Buying or selling a vehicle doesn’t always have to involve weeks of online advertisements, repeated phone calls and negotiations that go nowhere. A car auction can provide a faster and more straightforward alternative, bringing serious buyers and motivated sellers together in one place. That’s exactly what we do at Merlin
Buying or selling a vehicle doesn’t always have to involve weeks of online advertisements, repeated phone calls and negotiations that go nowhere. A car auction can provide a faster and more straightforward alternative, bringing serious buyers and motivated sellers together in one place.
That’s exactly what we do at Merlin Car Auctions.
Based at M7 Motorpark near Junction 10 in Naas, Co. Kildare, Merlin Car Auctions provides a professional and transparent way for private customers, motor dealers and commercial organisations to buy and sell vehicles.
Our regular car auctions feature a wide selection of vehicles from recognised motor groups, finance providers, leasing companies, dealerships, businesses and private sellers. Whether you’re searching for your next family car, adding stock to a dealership or looking for a convenient way to sell a vehicle, Merlin is here to make the auction process easier to understand.
Merlin Car Auctions is an established Irish vehicle auction company serving both members of the public and the motor trade.
Our purpose is fairly simple: we bring vehicle buyers and sellers together through a professionally managed auction process.
From our auction centre in Naas, we provide access to a regularly changing selection of cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and specialist stock. Depending on the auction, buyers may find vehicles supplied by finance companies, leasing providers, motor dealers, fleet operators and private sellers.
Because auction stock changes regularly, buyers have the opportunity to discover different makes, models, ages and price ranges each week. This makes Merlin a useful place to search whether you have a particular vehicle in mind or simply want to see what options are available.
Merlin also works with recognised organisations across the Irish motor industry, providing vehicle remarketing services to motor groups, leasing companies and finance providers.
There’s sometimes a misconception that car auctions are only open to dealers. At Merlin, our auctions are suitable for both private buyers and trade customers.
A private buyer might visit Merlin while searching for:
Motor traders can use the auctions to source stock across different makes, vehicle types and price points.
Businesses, fleet managers and other professional buyers may also find suitable commercial or passenger vehicles depending on the stock available in each auction.
The range changes from one auction to another, so it’s important to view the latest vehicle catalogue before deciding what you’d like to bid on.
You don’t have to arrive at an auction without knowing what vehicles will be available.
The Merlin website allows buyers to search current vehicle stock and review available information before an auction begins. This gives you time to identify the vehicles that interest you, compare different options and set a realistic maximum budget.
Where information is available, vehicle listings can include details such as:
Merlin also carries out a MotorCheck history check on vehicles before auction. Buyers should still carefully review all available vehicle information and understand the auction terms before placing a bid.
Doing your research beforehand can make the auction experience much more manageable, particularly when you’re attending for the first time.
One of the biggest changes in vehicle auctions over recent years is that you no longer necessarily need to be standing in the auction hall to take part.
At Merlin Car Auctions, registered buyers can bid in person or use the Merlin LiveBid service to participate online from a computer or smartphone.
Online bidding can be particularly convenient for buyers who live outside Kildare, motor traders managing a busy forecourt or anyone who can’t travel to Naas on the day of an auction.
To access Merlin’s online services, buyers can register for an account through the website. A registered account can also be used to manage purchases and sales and access vehicles offered through Buy It Now where available.
Before bidding, it’s important to:
Setting a maximum price in advance is particularly useful. Auctions can move quickly, and having a firm budget helps you avoid bidding more than you intended.
We want buyers to understand how the auction process works before they bid.
Vehicles sold through auction are generally sold as seen. This means buyers should inspect the vehicle where possible, read the available reports and take the vehicle’s condition into account before making a decision.
Each vehicle has a lot number and available description. Once bidding begins, interested buyers place bids until the highest bid is accepted and the auctioneer’s hammer falls. At that point, ownership legally passes to the successful bidder, subject to the applicable auction conditions.
The successful buyer then proceeds with payment and arranges collection of the vehicle. Merlin publishes its buyer’s fees and payment terms so bidders can calculate the likely total cost before taking part.
Remember that your total cost isn’t simply the final hammer price. Buyer’s fees, administration charges and any applicable vehicle report charges may also need to be included in your budget.
Merlin isn’t only for people looking to buy a vehicle. We also help private sellers, dealers, finance companies, leasing providers and other organisations bring vehicles to market.
Selling a car privately can take time. You may need to prepare an advertisement, answer messages, arrange viewings and deal with buyers who don’t show up or aren’t ready to make a decision.
An auction offers a different approach.
By entering your vehicle into a Merlin auction, it can be presented to an established audience of private and trade buyers. Merlin’s physical auction hall and online bidding service help make vehicles visible to buyers beyond the local area.
More than 10,000 cars are sold through Merlin’s auction hall each year, according to the company’s selling information.
The selling process can include:
Our team is available to explain the process, applicable seller’s fees and what information or documentation will be needed.
It can be difficult to know what a used vehicle is realistically worth.
Online advertisements can give you a rough idea, but advertised prices don’t always reflect what cars eventually sell for. A vehicle’s age, mileage, history, overall condition, specification and current market demand can all affect its value.
Merlin provides a vehicle valuation service for people considering selling through auction.
The valuation process gives our team an opportunity to review the vehicle details and provide guidance based on the information available. It can also help a seller decide whether an auction is the right option for their particular vehicle.
You can submit a valuation request through the Merlin website to begin the process.
Supporting Professional Vehicle Remarketing
Alongside individual buyers and sellers, Merlin works with companies that need a reliable way to remarket multiple vehicles.
This can include:
Vehicle remarketing involves preparing and presenting vehicles to an appropriate buyer audience so they can be sold efficiently and transparently.
Merlin provides access to both in-person and online buyers, helping remarketing partners place vehicles in front of private customers and motor traders across Ireland.
Current remarketing partners featured by Merlin include recognised names from Ireland’s motor, finance and leasing sectors.
Your first car auction can feel fast-paced, but the process becomes much easier once you understand the basics.
Before bidding for the first time, we recommend reviewing our buying guide, checking the upcoming auction catalogue and familiarising yourself with the relevant fees.
You could also attend or watch an auction before you plan to purchase. This will help you understand how quickly bidding moves and how the auctioneer communicates with buyers.
Merlin’s own guidance notes that vehicles can move through the auction rapidly, so preparation is important.
A few simple rules can help:
You don’t need to be a motor industry expert to attend an auction, but you should always understand what you’re buying and the terms under which it’s being sold.
Merlin Car Auctions is based at M7 Motorpark, Junction 10, Naas, Co. Kildare, making our auction centre easily accessible from Dublin and many other parts of Ireland.
From browsing current vehicle stock and registering to bid to requesting a valuation or entering a car for sale, much of the process can begin through the Merlin website.
Whether you’re a private buyer looking for your next car, a motor dealer sourcing new stock or an organisation searching for a professional remarketing partner, Merlin Car Auctions provides a convenient and transparent way to take part in the Irish vehicle auction market.
Explore our upcoming auctions, search the latest vehicles or register for an account to get started.