A €20 Million Weekend in Caorso Shows How International Italy’s Used Equipment Market Has Become

Ritchie Bros.’ October auction set a record for the company in Italy, with registered bidders up 30% and buyers from 67 countries

Italy’s used equipment market is no longer a local affair. At Ritchie Bros.’ online auction in Caorso, near Piacenza, on 1 and 2 October, 3,652 lots sold for more than €20 million, the highest total the company has ever achieved in the country.

More than 5,400 customers from 67 countries registered, 30% more than at the same event last year. Of these, 1,370 bought one or more lots, an increase of 11.8% year on year. The number of lots sold rose by 4.7%. By buyers and lots, it was Ritchie Bros.’ best October auction in Italy.

Who was buying

Italy remained the main buying market, ahead of Poland, Romania, Greece and the Netherlands. Customers also took part from North America, India, the United Arab Emirates and North Africa. Compared with earlier Caorso sales, more buyers came from Estonia, Lithuania, Austria and Switzerland, drawn by a wide selection of recent, low-hour machines.

The trade flows both ways. Italy attracts machines from abroad, while foreign buyers use Caorso to acquire equipment consigned by Italian companies.

What sold

Telehandlers, mini excavators, farm tractors, aerial work platforms and vans were the five most in-demand categories. Among the highlights, a 2019 Manitou MRT 2550 Privilege+ rotating telehandler went to a Polish buyer for €103,000. A 2023 SANY SW405K5 wheel loader was bought by a French customer for €76,000, and a 2025 Scania 460 S Super tractor unit, consigned by a Romanian seller, went to an Italian buyer for €88,000.

“This record is an important milestone for the Italian market,” said Francesco Scaccaglia, sales director of Ritchie Bros. Italia. “It shows that equipment for sale in Italy can count on strong demand from buyers all over the world, in a truly international market.”

What it means for fleet owners

For contractors and rental companies with surplus machines, the result confirms that a wider buyer pool supports prices, especially for recent, well-specified equipment. The auction was the last date of Super September, Ritchie Bros.’ international campaign across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

The October result also opens the company’s year-end selling campaign in EMEA and APAC, aimed at Italian companies wanting to dispose of surplus or idle equipment before the end of the year. Two more Caorso dates are already scheduled: an auction on 3 November and the year-end unreserved auction on 3 and 4 December.

A €20 Million Weekend in Caorso Shows How International Italy’s Used Equipment Market Has Become published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.