 'The record number of online car sales achieved via Simulcast in September clearly shows that there is still a good level of activity in the market. We know from our research that these buyers are often new to the auction environment and that they are attracted online by minimising both travel time and avoiding travel costs. The results also confirm that trade buyers are comfortable with the concept of online buying where they can browse detailed condition reports on all cars and trust both the process and the system as demonstrated by the industry leading increase in registered attendees and the doubling of the number of active buyers.'