Surplusauto

What Surplusauto does

Surplusauto (legal name SURPLUS AUTOS) is a family-owned automobile salvage and recycling company headquartered in Vitrolles, Bouches-du-Rhône, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France. Founded in 1963 by Jean Arnould, the company has been passed through three generations of the Arnould family and is currently operated by Frédéric and Audrey Arnould, who took over on January 1, 2020. Under its Préfectoral approval PR1300006D, Surplusauto operates as a Centre VHU (end-of-life vehicle center), legally dismantling and depolluting end-of-life vehicles and reselling reclaimed parts. Its core product lines are Carrosserie (body parts, lighting, glazing, mirrors, chassis, wheels, airbags, dashboards, audio/GPS) and Mécanique (engines, gearboxes, fuel/lubrication systems, braking, suspension, HVAC, exhaust, electrical), with a 12-month warranty on parts sourced exclusively from original equipment vehicles. It also provides free VHU destruction administrative processing and an optional paid vehicle-removal service. Distribution is dual: physical walk-in retail at the Zone Industrielle des Estroublans facility (37 Avenue de Bruxelles) plus an eBay storefront (ebay.fr/str/surplusautos13) for parts shipped nationwide, with international shipping planned.

The company's underlying technology is a computerized inventory management system using computers and tablets that allows technicians to locate parts across all departments (electrical, body, mechanical) without traditional sectorization. Revenue is generated from one-time sales of used parts (quote-based, not publicly listed), professional services for VHU destruction and depollution, and shipping/transport fees. It holds SGS Qualicert certification (5.22% TRV, 2020 data), won the Trophée AUTO-RECYCLAGE 2018 in the 1,500 VHU/year category, and is affiliated with the CNPA (Conseil National des Professionnels de l'Automobile). Customers are primarily individual vehicle owners seeking affordable replacement parts, with secondary segments of professional mechanics and repair shops (some parts restricted to professional sale only) and VHU owners needing free disposal. The company has 1–10 employees, no disclosed funding, no institutional investors, and operates from a single regional site.

Name

Surplusauto

Legal name

SURPLUS AUTOS

Website

https://surplusauto13.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Surplusauto is a family-owned French auto salvage and recycling center in Vitrolles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, selling used OEM parts and processing end-of-life vehicles under its Centre VHU (Centre VHU - V\u00e9hicules Hors d'Usage) approval for individual owners, professional mechanics, and VHU disposers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auto Salvage & Used Parts Recycling

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Parts (Used) Merchant Wholesalers (42314)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLABAKAI

End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling, Dismantling & Parts Recovery

Transportation & Logistics/Fleet Leasing, Rental & Management/Fleet Remarketing & Vehicle Disposal (Auctions, Buyback, Resale)

SECONDARYEUAIANAD

Asset Recovery, Surplus & Decommissioning Services

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Resource Recovery & Circular Economy Services (Reuse, Take-back, Refurbishment)

SECONDARYEUAIAJAF

Used Auto Parts Recovery & Resale (Salvage/Yard Parts, Rebuilders)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Scrap Metal & End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling

SECONDARYIMACABAO

Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket & Remanufacturing (Engines/Transmissions/Components)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Automotive & Mobility Manufacturing/Commercial Vehicle & Truck Manufacturing

Keywords

• Used auto parts
• Vehicle recycling
• Auto salvage
• End-of-life vehicles
• Car parts resale

Headquarters

HQ city

Vitrolles

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Used Auto Parts Sales: Sale of used/recconditioned auto parts from dismantled vehicles, covering body, mechanical, electrical, and interior components. Parts sourced exclusively from original vehicles.
2. Vehicle End-of-Life Processing (VHU): Free administrative and depollution processing for complete vehicle take-back. Optional paid vehicle removal service available based on distance.
3. Parts Shipping & Transport: Shipping and transport of used auto parts throughout France, with future plans for international delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Surplusauto is a family-owned French auto salvage and recycling centre (Centre VHU) that dismantles end-of-life vehicles (VHU) and resells the recovered used auto parts (pièces de réemploi) — body parts (carrosserie) and mechanical parts (mécanique) — for all vehicle makes, exclusively sourced from original equipment vehicles. The company also processes end-of-life vehicles for free with administrative and depollution handling under prefectural approval PR1300006D, offers a 12-month warranty on used parts, and ships parts across France via its own transport service and eBay storefront.

