Geneva: 750 cars for sale at the Used Car Show

Future buyers crowd around the gleaming vehicles on display in Hall 6 of Palexpo. At the second-hand show, which is held as part of the Automnales from November 8 to 10 (until Sunday), all the major brands are represented: Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota, but also high-end vehicles, supercars”, like Maseratis or Porsches.

Organized under the aegis of the Geneva section of the Swiss Automobile Professional Union (UPSA), the Show benefited from the dynamism of its young and new president, Fabien Bonelli. This 31^e edition is a record year, with 750 used cars, and 50 exhibitors, some of whom come from the canton of Vaud and Valais. “This is the first time we have had so many vehicles and exhibitors. Thanks to hard work over a year, we managed to convince very large garages to join us.”

Cozy atmosphere

The second-hand show offers all kinds of vehicles for sale whose price varies between 10,000 and 200,000 francs. The organizers also focused on quality and presentation, by installing carpet to make the atmosphere more cozy. The quality criteria are rigorous. All cars have been duly checked, both in terms of bodywork and mechanics.

“There are no private sellers,” emphasizes Fabien Bonelli. They are all professional salespeople.” Each vehicle benefits from at least one year of warranty after purchase. “As road tests are not possible, the buyer must be able to have complete confidence in the vehicle he decides to acquire,” notes the president.

Trade-in price

Visitors can sell their own car for another, or have it valued for trade-in. A neutral professional carries out a technical inspection of the vehicle. “The expert is independent, he is a mechanic and former apprentice trainer, he does not work for any of the exhibiting garages.”

Franck Peurois is busy at the end of hall 6 and controls a black station wagon. “I just checked the tires and they are too worn, I told the customer,” the experienced mechanic tells us. He carries out the mechanical and bodywork estimate then sets the value of the car at the argus.

“I check that no lights are on, if the service needs to be carried out or if the bodywork has dents, so that the mechanic knows what he must do,” continues Franck Peurois. The trade-in price will then enter into the negotiation to purchase one of the used cars presented at the show. The future buyer will also be able to benefit from leasing for their purchase and thus get an overall idea of ​​the budget that their new car will cost.

Change of habits?

Last year, the second-hand fair generated a turnover of 6 million francs. With the disappearance of the Geneva International Motor Show, the second-hand show becomes the largest show in French-speaking Switzerland. Last year, it generated a turnover of 6 million francs.

Can we talk about a craze for the second-hand market? “People are keeping their vehicles longer,” observes Fabien Bonelli. This market is stable even if it is difficult to quantify, because during a sale the owner changes, but this is also the case when a grandmother gives her car to her granddaughter.”

For the president of UPSA, the automobile industry is transforming. “Mobility is changing, it is diversifying. Previously, people owned at least two cars per family, today they have just one, an electric bike, a scooter or even a scooter. There is something for everyone, but no one should be left out.”

Taste for cars

In the rows of neatly lined up vehicles, a couple and their son circle around a white car. “We like beautiful cars,” confides Christophe, “this one is very pretty, it’s a Toyota GT86, I wanted to buy it for my wife but I couldn’t find it in France.”

Further on, two thirty-somethings sit behind the wheel of a Golf. The young couple plans to change cars soon. “We’re just taking a walk,” explains Boris. On the internet, you cannot see the space and comfort of the vehicle, hence the interest in coming here.”

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Judith Monfrini is a journalist for the local section. With a legal background, she obtained her diploma from the Journalism and Media Training Center (CFJM) in 2015. She worked for more than ten years for the Médiaone group. (Radio Lac, One fm)More info

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