State Vehicle Auction Attracts Dozens on KMOT-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

State Vehicle Auction Attracts Dozens | Video

Amanda Tetlak

12/3/2009

If you snooze, you lose. It`s a fast-paced way to buy a new car, but at the state vehicle auction, at least you control the price. For beginners like Gary Mundahl, the first time is probably more like a watch-and-see kind of experience.

"I always heard about, never been here. Figured I better check it out, stay inside where it`s nice and warm," says Mundahl.

For Gary, the auction is a new way for him to feed a hobby he enjoys.

"I got a couple of hot rods that I kind of work on and I`ve had a couple of vehicles where I`ve fixed them up and drove them, even though they had a salvage title. They got a lot of life left in them," he says.

But for others, the auction is a way to get their hands on a good vehicle when it comes time to retire their old ride.

"The cars here are well taken care of, well-maintained and I know where they`ve been," says Curtis Smith, who bought a Dodge Stratus.

They`re vehicles that have hit the state`s expiration date. The state fleet director says turning over the vehicle after five years at about 70,000 miles gets the state the best bang for its buck.

"I experience visiting with other fleets and we do a real good job of getting a good price for the vehicles to get the best money we get back to help save money for the state and taxpayers," says fleet director Paul Hanson.

So if you`re looking for a good starter car for your college student, or if it`s just time to let go of the old jalopy, if you`re quick enough, you may get the key to fulfill your need. The state fleet department says because of Cash for Clunkers, there`s been a higher turnout of car dealers coming to buy used vehicles to fill their lots.

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