The UK’s competition watchdog has cleared BCA’s acquisition of Aston Barclay after an in-depth phase 2 investigation said the deal “does not substantially reduce competition”.

The inquiry group found the BCA–Aston Barclay merger does not substantially reduce competition

The inquiry, led by an independent panel of experts, dismissed concerns that the merger would negatively impact competition in the UK and said the deal should be allowed to proceed.

The investigation follows the sale of Aston Barclay to BCA parent firm Constellation Automotive Group in April 2025, which saw the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conduct a Phase 1 merger investigation.

BCA and Aston Barclay both offer used vehicle auction services to large national business vendors and buyers, and the Phase 1 investigation indicated the merger could result in higher prices and/or a reduction in choice for customers using used vehicle auction services.

As Constellation did not offer any remedies, the CMA referred this case to the in-depth Phase 2 inquiry.

When investigating a merger, the CMA compares its effects with what would likely happen if the merger did not go ahead. In this case, having conducted a thorough investigation, the inquiry group found that if the deal had not gone ahead, the most likely outcome would have been that Aston Barclay would close and some of its assets would be sold to buyer(s) that would not be able to compete closely with BCA for large national vendors.

This would mean that, with or without the merger, the competitive pressure exerted on BCA by Aston Barclay would be lost.

Cyrus Mehta, chair of the independent inquiry group, said: “Having reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the likely impact on Aston Barclay’s business if the deal did not go ahead, we have found that this deal does not substantially reduce competition.”

Constellation’s acquisition of Aston Barclay, including subsidiary The Car Buying Group, aimed “to secure the longer-term viability of the Aston Barclay network of centres” and prevent further closures.

BCA is the largest provider of business-to-business (B2B) used vehicle auction services in Britain and Aston Barclay is the third largest supplier in the same market. Both firms compete closely for similar customers across Britain, both offering large-scale used vehicle auctions and having a broad geographic reach.

Aside from one supplier, other competitors only exert a limited competitive constraint on BCA, given their smaller scale and more limited geographic coverage.

Following the merger, an initial enforcement order placed restrictions on both BCA parent firm Constellation Automotive Group and Aston Barclay, and meant both businesses had to continue to operate as separate entities and brands.

Today’s decision marks the end of the CMA’s investigation and means the B2B used car auction merger can now proceed.