Here is a quick summary of the data you can see:
- Car – Name of the car.
- Model – Model of the car.
- Year - The year that the car was first registered in Japan.
- Grade - This is the overall auction grade of the car.
- KM - mileage
- COLOR - This is the color as noted by the auction inspector. With some colors, particularly “pearl” colors, the exact shade can sometimes be a matter of opinion and can also change with the lighting. Some auctions provide the color number, so if you are particularly concerned about the precise color, we can often figure this out for you from the color number.
- CHASSIS – The chassis type of the car. Not the chassis number
- CC
- Start - This is the price in Yen at which bidding will start. This does not give you much idea about how much you need to bid to be successful. You do know that you cannot bid less than this start bid, though.
Common transmission types you will see are:
- AT – Automatic transmission
- FAT – Floor automatic transmission (same as “AT”)
- IAT – In-dash automatic transmission
- DAT – Dashboard-mounted automatic transmission
- CVT – Continuously Variable Transmission
- SAT – Semi-Automatic Transmission
- MT – Manual Transmission
- F5 – Floor-mounted 5-speed manual transmission
- F6 – Floor-mounted 6-speed manual transmission
Other Information you will see on the auction sheet:
- Fuel – Some auctions provide this data about whether the vehicle is a gasoline, electric, CNG or diesel-powered vehicle.
- Options – This is information about the basic equipment on the car. This only reflects original equipment installed by the manufacturer. The car may have other aftermarket equipment which will be noted in the translation, if you request one. Common equipment abbreviations you will see on the auction sheet are:
- AC – air conditioning
- AAC – automatic air conditioning (essentially climate control)
- PS – power steering
- PW – power windows
- AB – airbags
- SR – sun roof
- AW – alloy wheels
- TV – TV
- Chassis # – This is the full chassis number. This information is only provided in electronic form by some auctions. For other auctions, you can find the chassis number on the auction sheet itself
- Auction – The name of the auction house.
- Location – The name of the specific location (kaijo) this auction is being held at.
- Auction number – The lot number of the vehicle in this auction’s own numbering system
We find that the most successful importers really understand how it all works - from the auction to the ship and beyond. Don't get left behind!
