The MGS Motor Group Sticht came out on top in this year's competition for the "Used Car Award 2018". The first-place winner is a multi-brand dealer based in Bayreuth. The MGS team put its used car business on a new footing two years ago. This includes an independent used car brand and a spacious, well-structured used car lot. At the same time, MGS has opened up new business areas, such as affordable vehicles up to 8,000 euros, commercial vehicles and exotic cars.
"After just a short time, it became clear that the company had set the right course in its used car business," commented Silvia Lulei, editor-in-chief of "Gebrauchtwagen Praxis", on the decision. Udo Horstmann, Area Sales and Marketing Manager at Ford Werke, also praised the dealership's "excellently implemented concept" and the company's philosophy: "At MGS, the focus is really on the customers and employees," said Horstmann.
Autohaus Meyer in Klötze came in second place. With a regular stock of around 100 used cars, the dealership is one of the largest used car dealers in its region. All vehicles are fully reconditioned and can be taken away by the customer within three hours. Autohaus Meyer is exemplary in building and maintaining trust with its customers.
This was also confirmed by remarketing specialist Jörg Sittig from Mazda Germany: "You get great service at MGS," the importer's representative quoted from customer reviews of the award winner. In years of working together, Sittig has found the dealership's team to be very competent and friendly, he continued.
Volkswagen Automobile Frankfurt took third place. In a highly competitive area, the team sells a good 3,000 used cars per year; 250 vehicles are permanently in stock. The dealership is designed to turn large volumes. This means that not only the prices, but also the processes have to be right. Last year, Volkswagen Automobile Frankfurt created its own brand "Young Wolves" and publicized it with a well-staged advertising film. This earned the dealership a lot of attention - also from the manufacturer.
For Thomas Meuser, Head of Used and Annual Vehicles at Volkswagen AG, the third-placed car "also did a fantastic job in an international comparison". As Meuser worked in the USA for several years, he was able to make this comparison. He was most impressed by the innovative strength of the dealership, which is reflected in its own used car brand "Junge Wölfe", among other things.
Trusted Cars, based in Frankfurt am Main, was awarded the special prize for "Best Online Buying Experience". The start-up operates a used car platform and aims to make buying and selling a risk-free experience for consumers. The company acts as an intermediary and markets the vehicles on behalf of partner dealers. The entire sales process is mapped online, including delivery to the customer's front door and a 14-day right of return.
The winners of the "Used Car Award 2018":
- 1st place: Motor Gruppe Sticht (MGS), Bayreuth
- 2nd place: Autohaus Meyer, Klötze
- 3rd place: Volkswagen Automobile Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M.
- Special prize "Best Online Buying Experience": Trusted Cars, Frankfurt/M.
"Gebrauchtwagen Praxis" is the leading information service for the professional used car business. The topics covered by the monthly trade journal range from sales and purchasing, legal and tax aspects to preparation and service. www.gebrauchtwagenpraxis.de offers useful tools, a database with exclusive KBA data, as geodata with in-depth selection down to municipal level. The parent company Vogel Business Media is one of the leading German specialist information providers with 100+ trade journals, 100+ web portals, 100+ business events as well as numerous mobile offerings and international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The company celebrated its 125th birthday in 2016.
