BOC sells four more ‘hot’ cars

More than P9.74 million in revenues were collected by the Bureau of Customs following the auction of four "hot" luxury cars at South Harbor in the Port of Manila yesterday.

Chief auctioneer Isidro Pre told reporters the bureau’s total collection from the sale of 20 "hot" cars has amounted to P44,208,675 since the series of auctions started.

Pre said the four vehicles sold at auction were a green Mitsubishi Pajero, a white Range Rover, a white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, and a black Toyota Lexus V8.

Pre said the Range Rover, which had a floor price of P5.39 million last December, was sold for P3,106,197; the Prado for P1,607,197 or P7,000 above the floor price; the Pajero for P1,423,000; while the Lexus was auctioned off for P3.608 million or some P352,154 over the minimum.

A Prado VX and a Land Cruiser VXR were also bidded out, and a Lexus V8 was taken off the list because of alleged "mechanical trouble," he added.

Auction officer Willie Cervantes told reporters yesterday the auction may not find any buyers because some bidders want to wait for the expected drop in floor prices next month.

The auction was supposed to be extended today, he added.

Cervantes said five bidders took part in yesterday’s auction, as compared to the open bidding held last Sept. 26, and that the government netted P35 million.

The first bidding in December last year and another on July 27 were declared failures because there were no takers.– Jerry Botial