Wales largest independent car auctioneer Newport Auctions will this week reopened its car auction house following an extensive refurbishment.

The auction house, which suffered substantial fire damage in December 2012, has benefited from a significant £500,000 investment to create a modern facility capable of marketing in excess of 20,000 cars and commercial vehicles per year.

Customers visiting the auction house will benefit from a range of new features including new reception area, open plan auction hall, improved seating, free wifi and a new vehicle testing area.

Jon Collingbourne, managing director of Newport Auctions, said: “We are delighted to be reopening the auction house this week. The last two years have been a real challenge for us, but we have all worked incredibly hard to create a new auction facility that will enhance the buying and selling experience offered to our customers.”

To accommodate online bidding Newport Auctions has installed high definition cameras into the auction house to stream all auctions live over the internet. All bids that are placed online are clearly displayed above the rostrum during live car auctions.

Mr Collingbourne said: “To improve the way we market our vehicle stock online, we have installed leading audio visual technology to facilitate online bidding. Registered customers can use our eBid system to view each lot and place bids remotely. All bids placed are then clearly displayed in the auction hall for all to see. ”

The family owned car auctioneer, which this year celebrated its 30th year of trading, has employed two new apprentices to assist with the running of the new facility and has bold aspirations to expand the business over the next year.

The facility will officially reopen this Wednesday, where several special guests will be participating in a Formula 1 driving simulator challenge and fundraising auction where all money raised at the event will go to the charity Dreams & Wishes.

An associate member of National Association Of Motor Auctions, Newport Auctions operates three evening car auctions every week and market a range of vehicles direct from main car dealerships including BMW, Mini, Vauxhall, Fiat, Ford, Volkswagen, and Nissan, along with a range of quality used cars from finance companies and private sellers.

In addition to car auctions, Newport Auctions provides monthly general auctions where anything from liquidated stock to refurbished plant is on sale with low reserve prices.

The business has bold ambitions to market in excess of 20,000 cars in 2014 making it one of the largest independent car auctioneers in the UK.