Car Upgrade service
Our car auction Upgrade service allows you to increase conversions and maximise sales through cosmetic and mechanical enhancements that raise your vehicle's NAMA grading. Our post-sale refurb offering also takes the hassle out of vehicle prep, providing you with a retail-ready car that can be taken straight to the forecourt.
How our car Upgrading works
We have a dedicated vehicle refurb team ready to help at each of our auction sites. The process is as quick and simple as possible, helping you prepare and sell vehicles efficiently.
Bring a vehicle to any one of our auction sites including Chelmsford, Donington Park, Prees Heath, Wakefield and Westbury.
- Your vehicle is independently appraised and assigned a current NAMA grading between 1 and 5 based on its current condition.
- Our Upgrade team will give you a bespoke plan and quote for the work required to raise its NAMA grading and earn you a maximum return.
- If you choose to go ahead, we can complete the vast majority of upgrades on-site in an average of 48 hours.
- Once complete, your vehicle will be re-inspected and assigned a new and improved NAMA grading before going to auction.
Key benefits of our car sale preparation
- Save time and effort on vehicle sale preparation with a quick turnaround versus sending vehicles off to garages.
- Increase vehicle value and sales with NAMA grade uplifts to 3 and above.
- Majority of upgrades completed on-site, including paint jobs, dent removal and alloy repair.
- Dedicated refurb team at all sites provides flexibility of location.
- All vehicles independently appraised pre- and post-upgrade for reliable grading.
Full car services breakdown:
- Paintless dent removal (PDR)
- Bumper repairs (painted and textured)
- Plastic welding
- Repairs to metal or composite body panels
- Mirrors and mouldings
- Wheel repairs
- Machine orbital polishes
- TRIZACT shave and polish
Commercial vehicle services breakdown:
- Standard PDR repair
- PDR panel salvage
- SMART repairs to full bumpers
- Half bumper paint
- Plastic weld
- Bumper filler repair – major
- Touch in and polish
- TRIZACT panel
- Paint wing mirror
- Paint body moulding
- Panel paints
NAMA car grading explained
NAMA (National Association of Motor Auctions) grading is the independent industry standard for vehicle inspections. It's designed to give buyers consistent, accurate information about vehicle condition, helping you buy at auction with confidence.
All vehicles offered for sale at our auctions are inspected and graded in line with these guidelines, with 5 grades determined on a points system by qualified assessors. Aston Barclay car auction upgrading allows you to achieve a more desirable grade pre-sale.
- Grade 1: Minor interior and exterior defects i.e. minor scratches or dents.
- Grade 2: Possible Grade 1 defects, plus up to 1 major or minor body shop repair and possibly trim replacements.
- Grade 3: Possible Grade 1 and 2 defects, plus up to 5 minor or 3 major body shop repairs.
- Grade 4: Possible Grade 1, 2 and 3 defects, and a combination of repairs including a replacement panel but excluding roofs and quarter panels.
- Grade 5: Possible Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 defects, plus a combination of repairs or the replacement of up to 2 structural
- U: Uneconomical to appraise due to substantial damage or missing parts.
Speak to our team about vehicle sale preparation
Speak to our team today to find out more about how we can help you efficiently upgrade your car grading and maximise sales.
