Prestige Motorsport Pty Ltd

DL14688

sales@prestigemotorsport.com.au

0418 944 253

Japanese Auction Guide

Please consider the environment and view onscreen if possible without printing.
The Japanese auction system operates on a vast scale and there is nothing like it in Australia.
Understanding how the auctions work will make sourcing your vehicle much smoother and you will feel more
comfortable throughout the process.
This Auction Guide has been prepared to assist you to become familiar with the Japanese auction process, including
detail about the grading and abbreviations used on auction sheets.
Please contact us at any time if you need further help or advice.

One of many parking areas at a large auction with 6,000 cars

Auction Bidding Room multiple lanes selling simultaneously

Further resources are available to assist you, just let us know what you would like:
Daily auction data for any makes / models of interest including sale prices.
http://prestigemotorsport.com.au/usearch.php (Free 30-day Trial)
Japan Import Cost Calculator / US Import Cost Calculator
Vehicle Import Guide
Vehicle Search Commencement package (how to get started)
Example vehicle inspection reports (showing vehicle quality and how we inspect at auction)
Email Mailing List for regular updates at: http://prestigemotorsport.com.au/pages/mailing_list.php
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Auction Codes Quick reference Guide

Exterior Comment

Interior Comment

As new with no condition faults

As new with no condition faults

4.5

Very clean, one panel affected by minor paint blemish

Very clean and nice

More than one panel affected by minor paint blemishes

Average / clean for age including

expected wear and tear

3.5

Some attention to panel and paint is required

D

Rough overall condition

Cigarette burns / smell, rips, tears, or

other damage to interior, significant
wear and tear

Serious panel damage, rusty or water damaged

SR
AW
PS
PW
AB

Sunroof
Alloy Wheels
Power Steering
Power Windows
Airbag

Performance upgrades or mechanical changes

A/0/R

Accident damage and repair

XX

Panels have been replaced due to repairs and / or painted.

Wavy -- can mean the affected panel has been painted, and the paint is not as smooth as the original factory
paint. However, in some cases even when marked with a W it is impossible to tell with the naked eye whether
paintwork has been done. Auction staff can make mistakes also, and mark panels W when they are
uncertain. W or W1, W2 and W3 are used, with 1 being least affected.

Scratch. A1 is only a tiny scratch, and generally you would expect this to buff out or be an easy touch up. A2
is a medium scratch through the top layer of paint, and won't easily be hidden. A3 is a deep scratch like an
intentional key mark, and will definitely require paintwork if you want to fully address it.

Pin dent, only a small dent such as you would pick up in the carpark. Again, U or U1, U2 and U3 are used to
denote the size of the dent.

Larger dents than the U pin dent grading, from B1 to B3.

Cracks, usually in bodykits or lights, Y1 to Y3.

This indicates that there is some paint damage such as fading, scratches or discolouration from polishing,
peeling or crazing.

S / C Rust. A C1 or S1 on the body may mean a small stone chip has some surface rust which is easily addressed. In
other cases S noted in the negative comments section could indicate extensive underbody rust. Physical
inspections are undertaken for rust regardless of whether it is noted on the sheet, as even grade 4.5 vehicles
can be rusty.
sales@prestigemotorsport.com.au
www.prestigemotorsport.com.au

Prestige Motorsport Auction Guide V2.1 2013

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Lets start with the Best Auctions to buy from

Japan has auctions all week long (over 70 auctions across Japan) but the best days are from Tuesday through to
Saturday. Monday has a couple of small auctions but these are online only (in the case of AUCNET which doesnt
enable physical inspections), or so small that it is not viable to have an agent there to inspect vehicles. Some also
tend to have high prices. Therefore please consider Mondays auctions for interest only.
For the best vehicles and prices our favourite 14 auctions are in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe:
Tuesday

USS Yokohama, JU Saitama, CAA Tokyo, CAA Gifu

Wednesday

JAA, CAA Chubu, BAYAUC, BCN Saitama

Thursday

USS Tokyo, Hanaten Osaka

Friday

USS Nagoya, USS Osaka

Saturday

HAA Kobe, JU Gifu

Please note that we specifically avoid all Sapporo auctions due to rust issues. Sapporo is on the north island of
Hokkaido where they have about 7 months of snow each year and salt the roads. That means nearly all cars sold
there are rusty. Fukuoka in the south of Japan has a couple of auctions also but prices tend to be higher and
additional transport is needed prior to shipping.
We have agents to inspect vehicles in person at these auctions most of the time. There will be occasions where we
are unable to inspect, if thats the case we will advise you and let the vehicle go as the risk of bidding sight unseen is
generally too high.

