More than 2,500 second-hand cars are looking for a buyer at the Salón Ocasión

At the Salón Ocasión, you have to move aside from the aisles to let the cars that have already been sold pass. Momentarily, they leave empty spaces in the dealerships' displays, quickly occupied by other models waiting outside for their turn. Immediate availability is one of the values most appreciated by attendees who these days come to the large used car dealership that Fira de Barcelona's Montjuïc venue has become. This is the case of a family looking for a car for their son, according to the father: "The most important thing is that you leave with it." A competitive advantage over the new car market, affected by the waiting lists caused by the lack of semiconductors.

From Wednesday, November 22, to Sunday, November 26, Salón Ocasión has opened its doors to display more than 2,500 pre-owned cars, a 25% increase compared to the previous year. The main brands in the sector such as Abarth, Audi, Citroën, Ford, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Seat, or Mercedes-Benz are spread throughout Palace 8, occupying a total of 14,000 square meters, a 17% increase compared to the last edition, the first post-coronavirus. The hours are from 10 in the morning until 8 at night, with access through Plaza España.

Although there are some like Arnaud who came on the first day not to miss the best offers, dealerships indicate that "people look a lot, but buy little." The peak days of Salón Ocasión are expected for the weekend, according to Judith Cortés of Lesseps Motor: "The work will start on Friday afternoon." Under the slogan Prices that fly, the fair expects to surpass the sales achieved last year in this 41st edition, when it closed its doors with 800 vehicles sold and a business volume of 19 million euros.

Among those walking through the exhibition, one of the most heard phrases is "I don't know what to buy." Beyond those who want one brand or another, the main concern is what to choose between gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and electric. There are those who don't want to see plug-ins even in a painting, like Àleix and Alfred, a pair of retired co-workers who believe that the city is not yet ready for this type of vehicle, nor are private parking lots or roads, as they also distrust the durability of their batteries.

There are also those who don't even consider hybrid and electric cars because they are too expensive, even second-hand. "I want a small, pretty, and cheap car," says Bárbara, a little desperate to see that models are getting bigger and bigger, with SUVs monopolizing most dealerships: "Where is the old Seat Marbella? It no longer exists, even the Polo is giant." A market trend that complicates parking, accustomed to more modest utility vehicles, and that consume more at a time when gasoline prices are escalating. Furthermore, Arnaud, accompanied by his young son, points out that the models look quite new, which makes him think that he will not find offers adapted to his wallet.

Both have come to the Salón Ocasión with a budget of 10,000 euros, quite far from the prices seen on the signs accompanying the vehicles. If everything has gone up, from gasoline to olive oil, so has the price of semi-new cars, they say from Lesseps Motor. The lack of semiconductors and waiting lists initially benefited the second-hand sector, but they have also ended up harming them, with the fall in the rentals from which it feeds, which has reduced supply and driven up prices, they point out from Spoticar. This has been detected by Mercedes, who has visited the salon to look for a car for her son and has seen that a car exhibited in the Montjuïc venue is only 3,000 euros less than the same new model.

Among those who want to buy a car and those who want to sell it, some students from the Sales Management and Commercial Spaces training cycle sneak in. This is the case of Carla and Aya. They have homework to find an Opel model and a Peugeot model, and take photos of them, inside and out. Then, in class, they will have to act as salespeople and convince their classmates to buy their product. They would also like to buy a real car next year when they get their license, they say a Fiat 500 or a Mini, but, for now, they see them as very expensive.