Brightwells

Brightwells runs one of the more varied auction calendars in Britain from its centre at Madley in Herefordshire. In a single fortnight it will sell cars and motorhomes, HGVs, contractors' plant, fine wine and whisky, classic cars, and — a category that exists almost nowhere outside the UK — cherished and personalised vehicle registration numbers, sold as assets in their own right.

What you can buy

• Cars, motorbikes, motorhomes and caravans: a weekly sale, mixing private and trade entries.
• Commercial vehicles and HGVs: its own weekly sale, closing separately from the car sale.
• Plant and machinery: contractors' and agricultural equipment.
• Classic cars and motorcycles, including modern classics.
• Wine, port, champagne and whisky.
• Cherished and personalised registration numbers.
• Farms and land through the firm's rural department.

How the bidding works

The calendar runs to a weekly rhythm with each department closing at its own hour — cars from 10am, commercials from just after noon, plant the following morning. Lots are shown as catalogue available or entries invited, which tells you at a glance whether a sale is ready to browse or still being assembled. Bidding is online and you register with an account before the sale you want.

What to check before you bid

Note the staggered closing times: two sales can run on the same day with the cars finishing while the commercials are still going. On registration numbers, understand that you are buying a right to assign a mark, with its own DVLA transfer process and fees on top of the hammer price — it is not a vehicle purchase. Everything else sells as seen at Madley, which is rural Herefordshire, so plan collection rather than assuming a quick drive from a motorway.