Buying used cars just got easier
dubai — Dubai Auto Auction, a joint venture between three companies, will start auctioning used Japanese vehicles from Tuesday, with prices ranging from $1,000 to $80,000, said a senior executive.
Rehman Chaudhry, chief executive officer of Quetta Trading Co, said the company would initially start operations with 50 cars a day and then increase it to 100 in the next few months, holding auctions six days a week. The company will also start online auctions after three months.
“We started the process a year ago. People were a bit sceptical about this project. I want to assure customers that we will deliver quality vehicles,” Chaudhry told Khaleej Times.
Chaudhry was speaking at a press conference held to announce the launch of Dubai Auto Auction — a joint venture between Quetta Trading Co., Al Zohaib Motors and Nagoya Daihatsu.
Most vehicles that will be put up for auction will be for re-exports, but the company will also tap the local market at a later stage.
“The prices of vehicles will start from $1,000 and go up to $80,000. We have 1990-91 models which will be priced from $1,000. The latest models will also go under the hammer,” he noted.
The company will auction sports cars, sedans, four-wheelers and other family cars.
Mohammad Zohaib Khan, director of Al Zohaib Motors, said unlike other companies, Dubai Auto Auction will auction all major Japanese brands such as Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Daihatsu and Suzuki in an air-conditioned hall.
“We are expecting footfall of 100 people a day and then take it further up. As winter approaches, we expect 150 to 200 people to turn up daily to participate in the auctioning. Customers can compare our brand with others because we have a proper set-up and guarantee the vehicles. We give customers a sense of comfort that the vehicle is in good condition,” Khan said.
The UAE-based used car online platform CarSwitch.com revealed
The difference between us and competitors will be quality and guarantee of the cars Mohammad Zohaib Khan, Director of Al Zohaib Motors
last month that Japanese brands are most in demand in the used automotive market. Toyota leads the market with an 11 per cent share, followed by Nissan at 10 per cent. German brands BMW and Mercedes occupy the third and fourth places respectively.
Replying to a query about why people should buy DAA cars, Khan said: “The main reason is quality; even if there is a small engine problem, we will be there to help. Most customers feel scared buying a used car since they are not sure about the quality — fearing the engine or gearbox might have a problem. We guarantee our customers that all this will be taken care of. The difference between us and competitors will be quality and guarantee of the cars.”
According to Khan, each vehicle will be put up for auction after inspection in Japan. The DAA team will check it thoroughly after the vehicle lands in the UAE. “Only when we are satisfied, we put it up for auction.”
— waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com