Empowering sellers to sell their vehicles in a secure, transparent online auction environment to obtain the best price leveraging the scheckterspeed.co.za platform.

The motor sportsman of the year 1995, Jaki Scheckter, son of Ian Scheckter and nephew of racing legend Jody Scheckter, recently announced the launch of scheckterspeed.co.za –a one-stop secure auction marketplace for hassle-free online trading of pre-owned cars across South Africa.

This newly launched online auction platform gives private car owners access to a secure, convenient, and seamless digital platform, connecting sellers to a vast network of pre-approved dealerships across South Africa.

The broad pool of cars is displayed in a virtual showroom where pre-approved dealerships bid on the selection of pre-owned cars. If the Scheckter’s are known for anything, it’s being lightning-quick. The online platform was designed to allow private car owners to speedily sell their cars to the highest bidder and achieve a top price with no delay, using digital technology.

Scheckterspeed provides a one-stop online sales and buying experience, from pre-owned car listings and TransUnion online valuations to connecting sellers with pre-approved buyers (dealerships only) at auction.

Digitalisation of automotive retail for 2021 and beyond

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the global motor industry, including South Africa, has seen the majority of private car sellers and buyers conduct research online first, to compare various options and get a fair idea of the market. This is followed by offline car inspections by dealerships before the purchase is finalised,” says Jaki Scheckter, Director of Scheckterspeed.

“Trends indicate that private car owners in 2021 and beyond prefer selling their pre-owned vehicles from the safety and convenience of their homes, using third-party online marketplaces to gain access to an extensive network of interested buyers (pre-approved dealerships) to sell their vehicles. We are cognisant that online is now the preferred sales channel for most age groups,” he adds.

The adoption of digital technologies is changing the retail landscape. The convergence of dealerships and sellers in an online marketplace offers a significant opportunity for sellers to gain access to a larger geographical spread of pre-approved dealerships, and dealerships access to new customers.

According to Deloitte’s 2021 “Future of Auto Retail” SA Conference Report, “automotive retail is moving into a more inclusive, seamless ecosystem focused on customer convenience. This transition presents an opportunity for traditional mobility stakeholders to collaborate with technology players and build a strong ecosystem focusing on consumer needs and leveraging on digital enablers.”

Growing interest in pre-owned (used) car sales

The pre-owned online automotive retail market is growing, with online vehicle searches reaching a record number of 319 million in the first six months of 2021, according to Auto Trader’s 2021 mid-year car industry report.

According to the TransUnion Vehicle Price Index Q1 2021 new passenger finance deals decreased by 5% while used passenger finance deals increased by 7.4% year on year. It also signifies that the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa’s (NAAMSA) latest quarterly review reported that the used-to-new ratio remained consistent during 2020, rising to 2.4 in Q1 2021 (from 2.3).

Despite the pandemic, pre-owned vehicle sales is still a healthy industry. Online marketplaces will greatly contribute to the ease of buying and selling due to the ease, speed, convenience, transparency and – most importantly – the secure and risk-free way of selling, eliminating rogue elements.

It’s a deal

The purchase, ownership, and disposal of a pre-owned cars is as important and significant as the buying of a new car, especially in the financially constraint environment of today.

Son and father duo Jaki and Ian Scheckter have applied their wealth of experience in the motor industry – not only as racing drivers but also as automotive retail businessmen – to establish a digital car auction marketplace, keeping with the times. The Scheckter family’s long line of past and present celebrated motorsport racing drivers adds value and credibility to the brand and the online auto auction industry at large.

“The scheckterspeed.co.za platform is developed with the end-user in mind, offering a streamlined transparent end-to-end car sales ecosystem.  We keep customer trust, security, and convenience as top priorities during each digital touchpoint. Scheckterspeed mitigates the transaction risk by striking an equilibrium between the seller's needs and buying demand.

This online sales and dealership auction platform is fitting for the digitalised car sales and dealership buying journey,” says Scheckter.

Scheckterspeed.co.za offers customers an abundance of choice — all without having to leave the comfort of their home. The acceleration in digitalisation, as customers are inspired and influenced by their online experiences in other industries, demands an equivalent experience in the car trade. “The future of automotive sales is online, and we are here to provide that cutting-edge experience,” says Scheckter.

For more information on how to sell your private pre-owned car, or to register as a dealership, visit https://www.scheckterspeed.co.za today.