The Spread Index lists models where dealer asking prices sit well above recent auction results. It answers one question: for this model, how far apart are the hammer and the retail ask right now?
It needs a Pro or dealer plan. On the free plan you see the description and an upgrade button.
How the spread is computed
- Auction average is the mean price of recent recorded sales for the model, over $5,000, from the sources we track. A model needs at least three sales to appear.
- Retail estimate is the median asking price of marketplace listings we have seen in the last 45 days, when there are at least three. When there are none, we use the auction average plus 18% and mark the figure with an asterisk. The legend under the table explains the asterisk: it is a typical margin estimate, not a market comp.
- Spread is the retail estimate minus the auction average, shown in dollars and as a percentage of the auction average.
Boats, motorcycles, trailers and similar lots are filtered out. The table shows the top 30 models by dollar spread. You can sort by spread, volume or average price.
Reading the table
Each row shows the model, the auction average, the retail estimate, the spread, and the volume of sales behind it. A model with no reserve sales shows a small count of them.
Click a row for the detail panel: the auction range, the retail figure with how many listings sit behind it, the median, the 30 day trend, the no reserve average and count, and the eight most recent auction results. The trend compares the last 30 days of sales against the 30 before, with at least two sales in each.
There is a "Download appraisal report" button on the panel for a PDF of the model's figures.
What it is not
The spread is not profit. Sale prices are as each venue publishes them: some include the buyer's premium, some do not. Taxes, transport, reconditioning and fees are never included. Asking prices are what the seller listed, not what the car sold for. Read the disclaimer at the foot of the page before acting on a number.