Classic car values

[Scruffy Bodger]

11 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Just spotted a 1999 SL280 up at Leominster* (Shirland Heath) tonight (maybe next week no picture yet). Allegedly 'direct garage part exchange' but a quick Google suggests it's been sat  for some time (at least two years and out of MOT for a portion of that). Advert history shows a drop in values - it'd still be too much for a whim purchase but it does look like the silly prices are dropping

*(it's not any sort of classic auction - usually mixed bag of bangeromics and PX stuff, unusual to get anything recent, i.e. Autoshite fun territory)
 

I haven't been to Kingsland auctions for years but if anyone does be very, very wary of stuff there that's come from Wales if it's going cheap.

[captain_70s]

I saw a Dolomite 1850HL at an auction recently, £5-6k estimate. Up close it had lots of signs of prior work. Bubbling door bottoms, missing/faint swage lines, wings welded to the sills, suspiciously thick rear wheel arches. 

It was, however, freshly painted and polished. Made £5,170.

There were a few imperfect but presentable cars went through quite cheap, under £4k. Rover 2000, Hillman Minx, Morris Minor, Wolseley 1500, Morris 12 - Porridge a lot of folk don't want.

80s/90s stuff seemed to get snapped up by dealers and flipped.

[Kringle]

Could I ask you chaps on price performances of VW Beetles? I'd like to venture into rebuilding engines on my race car and figured doing so on a slower road going version would be perfect as a test bed. I imagine that they still suffer heavily with the pineapple/YOLO/Van life tax.

[brownnova]

I’ve been watching Morris Minor values because MrsB has expressed an interest. They are definitely on the way down to a level where I might end up pulling the trigger, but as others have said it’s a game of brinksmanship to know when to pull the trigger and when to hold on for better prices! 

[robt100]

1 minute ago, Kringle said:

Could I ask you chaps on price performances of VW Beetles? I'd like to venture into rebuilding engines on my race car and figured doing so on a slower road going version would be perfect as a test bed. I imagine that they still suffer heavily with the pineapple/YOLO/Van life tax.

Stop stealing my ideas, haven't even got this one out of my head yet 🤣

I guess its a case of keeping an eye on prices, this one is in the ACA this weekend at low mileage.

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/auctions/2694-05-Apr-2025/9763~1-1974-vw-beetle-1200

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

34 minutes ago, Scruffy Bodger said:

I haven't been to Kingsland auctions for years but if anyone does be very, very wary of stuff there that's come from Wales if it's going cheap.

Oi! I resemble that remark.
(Sold two cars there and I'm in Wales! Bought four though  )

Used to go over there a fair bit and it's not unusual to see a car go out one week and then re-appear after a week or two as the 'new' owner has found the problems. It was much easier down in Devon where a dog bought at Husseys in Exeter could be slipped down to Plymouth a few days later

[sofarsogood]

On 02/04/2025 at 18:58, SiC said:

I personally think this is great news as it puts old cars back in the hands of enthusiasts rather than speculative investments.

Almost word for word what I said to my mate about a week ago.

[Cavcraft]

13 minutes ago, Kringle said:

Could I ask you chaps on price performances of VW Beetles? I'd like to venture into rebuilding engines on my race car and figured doing so on a slower road going version would be perfect as a test bed. I imagine that they still suffer heavily with the pineapple/YOLO/Van life tax.

I don't follow the values of these that much, but (aside from that 'Cal look'  phase they went through) Beetle prices seemed pretty fair compared to Golfs and the like. The early ones are (or were) serious money, but I don't think standard sort of 1970s ones are too expensive.

[Matty]

4 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

most of the classics looked nice and shiney from 30 foot away, but up close some look like they have been painted on drive ways and in sand pits.

You've been in my garage while I've been at work haven't you 😄

[MiniMinorMk3]

16 hours ago, R Lutz said:

I'm going to be entering my Land Rover into WB & Son in the next couple of months. They seem decent enough people. 

I think they are OK, and more realistic with pricing than some. They also don't produce wordy pointless descriptions and just state the facts. A mate of mine has sold a couple of things with them in the last year and they paid out promptly after the sales.

