Because it allows us to control both quality and cost before the car even leaves Asia.

Our branches and workshops in Japan and Singapore prepare the vehicles before shipping. Labour costs are significantly lower than in the UK, which allows us to carry out the work properly without pushing the preparation cost into the retail price.

Japan is well known for the quality of its automotive workmanship, and our Singapore workshop operates to the same standard. We don’t use the typical export “one-stop” paint and repair yards where cars are quickly dressed up for export. Those jobs often look good from a distance but rarely hold up on close inspection.

Working locally also gives us continuity with the car’s history. If something needs to be checked or verified, we can speak directly with the garages or dealer networks that previously serviced the vehicle.

The result is simple: the cars are properly prepared before shipping, and arrive in the UK ready to go straight to sale.

Pitlane operates through its own licensed business presence in both Japan and Singapore.

This allows us to operate directly in those markets rather than relying on brokers or export agents. In Japan we can access the major auction networks directly and bid ourselves, while in Singapore we hold the required export licensing to purchase vehicles from the local market and main dealer networks.

Operating locally gives us several advantages. We can inspect vehicles in person before purchase, verify their condition and history directly, and avoid the layers of agent fees and exporter markups that often inflate the price of imported stock.

It also means we are not limited to the typical export stock that circulates through wholesale spreadsheets and export yards. Instead we can source vehicles directly from auctions and domestic sellers, giving us earlier access to better cars and clearer visibility on what we are buying.

More detail on how this works can be found on the Sourcing page.

Because it allows us to keep the cars competitively priced while giving dealers nationwide access to the stock.

Running our own retail or wholesale site would mean premises, storage, staff, insurance and transport infrastructure. All of those costs ultimately end up in the price of the vehicle. By partnering with Aston Barclay we avoid that overhead and focus our resources on sourcing and preparing the cars properly.

Aston Barclay also gives the stock immediate national reach. Dealers can buy in person or online, and the auction’s transport network can deliver vehicles anywhere in the UK at competitive rates.

There is another benefit as well: an independent inspection. Every vehicle receives Aston Barclay’s own inspection and NAMA grading, adding an additional set of eyes to the process. It helps catch anything that may have developed in transit and gives buyers an independent assessment alongside our own preparation records.

Pitlane vehicles are launched through dedicated sale events held at Aston Barclay Westbury. These are the days when new batches of our prepared import stock are introduced to the market.

Dealers can review the vehicles in advance through the online listings and the vehicle files we publish for each car. On the event day the same cars are available to inspect in person at the Westbury site before bidding.

Bidding can be done in person or online through the Aston Barclay platform, so dealers across the UK can participate.

Our team is present at Westbury during these sale events to answer questions directly and discuss the vehicles on site. Outside of the event days we continue to handle enquiries through our website — by phone, email or the contact form — and are happy to answer questions about any vehicle ahead of the auction.

Yes.

Vehicles can be inspected in person at Aston Barclay Westbury on the sale event days before the auction begins. Dealers are welcome to walk around the cars, review their condition and compare them with the documentation provided.

Each vehicle is also listed with a vehicle file available online, which includes the inspection photos, preparation records and supporting images of the completed car.

Our team is present at the Westbury site during the sale events to answer questions about the vehicles and the work carried out.

Every car we sell comes with a vehicle file that documents the car as it moves through our pipeline.

The file begins when the vehicle is inspected at source and is updated as preparation work is carried out. It typically includes inspection photos and videos, preparation records and supporting images of the completed vehicle once the work is finished.

As the car arrives in the UK, the file is expanded with the Aston Barclay auction inspection, NAMA grading, the MOT certificate and UK registration (V5C).

By the time the vehicle is offered for sale, dealers can review the full record to see how the car was inspected, prepared and presented before bidding.

“Retail standard” can mean different things to different people, so we keep the definition simple: the cars are prepared to the standard we would be comfortable and confident retailing ourselves.

Our background is in the motor trade, including high-end and specialist vehicles, and the preparation reflects that approach rather than the minimum needed to move a car through wholesale.

As part of the preparation process we service fluids and filters, check or replace brakes and tyres where required, and address any mechanical or cosmetic issues identified during inspection. Vehicles are also converted to UK specification where necessary, including speedometer and system adjustments.

If our inspections reveal that a vehicle would require major repairs or an overhaul, we usually simply do not buy it. On the rare occasion an issue appears later in the process, it is addressed properly in our workshop and documented in the vehicle file before the car is offered for sale.

The aim is straightforward — when the car reaches the UK it should be ready to go straight onto a forecourt, not into a workshop.

Mileage is checked as part of our in-person inspection before purchase.

We verify the odometer reading using diagnostic tools and electronic module checks, review auction records, and examine service documentation where available. Because our teams operate locally in Japan and Singapore, we can also contact dealer networks or workshops that previously handled the vehicle when additional verification is needed.

This is one of the reasons we avoid buying cars that have been sitting in export yards. Many of those vehicles are ultimately destined for markets where mileage discrepancies are unfortunately common, and by the time they reach export stock it can be difficult to trace their true history.

By inspecting cars ourselves before purchase, we can verify the mileage claims before the vehicle ever enters our stock.

All vehicles we source are right-hand drive (RHD), and the vast majority are UK or EEC specification models, not exotic or JDM-only variants. In practice this means they are the same vehicles originally sold through UK and European dealer networks — simply first registered in another country.

Because of this they generally do not attract the insurance or parts availability issues associated with true JDM imports. Import status still needs to be disclosed, but insurers typically treat them the same as equivalent UK-market vehicles because mechanically and specification-wise they are effectively the same model.

Before the cars are brought to the UK we convert them to UK specification where required. This includes setting the vehicles to English language systems and ensuring the speedometer reads in miles per hour.

If a vehicle falls outside the typical UK/EEC specification category, this is clearly disclosed in the vehicle file along with the rest of the documentation.

Vehicles we source are right-hand drive and mostly UK/EEC specification models, meaning they are effectively the same vehicles originally sold through UK and European dealer networks.

Because of this they do not typically attract additional insurance loading, even though the import status must still be disclosed.

Parts availability is also no different from equivalent UK-market vehicles, as the mechanical specification and components are generally the same.

Yes.

By the time a vehicle is offered for sale it has already been imported, registered in the UK and issued with a V5C, and it is offered straight after passing a fresh MOT with no advisories.

This means the car is effectively ready for forecourt sale. The sourcing, preparation, import process, customs clearance, UK registration and MOT have all already been handled.

Each vehicle is then offered through Aston Barclay with independent inspection, NAMA grading and the full vehicle file available to review.

In practical terms, once you buy the car the remaining steps are simple: collect it or arrange delivery, valet it and list it for sale. You can also download the vehicle file along with the photos and videos supplied with the car and use them in your own marketing and listings if you wish.