Values of used vans rose for the first time this year during Q3, figures from Aston Barclay show.

It comes after a slight decline in prices during the first seven months of the year.

The remarketing firm said that despite the average age and mileage of vehicles sold remaining higher than two years ago, the used van price cap of £8,023 still smashes the £6,204 cap of Q3 of 2020.

Geoff Flood, Aston Barclay’s national LCV sales manager, said: “There are no signs that the used van market will do anything other than continue at its current level until such time as used stock levels begin to improve, which looks to be some time away.

“A pressurised marketplace is the result, with a lack of choice for buyers, but record sales rates for vendors.”

Due to the constraints of the market, no overall trends have been reported within the used LCV sector according to Aston Barclay’s latest LCV desirability index, which shows that vehicle choice has largely been based on what the buyer can afford within the available vehicles that fulfil a business need.

However, double cab pick-ups remain a popular choice among buyers, with models such as the Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi L200 and Ford Ranger remaining ever present in the monthly top 10 desirability scores.

As the delivery sector begins to ramp-up towards Christmas, the usual seasonal demand for 3.5 tonne panel vans and smaller final-mile commercial vehicles remains.

Vehicles such as the Ford Transit Connect are expected to remain popular for Q4 as parcel delivery firms look to increase their fleet sizes to cope with seasonal demands.

In order to support the used LCV sector, Aston Barclay has launched a new LCV sale at Chelmsford. This latest physical, drive-through LCV sale has been launched to offer the maximum choice possible to buyers, with the physical sale providing the ideal purchasing environment for buyers and sellers alike.

“By consolidating our popular Chelmsford sale, and continuing with the physical driven-through sales format, we are helping to offer the maximum choice possible to our LCV buyers,” added Flood.

More widely, the Aston Barclay Group continues to focus its attention on LCV, with The Car Buying Group beginning their Sell My Van campaign, with a new team that are on hand to be able to deliver accurate LCV valuations as consumers look to sell their vans.

AM recently interviewed Aston Barclay chief executive Greg MacLeod about what's next for the group after five years of rapid growth.