[New POD]

On 14/02/2024 at 07:52, Stinkwheel said:

Yep, definitely the demographic moving on. You only have to look at the prices for old brit motorbikes now. Things like Velos/BSA, Triumph stuff of the 40's/50's/60's values are way down on say 5-10-15 years ago. Sadly its the owners aging and the generations that remember/care about them dying off.

Yet prices for 350LC's etc stay solid and high (usually slightly artificially high so they dont tend to sell for what they are advertised at) as this is the generation that has nostalgia, cash and health on their side currently.

 

Apart from say a 1952 a vincent Black Lightning which will cost a house. 

[Stinkwheel]

45 minutes ago, New POD said:

Apart from say a 1952 a vincent Black Lightning which will cost a house. 

There are always exceptions to the trend, see any Brough Superior or in a few years Honda RC30

[R Lutz]

5 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

they paid out promptly after the sales.

And that was just one of the issues with Matthewsons. 

[HMC]

Has the classic car press been commenting on these changes? One thing that depresses me most about the magazine “classic cars” is the constant talking up of the market, “investment” Quentin Wilson doubling down on it etc. Graphs and charts.

Tbh i couldnt care less about any of that. I want to enjoy and drive stuff. So boring to fixate on anything other than that imo.

[R Lutz]

42 minutes ago, HMC said:

Has the classic car press been commenting on these changes? One thing that depresses me most about the magazine “classic cars” is the constant talking up of the market, “investment” Quentin Wilson doubling down on it etc. 

I very, very much doubt they are commenting on the depression in values. It's not in their interest to not talk the market up. 

Incidentally, I was looking at a car review on X the other day and it was clearly bollocks to thank the manufacturer for loaning them a car with a free, full tank of petrol. I challenged them on some aspect of the car and the response I got back was 'I was brought up to not mention negative things' or words to that effect. So it's an advertorial? It's not informed writing. ITS LIGGING. Rant-over. 

[R Lutz]

21 hours ago, brownnova said:

I’ve been watching Morris Minor values because MrsB has expressed an interest. They are definitely on the way down to a level where I might end up pulling the trigger, but as others have said it’s a game of brinksmanship to know when to pull the trigger and when to hold on for better prices! 

I see where you are coming from, a bit like the end of Trading Places where they are holding off buying FCOJ futures until rock bottom. But when it comes to used cars, condition is key and not fluctuations in the market. A good car, regardless of what it is will always sell. 

[lesapandre]

14 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

I very, very much doubt they are commenting on the depression in values. It's not in their interest to not talk the market up. 

Incidentally, I was looking at a car review on X the other day and it was clearly bollocks to thank the manufacturer for loaning them a car with a free, full tank of petrol. I challenged them on some aspect of the car and the response I got back was 'I was brought up to not mention negative things' or words to that effect. So it's an advertorial? It's not informed writing. ITS LIGGING. Rant-over. 

The mags want to keep those expensive adverts from dealers rolling in. It's not in their interests in the slightest to talk-down the market. They only want good news - as there is a lot of money tied up in stock.

I think a lot of this stuff is completely overvalued - reality returns.

And rust never sleeps - a lot of this stuff is now just one big bill from catastrophe - particularly given labour rates and a dearth of anyone knowing how to or even prepared to work on it.

[lesapandre]

Add in the spare parts position for a lot of models. Take 'cooking' Rootes cars for example - both RJ Grimes and Speedy Spares catered for parts 'off the shelf' - as OE and NOS stock has dried up so has what's available. Both businesses are gone.

Previously a lot of cars coasted-on with the supply of NOS and second-hand spares which buoyed values. But that can't go on for ever. Where for example would you easily find a rear light cluster for facelift Avenger say these days?

[dave j]

22 hours ago, Kringle said:

Could I ask you chaps on price performances of VW Beetles? I'd like to venture into rebuilding engines on my race car and figured doing so on a slower road going version would be perfect as a test bed. I imagine that they still suffer heavily with the pineapple/YOLO/Van life tax.

