Biberstrasse 10 · 1010 Vienna Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 office@fivestarcars.at

S05 · Sourcing

Auction sourcing, USA

Dealer-only auctions hold the majority of the interesting inventory in the United States, and you cannot bid at them. We can.

Manheim, Copart, IAAI and the marque sales are trade-access only. That is where off-lease cars, fleet returns, repossessions and dealer trade-ins go before they ever reach a public listing — which is why public listings are more expensive.

How a bid works

Step 01

We agree a ceiling

A maximum landed price, not a maximum bid — so the number you approve is the number you pay, with duty, freight and NoVA already accounted for.

Before the sale
Step 02

We inspect what can be inspected

Auction cars come with condition reports of varying honesty. Where the lot allows it, someone looks at the car. Where it does not, we tell you that plainly and price the risk in.

1–3 days
Step 03

We bid

If it goes past your ceiling, we stop. There is no fee for a lot we do not win, and there is always another car.

Sale day

What to know first

Auction cars are sold as they stand. A salvage-title car can be a good buy or an unregisterable one, and the difference is not always visible in the photographs.

We do not bid on salvage or flood-history vehicles for import unless you specifically ask and understand what the Austrian approval process will make of it.

What it costs

Our standard fee, on the hammer price. No charge for unsuccessful bids.

Common questions

Can you get anything cheaper than a dealer listing?

Usually, on volume models. On rare specifications the auction premium can exceed a private sale, and we will tell you when that is the case.

What about salvage-title cars?

They exist and they are cheap for a reason. Some are perfectly repairable; some will never pass an Einzelgenehmigung. We are conservative here.

Do I have to decide on the day?

No — you set a ceiling in advance and we work to it. The auction is not the moment for a conversation.

Send us a listing

Paste a US listing URL, or just name the model. You get the full landed breakdown back within one working day.

Describe the car