Car history experts Motorcheck.ie have released statistics for used car sales in January 2013.

The numbers show that 40,995 used cars were sold to a new owner last month of which a staggering 73% of transactions occurred in the private market and were not officially recorded as being sold by a car dealer.

Buying "Privately" has always been synonymous with bargain hunting and Motorcheck's figures show that a majority of punters are more than happy to purchase directly from the current owner and bypass their local dealer.

Commenting on the figures Motorcheck.ie Co-Founder Shane Teskey said "Whilst the first quarter of the year is important for new car sales we can't forget the significance of the used car market for the Irish motorist. There were twice as many used cars bought over new this year and we expect this number to grow significantly as the year progresses".

A shortage in the supply of used cars in Ireland means that the number of second hand cars being imported from the United Kingdom is expected to rise. Mr. Teskey believes that buyers should be mindful of the pitfalls associated with buying from the private sector and remain skeptical of any price that's just too 'good to be true'.

"Motorcheck continues to see a significant number of insurance write offs entering the Irish market from the UK. These are normally sold 'as seen' to the prospective buyer which makes it almost impossible to rectify later when the hidden history is uncovered" he says.

Prospective buyers can check a cars history online with Motorcheck.ie from as little as €20 offering valuable peace of mind for those considering a purchase outside the established dealer network.




The Top 10 Most Popular Cars Bought Privately in January

Privately Sold

	Make	Model	Year	Transactions
1	Ford	Focus	2000	183
2	FIAT	Punto	2000	180
3	VW	Golf	2000	144
4	VW	Passat	2001	144
5	VW	Golf	1999	143
6	Opel	Astra	2000	142
7	Opel	Astra	1999	130
8	Toyota	Corolla	2000	126
9	Toyota	Corolla	1999	126
10	VW	Passat	2002	126

The Top 10 Most Popular Cars Bought From A Dealer in January

Dealer Sold