Auction Grading
Every auction uses a grading sheet which lists the details of the vehicle plus information about the vehicle condition.
Each auction house is a little different in the format of the sheets but the basic information is the same.
Vehicles are given from 0 to 5 for the overall grade with A to D used for interior grade (A is the best). Some auctions
will add an extra A to D grade for body condition, so you may see a 4 B B for example. A interiors should be virtually
as new. B is also considered extremely clean, and C is often used for average condition. For some auctions a C is still
very good, while at others it will mean the interior is dirty, has cigarette burns, or obvious wear and tear. C for an
vehicle older than 10 years is generally expected, but would be cause for concern on a 2-year old vehicle. D usually
means very untidy, dirty, smoke-affected, or stripped out for racing.
Damaged or Repaired
Vehicles without a grade are those with unrepaired (usually recent) damage, mechanical or other major faults.
0, R, A are all used to denote repaired vehicles, with RA, A1, 01 being minor repairs. Repairs in the rear or any dents
in structural members like chassis rails are exclusions under SEVS so we immediately avoid any of those vehicles for
SEVS import. In fact, most vehicles graded as repaired will be excluded right away.
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Numbered Grades
Grade 3 or 3.5 can also be the result of a minor accident repair. Repairs are usually denoted with XX on the affected
panels, but can be hidden in the notes section written in Japanese.
Very minor repairs to front panels may be considered where its obvious that only bumpers or front panels have
been repainted and any parts replacement has not affected the front structure. If there is any doubt about this we
will avoid the car as it is simply not worth the risk of rejection by your compliance workshop.
We generally source grade 4 to 5 vehicles.
Occasionally a lower grade vehicle might be worth considering, e.g. some large scrapes and scratches on the bodykit
/ bumpers could result in a 3.5 grade for what is otherwise a very nice car. This cosmetic damage may be easy to fix
yet result in significant savings on newer vehicles.
Grade 2 indicates very poor condition or water damage.
Grade 1 is a sign of significant modifications, whether it is performance upgrades such as larger turbos, a
transmission change from auto to manual, or an engine change.
So its a matter of reviewing the auction sheet and pictures for any vehicles of interest with an open mind to
determine those worth further inspection. Any that look promising will be physically inspected by our agent at
auction to confirm actual condition and more pictures will be taken. We then contact you to discuss condition and
your budget.
Our Importing Guide describes the auction inspection and bidding process in more detail.
Auction Sheet Basics
The next few pages will allow you to read the basics for any vehicle yourself. Dont be daunted, as auction sheets
are simple to understand without learning any Japanese, and most information uses numbers or codes in English.
Many options and performance modifications are written in English.
Often the comments to the left of the vehicle diagram will reiterate in writing the damage shown on that diagram.
Our agents will translate any Japanese from the sheet that is important to the condition report, when they
undertake a full inspection for you.
Additional pictures will be taken of any significant body and interior damage, as well as underbody pictures. Our
agent will provide his overall opinion of the vehicle.
Above all, there is more to buying a nice car than just a good auction grade. This is where experience is necessary
to select only the best vehicles.

sales@prestigemotorsport.com.au
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Prestige Motorsport Auction Guide V2.1 2013

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Reading Auction Sheets Example 1

This vehicle was a 2007 Nissan Skyline V36 370GT coupe, base model. Graded 3.5 due to a rear repair. Note XX in
the notes section, but not shown on the vehicle diagram in this case. Body and interior were graded C and B.
Doors / body type.
2 door coupe

Total kms. * = unknown kms. $ = total

kms from owner records supplied

Auction number

Make and model

Model detail this was a base model
so only 370GT is stated. If it were a
Type SP, the Japanese characters for
Type would be written after 370GT,
followed by the letters SP in English

Year and month of first

registration using
Japanese year system
(this may be after
manufacture date)

Model code. CKV36 = V36 coupe

Overall grade 3.5

Exterior and interior grade C and B
Positive features box. HDD = Hard drive.
Also has DVD, AFS system which can be
read in English. Generally standard
features are shown here. Anything of
note will be translated at inspection

Engine size in cc

Auto Aircon

Colour code

Positive comments box. ETC = Electronic Toll Card reader

Features such as TV, Airbag, Alloy

Wheels, Power Steering, Sunroof, Power
Windows and rear spoiler are listed here
Chassis number, combine with model
code to get chassis code CKV36-404037

Negative comments box

Vehicle Diagram shows damage type

and location

XX = replaced / painted. Other faults like rust

(S), scratches (A), dents (U, B), painted (W),
odometer details, engine (e/g), interior
damage will be noted here. Often this
reiterates body damage shown on the
vehicle diagram to the right. Anything of
note will be translated at inspection and
checked by our agent

A1 to A3 = small to large scratch. A1s

are hard to see, A3 is a deep scratch. A is
also used for small windscreen chips
U1 to U3 = small to large pin dent. U1s
are often hard to see
B1 to B3 = small to large dent
P1 to P3 = minor to serious paint issue
such as fading, acid rain damage etc.

Transmission

Y1 to Y3 = crack, typically bumpers, sideskirts or lights

FA / FAT = Fully Automatic Transmission

5F / 6F = 5 or 6 speed manual transmission

W1 to W3 = Wavy, which means paint surface is uneven usually due to painting. W1 can be very hard
to see if not pointed out

S = Rust

AU may be combined to describe a dent and scratch together. AU3 would be a large scrape and dent
Body condition will be inspected by our agent and pictures taken of any damage worth noting. Most
vehicles will have some small scratches or pin dents. These are normal things to expect from daily use
and generally they dont detract from the overall condition

sales@prestigemotorsport.com.au
www.prestigemotorsport.com.au

Prestige Motorsport Auction Guide V2.1 2013

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0418 944 253

Reading Auction Sheets Example 2

Here is another example for a 2006 V35 Skyline Premium coupe in a slightly different handwritten format for USS
auctions. The same information is there.

Remaining registration in Japanese year format,

rego expires on this car 2013 June. This is important
as remaining registration has value to Japanese
domestic buyers. Vehicles with no number plates or
with rego about to expire can be cheaper for us

Model detail this was a Premium model so you can see the word
Premium written in Japanese characters after 350GT. If this is
blank then the model would be base model (non-Premium)

Grade 4 B

Standard options circled if present.

Sunroof, Alloy Wheels, Power Steering,
Power Windows, TV, Rear Spoiler, Airbag

19 alloy wheels, BOSE stereo

Chassis number

A2 scrapes on bumper corners are very

common in Japan as with most countries

U1 pin dent is probably very hard to see

except on close inspection

Scrapes on the front and rear of

sideskirts are also common as they are
the lowest part of the car

sales@prestigemotorsport.com.au
www.prestigemotorsport.com.au

Prestige Motorsport Auction Guide V2.1 2013

www.facebook.com/prestigemotorsportaust

0418 944 253