"The auction market continues to get tougher and tougher, with major player buyers not wanting stock at any price - and that includes trying to "pinch them" out on the auction floor. The buyers tell me that retail buyers are very few and far between. This leaves them with the problem of carrying a lot of stock and quite obviously, until some of that stock starts to move, they are not in a position to buy.

All this has capitulated since the terrorist bombing in America. The market has become progressively more difficult this week since the bombing campaign started against Afghanistan. It is simply making the public very uncertain about the future, hence the reflection back on the retail market. And it's not just on the motor industry, but many other retail businesses.

It has become evident that to sell vehicles in this unpredictable market the disposers need to be very alert on the rostrums, be aware of the buying patterns and react to the market as they find it. If you want to convert high percentages - forget about Cap clean figures - cars will sell on their merits. Whatever the bids are, look at them closely before discarding them - cars that are being re-entered week by week are losing a lot of money over a month period.

Let us all hope that things settle down quickly and that some normality returns to the market soon."