Auction Grading System

 All vehicles sold at auction are given an overall grade by the auction engineers that inspect them. Grades can range from 0 to 9 but most auctions only use 0 to 5.

0, R or A are all used to denote accident repaired vehicles, with A1 and R1 gradings indicating that a vehicle has had only a minor accident repair.

P The number before the letter P denotes the extent of repair ie 5P small accident repair 25P moderate repair and 50P large repair we don't consider these unless requested but sometimes 5P or 10P can be OK.

Accident grade cars (or grade 0) can still be very good and are worth considering PROVIDING that the damage has been only minor and has been repaired to a high standard. For example, an otherwise grade 4.0 vehicle may have suffered a 5km/h front end collision.

Grade 1 indicates that a vehicle has been significantly modified with performance parts or it can also be used to indicate a transmission change, for example from auto to 5 speed. If you want an aftermarket turbo then this is the grade you should be looking out for.

Grade 2 is used for vehicles in very poor condition and these are vehicles that we never consider.

Grade 3 to Grade 4.5 These gradings are used for non accident vehicles and any of these are fine to buy as long as the physical inspection is positive. Occasionally a vehicle with very minor past repairs, such as a front fender replacement, might still be graded a 3.0 or 3.5. If this is the case then the lower grading might belie what is in reality a very nice vehicle which if it was not for the repair would deserve a 4.5 grading, so this must be considered in the assessment of the vehicle.

Grade 4.0 and 4.5 are used for vehicles that are overall very good and need little work to make them look pristine. These vehicles are not perfect though, and will still have small scratches and pin dents etc.

Grade 5 is reserved for new or near new vehicles that are in perfect condition. If you buy a grade 5 vehicle then you can expect it to be in showroom condition or very close to it.

Please Note:
You may see grading of A4BA for example. In this case the first A does not relate to overall condition but to repair.
The number relates to quality of repair:
5 - Light repair very well done.
4 - Very well repaired.
3 - May require touch up.
2 - Obvious repair
1 - Repaired poorly.
The second letter relates to overall exterior condition and the last letter relates to the interior.

 
Interior Grading

Interior gradings are often used as well, you will generally see these written below the main auction grading on the auction sheet.They range from A to F, with A being the best and reserved for exceptionally clean or new vehicles. B is above average and may actually be just as good as A except for the fact that the vehicle not brand new.