Motorway for Dealers

Motorway inverts the usual auction supply chain. Instead of trade stock moving between businesses, the cars here come straight from private owners who have decided to sell, and UK dealers bid for them daily. The platform calls itself the country's largest source of private stock, and access is dealers only.

What you can buy

• Privately owned used cars, listed fresh every day.
• Vans and light commercials.
• Electric and hybrid vehicles.

How the bidding works

Bidding is by proxy: you set a maximum, and the system bids on your behalf, so once the reserve is met you pay one pound more than the next highest bidder rather than your ceiling. Every car carries detailed descriptions and photographs prepared before the sale. The platform handles the administration that makes private-to-trade purchases awkward — verifying documents, processing payment and clearing outstanding finance on the vehicle — and can arrange transport.

What to check before you bid

Registration is free but conditional: you complete a short form and Motorway verifies your dealership before the account opens, so this is not available to private buyers. Because the seller is a private individual rather than a trader, the consumer-law position is different from a trade-to-trade purchase — worth understanding before your first bid. Cars are described by the platform from the seller's photographs and answers rather than by a physical inspection.