A Network Q dealership in Cambridgeshire has auctioned the first nearly-new Corsa under Vauxhall's £1 reserve price scheme, sparking enormous consumer interest.

Lance Owen in Kingston sold the 1999 Corsa GLS 5dr, worth £6,995 retail, for £5,750. The model, auctioned on the www.FiredUp.com website, triggered more than 16,000 daily hits over a three-day period.

Vauxhall now plans to cash in on its auction success by encouraging more Network Q dealers to adopt the £1 reserve scheme, which is presently limited to Corsa models. City Motors is the next dealership to take part, putting a V-plate Corsa Club up for auction today.

Vauxhall initially intends to hold 12 auctions under the £1 programme. It could be extended if it continues to be successful, though “Vauxhall won't know until it has done a few more auctions”, said the spokesman.

Every auction starts at 8am on a Friday and will be live for three days. Vauxhall dealers will have online access to the FiredUp website, allowing consumers without internet access to place a bid from the showroom. FiredUp, which auctions a range of consumer goods and services, was launched in February and is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.