Queensland's first auction of vehicles impounded under new laws has raised $24,000 towards the debts of their repeat offender owners.
The Public Trustee today auctioned 34 vehicles impounded under the state's new hooning laws.
Under the laws, introduced on July 1, people caught three times for speeding or drink driving, or driving unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured or illegally modified vehicles have their car impounded and auctioned to pay their fines.
Police Minister Judy Spence said the vehicles sold from $50 for an old, unregistered Toyota Corolla, to $3,500 for a Honda motorcycle, which was worth about $6,000.
Ms Spence said there would likely be thousands more cars impounded in the months to come.
She said it was a better solution to crushing cars, as they did in other jurisdictions.
"We prefer to auction the cars as we have done today and use that money to go and pay for the tow truck drivers who are all owed some money for (towing) these vehicles, and also to pay off their (the vehicle owners') debts for their fines that obviously haven't been paid as they've been accruing," Ms Spence said.
She said police did not believe any of the vehicles were bought back by their previous owners, and police would work to close that possible loophole.
