Dealers would like fleets to better plan ahead their remarketing model mix when purchasing their vehicles.

Jonathan Allbones, sales director of The Car People, told the Vehicle Remarketing Association conference that trade buyers want value for money, support from remarketing partners, choice and consistent of quality.

He said fleets have improved their remarketing in recent years, and there are fewer identical cars flooding into the market at any one time, but more can be done.

Technology items don't help the used cars sell, as technology in the car is unable to keep up with the smartphone and tablet's rate of change.

“You'll never get that credible surprise and delight from in-car technology,” he said.

Used car buyers are actually more attracted by cosmetic features.

He said if anything the growth in in-car technology has made the retail buyer suffer more doubt over a vehicle if the service history is incomplete or has invalidated any remaining manufacturer warranty, so dealers will be less interested in these cars.

Quality of stock is key, and the NAMA used car grading system has improved supply. The worst cars from de-fleet now don't reach the wholesale market until they have been refurbished, he said.

Allbones suspects a recovery of the used car market, with a fall in values, will bring average age of ownership down as more consumers feel able to afford a change of car.

Niche models have made the market more diverse so dealers now have to cover the country with several used car buyers in order to acquire the right stock, he said , and repricing a car is a more frequent, fluid process too in order to turn stock more quickly.