Buying at Japanese Car Auctions
Most of Japan's best-value used cars are sold through member-only auctions, not shop floors. JAPACAR is your licensed buyer on the ground: you tell us what you want, and we research, bid, and export it to your country on your behalf.
How it works
- Tell us what you want. Maker, model, year, optional chassis code, condition and your destination port.
- We research the market. We check recent winning prices at Japanese auctions so you know a realistic budget before you commit.
- We source candidate vehicles. We find matching cars coming up for auction and present them to you with photos, our condition assessment, and the location.
- You set your budget. You authorise a total all-in budget and a maximum price per car. You're never charged above what you approve.
- We bid for you. We bid in your priority order before each auction's deadline. A winning bid is final — but if the price goes above your maximum, we simply move to the next car.
- We ship to your port. Once a car is won, we handle export and shipping to the port you chose.
Why buy through JAPACAR
- Access to auction-only stock — thousands of cars you can't reach as an overseas buyer.
- Transparent pricing — a single settlement commission, no hidden vehicle mark-up. Any surplus after the auction is refunded to you.
- Condition you can trust — every candidate comes with our plain-language condition assessment, not just a grade.
- You stay in control — you approve the budget and the maximum bid for each car.
Ready to start?
Create your free membership and submit a request — we'll research the market and send you candidate vehicles. The detailed, step-by-step operating instructions (how to review candidates, set your maximum bid, and pay your deposit) are in your member area.
Submit a vehicle request →Already a member? Sign in to see the step-by-step guide.