I sold my Beetle in August last year and it sold really easily! I had given it a body off resto and it was a very bright looking thing in orange. Not perfect but priced accordingly - I had it up for £8500 and took £8400. It had a couple imperfections in the paint otherwise I would have had it up for £10k

[N Dentressangle]

51 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

And rust never sleeps - a lot of this stuff is now just one big bill from catastrophe - particularly given labour rates and a dearth of anyone knowing how to or even prepared to work on it.

This is very true.

If you can't do carbs, ignition etc and weld yourself, then all this stuff is a chocolate teapot. My local garage is now £60ph + vat. I give them the jobs I really don't want, but the everyday tinkering and knowledge an older car needs just can't realistically be bought.

The P6 came from a chap of about 30, with obviously some mechanical knowhow. Despite that, the carbs were way out of tune, the ignition system was toast and one of the bob-weight springs was actually missing from the dizzy. It's quite a bit livelier now!

[danthecapriman]

59 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

This is very true.

If you can't do carbs, ignition etc and weld yourself, then all this stuff is a chocolate teapot. My local garage is now £60ph + vat. I give them the jobs I really don't want, but the everyday tinkering and knowledge an older car needs just can't realistically be bought.

The P6 came from a chap of about 30, with obviously some mechanical knowhow. Despite that, the carbs were way out of tune, the ignition system was toast and one of the bob-weight springs was actually missing from the dizzy. It's quite a bit livelier now!

Most garages now are utterly useless with anything older than the 90’s. But cars of that age just aren’t around now like they used to be so the garages go with the advancing technology on cars. 
As a consequence, nobody knows really wtf to do with them unless you get lucky and there’s still an old boy hanging on in there or someone into old stuff themselves.

I took my Capri to my local garage after I put it back on the road after a resto. Just wanted them to give it a quick once over to check I hadn’t missed anything stupid. Also asked them to put it on the gas analyser and just give the carb a tweek to get it in the MOT specs (despite it not needing anMOT anymore and too old for an emissions test anyway). 
They did the once over and said it was fine, put it on the rollers and checked the brakes which were fine. But said they won’t touch the carb setting… because non of them had a clue really how to! And didn’t want to make it worse. 
I thought this was crazy at first, but the thing is over half a century old now. The last mass production cars with carbs were old hat stuff in the very early 1990’s so you can sort of see why. 
Trouble is, it now puts stuff that old into ‘specialist’ territory which isn’t generally cheap or plentiful. I’d go as far as saying if you can’t or won’t work on your own classic(s) now you probably aren’t going to have it long.

That garage are a good bunch, but in their own words, that Capri was by far the oldest car they had through the door in a long long time. There’s no work or money in them for most garages, and there’s no point training anyone to work on them now. It’s better to train up on the modern crap and know what you’re doing with stuff that’s current or a few years old. Which by the way, I do not! It’s different skill sets nowadays to how it used to be.

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

find a rear light cluster for facelift Avenger say these days?

Did somebody mention Diana Rigg?
Seriously - I'd suggest Oz or NZ - plenty of knock down/local cars down thataway that (maybe) don't rust to nothing but non-BL kit may be tricky there too?

 

2 hours ago, R Lutz said:

LIGGING.

A new one for my vocabulary, every day (on AS) is a schoolday.

[MJK 24]

5 hours ago, R Lutz said:

And that was just one of the issues with Matthewsons. 

Have you had a bad experience with them?

[R Lutz]

14 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

Have you had a bad experience with them?

Possibly..

[MJK 24]

2 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

Possibly..

I’m guessing we will learn more with the passage of time!

[robt100]

34 minutes ago, R Lutz said:

Possibly..

welcome to the club!

[SiC]

59 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

Have you had a bad experience with them?

One of my wife's friends sold his Stag at Matthewsons. Ended up selling for more than he was going to put it up for sale at. Don't think he had any issues getting the money and everything went through pretty easily. 

However I watched one of their auctions live the other day. Can't say they seem particularly organised or an efficient operation. 

[MJK 24]

12 minutes ago, robt100 said:

welcome to the club!

Have you had a bad experience with them?!

[robt100]

2 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

Have you had a bad experience with them?!

Yup!

[MJK 24]

9 hours ago, robt100 said:

Yup!

Are you able to elaborate?