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© 2026 - Octane Automotive BV
© 2026 - Octane Automotive BV
A dealer or trader calls: they want to buy your car. Quick money, no hassle with listings or viewings, and the car is gone immediately. Sounds attractive, especially if you want to sell fast. But are you getting a fair price?
The reality is that dealers and traders buy professionally. They are trained to offer as low as possible and know all the tricks to push the price down. "There is some rust underneath," "the market is weak," "I will need to invest a lot." Their goal is simple: buy low, sell high. Your car is trade to them, not passion.
An auction offers a fundamentally different model. Instead of one-on-one negotiation with a professional who buys cars every day, you let multiple buyers (enthusiasts who truly want your car) bid against each other. That shifts the balance of power in your favor.
| Factor | Octane Auction | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Several weeks from submission to sale | Often arranged within days |
| Proceeds | Private market value through competitive bidding | Trade purchase price, typically 20-35% below market value |
| Negotiation | Buyers bid against each other, no negotiation for you | Dealer negotiates professionally for the lowest possible price |
| Margin | Direct sale to end user, no middleman | Dealer wants margin on resale |
| Appreciation of details | Enthusiasts value rare options, history, and originality | Dealers use standard purchase formulas and resaleability |
| Transparency | Open auction process with visible bids | Opaque: dealer calculates internally and makes an offer |
| Target audience | European network of thousands of serious enthusiasts | One buyer: the dealer themselves |
| Processing | Professional support with payment and handover | Dealer handles everything, but on their terms |
| Price protection | Confidential reserve possible, set jointly with Octane | No protection: accept the offer or walk away |
| Emotional value | Car goes to an enthusiast who appreciates it | Car becomes trade stock and may be exported |
Selling to a dealer is suitable in a limited number of situations: when speed is your absolute top priority and you do not mind the financial difference, or when your car is a common model without special features. A three-year-old Skoda Octavia sells fine through a dealer, and the price difference is then limited.
As soon as your car is special, the situation changes completely. A dealer looks at your classic Alfa Romeo, your low-mileage BMW M car, or your well-documented Porsche and mainly sees the risk and effort of reselling through their own channels. Their offer reflects that, not the actual value to an enthusiast.
On an auction platform, you reach buyers specifically searching for your type of car. They assess your car on its own merits: the condition, the history, the specifications, the story. And because multiple buyers bid simultaneously, the market determines a fair price instead of a dealer.
Octane skips the middleman. Your car goes directly to the end user willing to pay what it is worth to them, not what a trader thinks they can resell it for. This difference is greatest for cars where a dealer has limited options: niche models, classics, and cars with special specifications that are hard to place through regular trade channels.
The auction format ensures multiple interested parties are active simultaneously, driving the price toward true market value. A dealer offers a fixed amount, once, on their terms. At Octane, buyers collectively determine what your car is worth by bidding against each other.
Additionally, Octane offers a confidential reserve that you set together with the team. This gives you the certainty of a minimum price combined with the upward potential of competitive bidding. Bidders do not see the reserve and do not know whether it has been reached, ensuring a fair and uninfluenced bidding process.
Submit your car and our team will review it within 48 hours