The social media platforms (SMPs) around us have literally revolutionised the way we think, feel, behave and communicate. Marketing is an ever-evolving activity and the marketing think tanks and experts are always exploring new and innovative ways to identify, influence and follow their target audience, the customers. No wonder why the marketers across the globe are increasingly involving social media platforms in their marketing efforts. This trend is quite evident in the Indian new and pre-owned car market where social media platforms are finding a prominent place in the arsenal of key market players. This study, as the title indicates, concentrates on exploring the importance of social media and social media platforms on the marketing of pre-owned cars and the perception of buyers of pre-owned cars towards these platforms. For this purpose, primary data has been collected from 260 pre-owned car owners in Kerala, India through a well structured questionnaire and then analysed using the SPSS software. Descriptive analysis, simple and weighted average analysis, correlation matrix and regression analysis are the main statistical tools used for analysis. The study showcases the influence of social media platforms and social media influencers in generating interest, information search and purchase evaluation by the customers and their post purchase behviour. YouTube and Facebook are two key sources of information to the customers. SMPs have profound influence on generating purchase intentions and also act as a trusted source for evaluation. Social media influencers and experts display a moderating role in final purchase decisions. Social media platforms can also act as a rich medium for expressing post purchase experiences and the customer reviews in SMPs exhibit high strength at the time of purchase evaluation and consequent purchase decisions...