Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

CMA Phase 2 clearance: Constellation Developments Limited/ABVR Holdings Limited completed merger — no SLC in GB B2B used vehicle auctions based on failing firm counterfactual

Published by a LexisNexis Competition expert

Practice notes

CASE HUB ARCHIVED

This archived case hub sets out the position as at the decision date of 5 March 2026 and is not being updated. For more detail, see the timeline.

Case facts

Outline of the UK merger probe into Constellation Developments Limited’s completed purchase of ABVR Holdings Limited. The deal features horizontal overlaps in the provision of business-to-business (B2B) used vehicle auction services across Great Britain.

Latest developments

On 5 March 2025, the CMA published its final report, concluding the transaction has not led to, and is not expected to lead to, an SLC in the provision of B2B used vehicle auction services. The CMA considered that, while ABVR Holdings Limited had constrained British Car Auctions Limited before the merger, it would probably have left the market without the deal, and any buyer of its assets would not have exerted a significant competitive constraint, so the competitive pressure would have disappeared in any case.

Parties

Constellation Developments Limited (Constellation): Constellation forms part of a wider group operating in used vehicle remarketing and retail in the UK and Europe. Constellation controls British Car Auctions Limited (BCA), a B2B used vehicle auction operator. It also controls We Buy Any Car Limited...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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