According to Black Book Live, the general stability of trade prices has been restored after a period of heavier depreciation, largely thanks to the influx of part-exchanges generated by a successful new car March having now washed through the market.

The company adds that some dealers are reporting challenges with finding good quality stock in the core 3-4 year-old bracket as a legacy of the economic slump.

Another factor influencing the quality of used car supply has been the extension of fleet car replacement cycles, which means many vehicles returning to the market now show more wear and tear, with higher mileage, than was typical before the economic downturn.

In turn this is leading to a widening of the trade price gap between the best cars and those that require significant refurbishment for sale, with the latter depreciating faster. CAP adds that it is monitoring this to identify any possible trend.

CAP also said that daily rental registrations continue to rise and this could well increase the pressure on values of late plate cars, particularly for those manufacturers that have been most active in this area.

Black Book Live senior editor Derren Martin commented: ‘Interestingly, it is amongst some premium brands that the largest percentage growth can be seen. Some of the more mainstream manufacturers, whilst still up on 2012 in the year to date, have appeared to pull back from rental business in June.

‘But in general we have been seeing more of what can be described as normal seasonal movements in prices since Easter than during the same period in recent years. This pattern has continued in June, although some model ranges are positively bucking the trend when stock is short and cars are well prepared.

‘The overall message is therefore reassuring but Black Book Live will continue to monitor and report every nuance of the market daily to ensure CAP reports any change in conditions the moment they occur.’