Single out a few cars your interested in, check panel alignment,(gaps) fit and finish, and colour match of each panel, most cars at auctions will have had the bonnet, and front bumper painted, any more paint than that, be suspicious! check tyres for uniform tread patterns, includeing the spare
Be there when the driver starts the car up to move it into the bidding area, check for blue smoke on start up, ask him to rev the engine so you can listen, ask if the biteing point of the clutch feels OK.. and ask him to prove that the service literature is in the car... above all read properly what it says on the windscreen info sheet! and understand exactly what it says!
some cars will go "into book" upon sale, meaning that they have just sold for more than the claimed reccomended price that for example "Glasses" would allow... typical on newer Turbo Deisel models, not a problem if your not planning to re sell the car for profit..
Its all about doing your homework! and asking many questions!
Tom
although having a thorough approach like this helps, it's still the riskiest way to buy a car, which is reflected in the prices. of course it's possible to buy a lemon privately or a dealership, but much more likely to happen at an auction. remember, a lot of cars that appear here are ones which dealerships can't get sell normally.
