Three cheers to a fresh start!

When your car gets stolen it can jolly well leave you in a state of panic wondering what to do next. But buying a stolen car could cause even more distress if you are not clued up on how to handle it. And even if the once-stolen car was dealt with correctly and is pushed back into the market, it can still cause some degree of uncertainty when signing the papers.

The auction is no stranger to cars that were once stolen and later found and pushed back into the market.

Let’s take last week’s 2013 Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.6 Trendline, for example. With 88,000km on the clock and a full-service history, this car was worth at least R95 000 but sold for only R60 000.

The twist in this car's tale is that it was stolen, and very fortunately, recovered. But, this also means that it got a new VIN from the police (an AAPV).

Stolen-recovered cars often lose a large portion of their value due to perceived risk and financing challenges.

There's a general rule of thumb that these vehicles could lose up to 50% of their trade price. However, the vehicle still sold and achieved an impressive closing price despite the market's perception of its value.

Here are a few things you should know about stolen cars re-entering the market:

• As we mentioned, the vehicle must receive a new VIN number from the police. When a VIN number is prefixed by the letters “AAPV”, you can identify it as a recovered vehicle.
• If you’re uncertain about any vehicle you’re about to purchase, thoroughly check the history of the vehicle using the VIN number or AAPV.
• Buying a stolen-recovered vehicle gives you the opportunity to have a newer vehicle at a much lower price.
• Conduct a full inspection with the help of a trusted professional to ensure that the stolen-recovered vehicle you are acquiring is worth the buy.

Buying a stolen car (through legal methods) does not necessarily mean you’re asking for any sort of trouble.

Just like any other used car, it just needs some good TLC to get it spruced up and ready to hit the road again.

That's it for this week's 0-60 in 60!

Every week, we’ll be posting content from the past auction week to keep you up to date with what’s happening on our auction and in the market.

Watch our latest 0-60 in 60 episode: https://youtube.com/shorts/3tAs8R2m__A?feature=share

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