Car Dealer Auctions

Auction brings end to family business

SALISBURY — Yesterday was a hard day for Chris Fraser, but he stood composed as auctioneer John McInnis sold off every single item belonging to the business that had been in his family since 1924.

About 100 people gathered in what was once the showroom of Fraser Automotive on Route 1 for a bankruptcy auction of the family's former car dealership. More than 10 of those people came with the $15,000 certified check required to get in on the bidding for the more than 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building set on 3.76 acres of prime commercial land fronting Bridge Road. The property is assessed at almost $1.8 million, according to town records.

"One thing's for sure," McInnis told the crowd before he called for the opening bid. "Someone's going to get a good property today."

For about 20 minutes, offers bounced back and forth between a handful of bidders — including Provident Bank, which holds the mortgages on the property. But by 11:30 a.m., McInnis gaveled down the winning bid of $975,000 from Steve Larouche of Westford. Larouche would not comment on the purchase or his plans for the property.

After a short break, McInnis would go on to sell hundreds of items inside the dealership that was turned into an automotive center in recent years. One by one, the contents — from file cabinets to transmission jacks and engine hoists, used cars and GM repair manuals to wall art — were sold to high bidders.

Everything is gone now, part of the Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy liquidation filed in April by Fraser, who said he hung on as long as he could during a terrible economy, especially for the automotive industry.

Fraser, 55, said he has made his peace with the bankruptcy he was forced to pursue. But selling vehicles wasn't just a retail job for him. The third-generation "car guy" has a passion for the automobiles and trucks he's sold and serviced for most of his adult life.

"If we had a little deeper pockets, we could have hung on a little longer," Fraser, of Rowley, said in an interview during yesterday's auction. "We were going well, had some very good months, and we were making a name for ourselves in a positive way.

"It's been very hard because we had some wonderful customers who told me they were heartbroken when they heard about this."

What led to "this," he said, was a perfect storm of negative factors that overrode what was a new and, what many believed, solid concept in servicing motorists' automotive needs — a business model that encompassed used car sales, repair service and rental car availability all at one clean, attractive, friendly location.

Car Dealer Auctions – Do I Have to Be a Dealer to Attend One?

So you've decided to take a car auction to attend with the intention of driving away in a car you hundreds and even thousands less than its retail value costs. By now you probably heard about the different types of car auctions you can attend, such as government, police, public auctions and car dealer. But did you know that from this the best deals are available at an auction car dealers? The biggest myth most people lead you to believe that a dealer to attend. The truth is that although these auctions are only open to car dealers, you can often accompany a resume when one of the representatives.

You will then be able to see all vehicles as you would a regular car auction. The only catch is that the dealer is the only thing that can bid on the car and has to pay his / her name. Thus, the pink slip in their name until the title. The good thing about attending these auctions is that prices are substantially below what you'd pay at a regular. But be careful, because they are beyond redemption title cars floating around to have. But most dealers who attend these auctions have a special device that indicates the vehicle in an accident does.

It is placed on a large part of the car, such as the hood or door to measure thickness of the paint in that area. Just over a certain amount indicates the previous body of work. Points to an accident so that you do not want to bid on. So, be friendly with your local dealer, see if they dedicated device when attending auctions and ask if you can go to the next to go with them. Then you'll be well on your way to getting a great car at an excellent price. Did you know that 90% of car auction sites are scams?

Save yourself a headache and loss of your hard earned money by visiting MyCarAuctionReview.com for the best car auction sites in the city.

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