Demand for second-hand cars surges as new car sales falter

Demand for used cars has climbed in the wake of lockdown even as new car sales have fallen, according to new data.

Used car specialist AA Cars has reported a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in interest in vehicles, with spikes in some regions more than doubling demand.

The rise is partly being attributed to the effects of lockdown and government advice to avoid public transport whenever possible, with more people looking for affordable private transport instead.

Drivers’ interest in used cars spiked to 9.1 per cent above pre-pandemic levels when forecourts re-opened in June, but the new analysis shows that demand has continued to pick up since then. Searches on the AA Cars platform in September were on average four per cent higher than they were in June — with some areas, such as Glasgow