The average online price of vans once again reached record levels in the period spanning January to March, with total figures rising from £1,585 to £9,605 according to the latest data from Autorola. The current level is the highest recorded by the company since the fourth quarter of 2013, when it measured £8,020.æ It's believed that the numbers have been impacted by the increasing demand for lower mileage LCVs in good condition.æ There is currently a short supply of such vehicles. It's believed that the demand has arisen as a result of the increasing consumer desire to purchase a 12-24 month van and then convert it into either a camper van or a motor caravan.æ It's likely that the hobby-fuelled demand will only increase throughout the summer.æ Typically, the most popular vans on the online Autorola platform are between two and three years old, with the average mile count being 31,927. The price of used cars sold during the first quarter of this year have remained fairly constant, meanwhile.æ Prices increased by £22 to reach £8355 during the first quarter, indicating the stability of the online market.æ The average mile count for cars is 22,262, with the average age being 2-3 years old. Jon Mitchell, UK sales director for Autorola, said: 'While we have had an excellent mix of top quality LCV stock on our Autofind portal in quarter one, particularly from Volkswagen, the continued increase in used prices keeps defying all industry predictions. "SMEs and consumers have a huge appetite to buy used LCVs, especially in good condition, and demand shows no signs of abating. 'Used car prices online remain very consistent, even though we have increased our available stock on our portal by up to 1,500 since January and sold many more cars. 'The used car market has already shown signs of being very buoyant in April, post the record March new car sales figures. We haven't experienced the trend of softening values online that have been reported in the physical market."