Product overview

Surplus Autos is a family-owned auto salvage and recycling center operating since 1963 under the ARNOULD family across three generations. The company operates as a Centre VHU (Vehicle End-of-Life center) in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, specializing in the sale of used auto parts (pièces de réemploi) sourced exclusively from original equipment vehicles. Its product portfolio consists of two main categories: Carrosserie (body parts, lighting, glazing, wheels, audio/GPS) and Mécanique (engines, gearboxes, braking, suspension, electrical, HVAC, exhaust). Ancillary services include free VHU destruction and depollution under prefectoral approval PR1300006D, a 12-month parts warranty, and nationwide shipping of used parts. The company also sells via eBay. The overall offering is a single integrated salvage-and-recycling service rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carrosserie (Used Body Parts) Sale of used auto body parts (carrosserie) recovered from dismantled end-of-life vehicles, covering bodywork, lighting, signaling, mirrors, glazing, chassis, subframes, safety equipment, seats, headliners, dashboards, wheels, rims, audio, alarms, and GPS. Some sub-categories (airbags and seatbelts) are restricted to professional buyers only. All parts are exclusively sourced from original equipment vehicles.
• Mécanique (Used Mechanical Parts) Sale of used mechanical parts (mécanique) from original equipment vehicles, including routine maintenance items, cylinder heads, fuel and lubrication systems, engines, gearboxes, axle assemblies, shift levers, cooling, exhaust, braking, drivetrain, suspension, HVAC, and body/engine electrical components. LPG tanks are restricted to professional sales only and catalytic converters/FAPs are excluded.
• Vente de pièces de réemploi (Used Auto Parts Sales) Sale of used original-equipment auto parts (pièces de réemploi) from end-of-life vehicles, covering all vehicle brands and all parts categories. Operates as a Centre VHU (Vehicle End-of-Life Center) under prefectoral approval PR1300006D for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
• Prise en charge VHU pour destruction (End-of-Life Vehicle Take-Back for Destruction) Free take-back and destruction service for end-of-life vehicles (VHU), including administrative processing and depollution, handled directly on-site without appointment. Conditional on the vehicle being complete (engine, wheels, battery). An optional paid towing/removal service is available with fees based on distance.
• Garantie des pièces (Parts Warranty) 12-month warranty on all used auto parts sold by Surplusauto, starting from the date of purchase and excluding wear parts, with invoice required. For engines, only the engine block and cylinder head installed by a professional are covered.
• Envoi et transport de pièces détachées (Parts Shipping and Transport) Shipping and transport of used auto parts throughout France, with international delivery planned. Includes careful packaging (using reused packaging materials and pallets from partner companies) and is offered as part of the eBay France storefront for nationwide online sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• TRV 5.22% valorisation rate achieved (certified by SGS Qualicert)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CNPA (Conseil National des Professionnels de l'Automobile)minorOthersProfessional association affiliation for automotive industry. Provides industry credibility and networking within the automotive professional community.
• eBay FrancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributoreBay marketplace partnership for online sales of used auto parts. Reaches customers nationally beyond the local geographic area with competitive pricing and reliable shipping.
• Partner Companies (Packaging Materials)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner companies that provide used packaging materials and pallets, supporting environmental sustainability initiatives. Reduces consumption of new packaging materials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Autodoc: Autodoc is a major European online retailer for car parts and accessories, with operations in France and a wide multi-brand catalog. It overlaps with Surplus Autos on the target customer (DIY car owners, mechanics) and on the e-commerce sales motion, though focused on new parts rather than dismantled originals.
• Mister Auto: Mister Auto is a large French online retailer of automotive parts and accessories, including some used/refurbished offerings. Comparable as a French digital parts channel targeting the same private car owner and mechanic customers as Surplus Autos, though with a much broader and mostly new-parts catalog.
• Oscaro: Oscaro is a leading French online marketplace for new and used auto parts, serving both consumers and professionals. It is comparable to Surplus Autos as a French auto-parts e-commerce channel competing for the same end customers, although Oscaro is primarily a marketplace/platform rather than a dismantler.

Regional players

• Norauto: Norauto is a French-based, pan-European automotive service and parts retailer with strong physical and digital presence in France. Comparable as a regional player serving the same private and professional vehicle maintenance customers in the same geography, though its core business is service centers rather than dismantling.

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Copart is a global online vehicle auction and remarketing platform, with strong operations in salvage and total-loss vehicle disposal across Europe. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in vehicle remarketing and end-of-life disposal, though its model is auction-based rather than parts resale.
• LKQ Corporation: LKQ is a global leader in recycled and aftermarket auto parts, operating salvage yards, parts distribution, and refurbishment across North America and Europe. It is comparable as the largest incumbent in the ELV recycling and used parts wholesale market, although it operates at vastly greater scale than Surplus Autos.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions / RB Global): IAA is one of the largest salvage vehicle auction operators globally, serving insurers and fleet operators with total-loss and end-of-life vehicle disposal. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same ELV/insurance salvage ecosystem, but operating via auctions rather than direct parts retail.

Direct peers

• France Casses: France Casses is a French network of certified auto salvage and used parts centers operating across France. It is a direct peer of Surplus Autos, offering comparable used-parts sales and VHU processing services in the same French market, and is already referenced as a partner/industry counterpart on Surplus Autos' own website.
• Indra Automobile Recycling: Indra is a major European network of certified ELV (end-of-life vehicle) recycling centers operating across multiple countries. It is directly comparable to Surplus Autos as a certified dismantler monetizing end-of-life vehicles through parts resale, but at a multi-country network scale.
• Pièces Auto Occasion: Pièces Auto Occasion is a French aggregator/marketplace for certified used auto parts from partnered dismantlers across France. Comparable as a direct peer that aggregates used parts from certified ELV centers like Surplus Autos and competes for the same end customers, but at a digital platform scale rather than a single physical site.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surplusauto

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surplusauto