Because the case is being lodged with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, affected buyers are automatically entered into the claim by default, and could receive compensation of up to £60 for every new car or light commercial vehicle bought or leased during the period. The total cost of the claim is estimated to be in excess of £150m.

Customers affected include those who bought from Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Citroen and Renault, between October 2006 and September 2015. 

At the heart of the case is a line near the end of every customer’s new-car bill which reads: ‘Plus delivery.’

The exact amount of ‘overpayment’ owed per customer will vary based on how far the car may have travelled, including from the Far East and the US. 

The maximum overpayment is £60 with an average of about £9 per car. But if a family has bought or leased a number of new cars over the decade the sums quickly add up, according to legal firm Scott+Scott which is bringing the action.