Dream cars usually come with a big price tag. Even the cost of your everyday motor isn’t to be sniffed at. But, there are more ways to buy a car than from a dealer or private seller. If you’re willing to get a little creative, there are some great car deals to be had. You don’t even need to be that adventurous.

Company cars, x-police and government cars and imported vehicles can be hidden gems when it comes to buying a bargain set of wheels. You may need to do a little more leg work to find what you’re looking for, but the chances of being rewarded with a bargain are high.

Great car deals for ex-police and government vehicles

UK car auctions are a great way to find almost any kind of car. Unlike repossessed car auctions, which are only open to trade customers, ex-police and government vehicle auctions are open to private buyers. There are specialist dealers who sell ex-police cars too.

Although it’s likely police and government cars will have clocked a few miles, they’ll also have been taken care of. Auction houses around the country work directly with the local police services for each county. Most of them tend to have specific days when ex-police, emergency and government cars are sold.

Usually, you’ll need to attend in person. Take some time checking out any car you intend to bid on as some auctions sell cars ‘sight as seen’. This means if there is any trouble with the wheels once you’ve won the auction, it’s yours to deal with. You can ask for a service history but it’s unlikely you’ll need to worry about a DVLA check.

Seized goods for auction

It’s not just their own cars that police auction off. Police auctions also take place for seized and lost goods. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, any items a convicted criminal has that can’t be legally accounted for are seized. If these items can’t be returned to the legal owner, they get auctioned to the public. This includes cars, bikes, commercial vehicles and much, much more.

Police auctions usually don’t carry a reserve price on the items sold. Everything that goes up for bidding goes to the highest bidder, even if that bid is just £1! Police auctions are an excellent way to find great car deals and deals on just about anything else you can imagine too.

It’s unlikely you’ll get a service history with these vehicles and a DVLA check won’t be much use to you either. All of the correct paperwork to show your legal acquisition will be provided when you exchange your cash for the car at auction.

Importing your dream car

Your home country isn’t the only place you can find great car deals. Of course, buying a car abroad is a little more hassle than buying a car locally, but it can be worth your while. You’ll need to make sure you’ve checked out the UK import charges and rules before you start.

It’s also a good idea to try importing from a country that drives right-hand side vehicles like us. It will save you some time and money getting it converted when it arrives on UK soil. Thailand, Japan, South Africa and Singapore are just a few of the countries with right-hand drive cars.

If you do purchase a new car abroad, you can get a discount of as much as 50% off the car’s price. You’ll need to pay import duties, VAT, shipping costs, customs and transport costs to get the car from the port to your home.

Once the car has arrived in the UK, you’ll also need to pay for an MOT, vehicle approval test or both. It’s a good idea to tally up all of these little charges to make sure you’re still getting a great car deal at the end of it.

If you are importing a classic car, you’ll need to be extra careful with the checks and ownership papers too. Importing from right-hand drive countries is one way to get some great car bargains but make sure you do your homework well to avoid getting stung with unexpected costs.

Ex-fleet cars

Company cars incline to be regularly serviced and taken good care of. Because of the agreements with the car manufacturers, company vehicles are usually replaced after two to four years on the road. Thanks to strict company policies, many ex-fleet cars are generally driven carefully and have few cosmetic or mechanical issues, despite the higher mileage.

A word of warning if you’re interested in some great car deals via the ex-fleet car route. Ex-fleet cars, that is, the company car kind, often get muddled with ex-rental cars, which is a different kettle of fish. Ex-rental cars have been regularly serviced but aren’t taken care of nearly as well as company fleet cars.

Both ex-fleet and ex-rental cars are sold at auction, so do your due diligence and thoroughly check out any car you intend to bid on.

As with any used car purchase, check the vehicle’s history and make sure everything is as advertised in the auction details after you’ve won the bidding.

Salvaged cars

If you are handy with a wrench and know your way around a car and its engine, salvaged car auctions are a good source of great car deals.

The term ‘salvaged car’ covers pretty much everything from written-off cars that are perfectly fine aside from a few scratches to some seriously damaged wheels. The latter will end up being MASSIVE projects to get back on the road. So be careful you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Salvaged cars come in various categories that describe the level of damage they’ve sustained. Category B cars have been in an accident and written off by an insurance company. Typically, these are only good for parts.

Category S has also been written off and the accident a Cat S car has been in has caused structural damage that could be fixable. You’ll need to know the details to be sure it’s something you can handle.

Finally, Category N cars have also sustained considerable damage, but none of it was structural.

Category S and N are salvaged cars with the most promise of becoming roadworthy again. In some cases, you may want to buy a category B car to help repair a category N car.

If you do decide to head down the salvaged car route to find yourself a great car deal, be sure to bid on a car that you truly know you can fix.

Having a little imagination when it comes to buying cars can help you land some great car deals. We’d advise you always do your homework properly before putting your hand in your pocket.