Dear Classic Car Enthusiast,
‘Start as you intend to continue’, as the saying goes; and what a start to the New Year: specialist dealers are continuously looking for good stock to fill their quickly empting showrooms, auction houses send newsletters and advertise to appeal to classic car owners and beef up their consignments; and the events season is starting to warm up with some cracking shows world-wide starting early.
It is unusual for classic car dealers to comment positively on a lively start of the year, when January is usually such a quiet month. This is also great news for classic car owners, as demand is very likely to push values up. We recommend this as an ideal time for anyone thinking of selling their classic, and smartly following the trends.
Auction results are reaching new highs, and it is natural to wonder why that may be the case. For example, why buy a car at an auction? Once only known as the secret venues where dealers bought their cars from, nowadays auctions are quickly becoming a sort of moving car showroom for private purchasers. However, auctions themselves can be a minefield, because regardless of how long one may examine a car in a well-lit hall, surrounded by other models alongside the object of your desire, it is still a very large gamble. As another adage goes, “buyer beware”.
The question we, the classic car experts, are asked time and time again, is how much more one should pay for a celebrity pre-owned vehicle. Very often, classic cars are advertised by promoting their glamorous past ownership, though often the relevant famous owner hardly drove their possession.
It all depends on many variables: what the car is, who the owner was; whether the car was successfully raced or rallied; or if it was just bought to be stored in the garage.
It is a fact that these cars do sometimes, and perhaps questionably, fetch a little more. Personally, I would rather own a car with its own desirable history, made in limited numbers and with a service history to support its heritage. In short, the most covetable ownership is that of special motorcars with their own charm.
Whether you are considering selling your classic and require advice, or are looking for that special motor and need some help, let me know. We have a unique range of exceptional motor cars, which are not always and publicly advertised on our Classicmobilia website.
I am looking forward to some very special classic car events in the coming months and hope to see you there.
Happy motoring,
Keith