Manheim
The largest wholesale dealer-only auto auction in the world; owned by Cox Automotive.
Manheim is the largest wholesale used-vehicle auction operator in the world. Founded in Manheim, Pennsylvania in 1945 and now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cox Automotive, it operates over 70 physical auction sites across North America and runs the Manheim Express and OVE.com online platforms. Manheim handles more than 6 million vehicle transactions per year — substantially more than Copart or IAA.
The critical difference between Manheim and the salvage auctions: Manheim is dealer-only. Bidding is restricted to licensed automotive dealers and approved fleet operators — the public cannot register. The inventory is also different in character: most Manheim vehicles are clean-title trade-ins, off-lease returns, rental fleet rotations and dealer-to-dealer wholesale moves. Salvage vehicles are a relatively small portion of Manheim’s volume.
Pricing data published by Manheim — particularly the monthly Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index — is one of the most-cited industry benchmarks for wholesale used-vehicle values, and feeds into consumer pricing tools like Kelley Blue Book and Black Book that are also Cox Automotive properties.