Low-emission vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in Australia’s second-hand car market as motorists strive to conserve fuel.

But hybrid vehicles, rather than electric models, are proving to be in highest demand and the most resistant to price reductions.

The Australian Automotive Dealer Association and AutoGrab revealed the trends on Tuesday in used car sales figures from May, which also showed the automotive market had bounced back from a sales dip in April.

The news comes one week after new hybrid and electric vehicles sales broke records to represent almost half of all new cars sold in Australia during the month.

The latest sales report showed Australian drivers bought 221,323 second-hand vehicles during May – a rise of more than 17,700 cars compared to April.

Standard hybrid vehicles made up one in 10 used cars up to five years of age, while electric and plug-in hybrid models represented six per cent of sales.

The trend towards low-emission cars reflected consumer efforts to avoid petrol and diesel price rises caused by conflict in the Middle East, association chief executive James Voortman said.

“It’s no surprise to see hybrids performing so strongly,” he said.

“With household budgets still under pressure, many consumers are looking for ways to reduce fuel costs and hybrids offer a practical and proven solution.”

Hybrid cars were also the most likely to withstand discounting to secure a sale, the report found, and retained 93.4 per cent of their value.

By contrast, more than half of second-hand petrol and diesel vehicles were discounted before finding a buyer in May, which Mr Voortman said showed consumers were in the driver’s seat.

“The increase in discounting reflects a strong level of competition in the used vehicle market at the moment,” he said.

“Buyers are in a good position to compare options and negotiate on price.”

The report came on the same day BYD Australia revealed it had signed a three-year deal with Pickles to auction its second-hand fleet vehicles.

The agreement was another sign that Australia’s used electric vehicle market had evolved, Pickles motor vehicles general manager Chris Shaw said, and the move would make them accessible to a wider motoring audience

“We’re seeing increased confidence in used electric vehicles from both private buyers and the trade as the market develops, pricing becomes more accessible, and understanding of EV ownership continues to improve,” he said.

AAP

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From rare muscle cars to a Ferrari LaFerrari prototype, Mecum’s 2026 Indianapolis Auction is stocked with high-dollar collector cars. But the auction house is paying special attention to something more ordinary: a 1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5.

In an email to The Drive, Mecum senior communications manager David Morton said this Toyota has been garnering among the highest clicks of any lot in the auction, which is scheduled for May 8-16 (the 4Runner will cross the block on May 14, if you’re interested in bidding). That has Mecum speculating that this could be a “unicorn” that will help establish another generation of collector cars, Morton said.

Like most cars that make it into a Mecum auction catalog, this 4Runner is remarkably original. It has just 6,951 miles on the odometer, and has survived 30 years on this Earth without exposure to rust or the modifying impulses of off-roaders. It still has a 3.4-liter V6 making just 183 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque, connected to a four-speed automatic transmission and two-speed transfer case. The Oak Sport cloth interior and Desert Dune Metallic paint (what is it with Toyota and coming up with exciting names for boring colors?) are pure 1990s, as are the chunky 16-inch alloy wheels and factory cassette/CD player.

Pristine condition aside, it’s unusual to see a third-generation 4Runner at an auction that isn’t hosted by Bring a Trailer. This is only the eighth 1996 4Runner SR5 consigned by Mecum in over 10 years, Morton noted. Known as the N180, the third-generation 4Runner mark an important step in the evolution of this SUV from bare-bones off-roader to mainstream dweller of suburbia. It was civilized enough to serve as a mainstream offering until that role was taken by crossovers, relegating the 4Runner to the more niche status it has today.

Several off-roaders–such as the Ford Bronco, Series Land Rovers, and Toyota’s own Land Cruiser—have achieved collector-car status. And children of the 1990s are well into the nostalgia phase that fuels auction spending, as evidenced by the sky-high prices an Acura Integra Type R can bring. This 4Runner could mark the convergence of those trends. After all, if performance cars from this era can be collectible, why not off-roaders?

A clean N180 4Runner is certainly appealing in its own right. Compared to today’s 4Runner, it’s refreshingly basic. And it comes from an era when Toyota reliability really meant something. But Mecum is being a bit more conservative than some dealerships have been lately with their classic ‘Yotas. The highest price the auction house has seen for a 1996 4Runner SR5 is $28,075 (from a 2024 auction), so it’s expecting this one to sell for $35,000 to $45,000. If you’ve been contemplating a third-gen 4Runner, this is an auction to watch. If this car exceeds that estimate, affordable ones might get harder to find.

A yellow Ferrari Enzo, part of the Phil Bachman Collection, has just been sold at auction for $17.87 million, destroying all previous auction records.

Prior to this, the most expensive Ferrari Enzo was sold in 2023. It had gone for approximately $6.26 million.

Chassis no. 135262 is painted in Giallo Modena, making it one of just 36 Enzos painted in this shade of yellow. Only 11 of these exist in the US. Inside, it is fitted with the factory custom Rosso and Giallo seats.

This is one of those rare low-mileage Enzos. The odometer reading at the time of sale was 649 miles. However, there are Enzos with delivery miles as well. Two cars are currently on sale at F1rst Motors, Dubai.

That being said, this Enzo is Ferrari Classiche certified with Red Book and has won at several concours events, including Platinum and The Supercar Cup at the 2011 Cavallino Classic.

The Ferrari Enzo is one of the last analogue supercars. It is powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine that makes 651 hp and 485 lb-ft of torque. It is bolted to a 6-speed automated manual transmission, which drives the rear axle.

Source: Mecum Auctions