Vehicle Grading (NAMA System)
One of the primary factors in determining a vehicle's worth is the condition of its bodywork and interior. Auction houses - and increasingly, national car buyers - use the NAMA grading system to categorise cars for sale. While every car is ultimately unique in the work it will need (or not) to prepare it for sale, applying these grade descriptors gives a far more accurate idea both of what people will pay you for your car, and what we can hope to achieve for it at auction. When we see photos of your car, or view it in person, we get a clearer picture of likely repair costs (or, in the case of older or cheaper vehicles, whether repairs are even worthwhile) and how these will affect the likely sale price. Combined with mechanical condition, service history and mileage, grading your car's condition gets us 95% of the way to an accurate valuation.
The auction house will grade your vehicle themselves prior to sale, but to give you a fair estimate of value, it's essential that we have a full understanding of your vehicle's condition first. When you go on national car buying websites, the initial value given assumes grade 1 and full service history. It is when a more accurate picture emerges that their valuation plummets. That is why it is so important to give as much detail as possible so we can get a more accurate idea of what we can achieve at auction.
When it comes to grading your vehicle, please don't hide anything from us. You can be sure the auction house won't miss it - and we're simply trying to give you an accurate picture of value, and, where possible, identify areas where we can help improve it.
The NAMA grading system is used across the industry to give buyers greater transparency, covering both interior and exterior condition. Vehicles are graded from almost perfect - like new - at Grade 1, through to poor condition with significant damage at Grade 5. Buyers will of course see photos as well, but grading helps them understand a vehicle's overall condition more quickly. Please note that grading is not relative to age: even if your car is 20 years old, it's graded as though it were brand new.
Grade 1: Your car is in excellent condition, with only one or two very minor defects. These may include "trolley dints", light surface scratches that haven't gone through the paint (up to 25mm), stonechips or small marks on the alloys. A grade one car is basically ‘as good as new’ apart from one or two very small imperfections. Grade 1 example
Grade 2: In addition to the minor defects seen in Grade 1, the vehicle may need one bodyshop repair on a single panel or bumper - for example, a scratch, scuff or a dent. You can tell a grade 2 car isn’t new, but only just. Grade 2 example
Grade 3: The vehicle may have up to two light scuffs and up to two trolley dints or loading marks on the bumper, plus a few stone chips - but overall damage is very minimal. There may be very minor scuffs or scratches to the interior, but generally a grade 3 car is in very good condition - almost as good as when it was new. Grade 3 example
Grade 4: The vehicle may have three or four scuffs or scratches, a small dent, up to six trolley dints, and a good number of stone chips. The interior may show larger scuffs or scratches, floor damage (such as carpet worn through under the pedals), or a tear or hole in one of the seats. This is slightly below average of what you see on the street generally.
Grade 5: If a vehicle has more damage than Grade 4, but no serious collision damage — meaning it's fully roadworthy, with no panels hanging off, for example — or has degraded paintwork, it falls into Grade 5. A grade 5 is in poorer condition than most cars on the road. Almost 20% of cars over 10 years old are grade 5. Grade 5 example
Unclassified (U): Defects that exceed the criteria for Grade 5. This includes vehicles with significant paint damage (such as keyed or peeling paint) and/or significant collision damage. A grade U is the worst condition cars on the road. 8% of cars over 10 years old at auction were grade U. Grade U example
Below is the breakdown of the grades of cars listed on an average day at auction.
Takeaways:
- If your car is 3 years old or newer, it is most likely to be a grade 2 (after a polish and clean up), but a grade 1 or grade 3 or also quite likely.
- If you’re car is 4-6 years old it is most likely to be a grade 2 or 3 after preparation.
- If your car is 7-10 years old, it is most likely to be a grade 3 or 4 after preparation.
- If your car over 10 years old, it is most likely to be a grade 4, but after prep a quarter of cars are still grade 3.
Please note that commercial vehicles are graded on a more generous scale, reflecting their typical usage. If you're selling a commercial vehicle, we'll talk you through this separately.