Thoughts please on this low milage car

[Dave K]

I would say definately try before you buy when thinking about spending that ridiculous amount of money on THAT car.
I showed it to my wife and she said she thought it looked to be worth about ?30K and I have to admit I agree.
Have I missed something?

Paint work looks dull, weird colour, painted wires? original style rad with later carb linkage. All looks a bit tatty but again I MUST have missed something unless its a case of the kings clothes?

Dave

[MarkE]

Colin Chapman was 5ft 7inches tall, which explains how he could race his early cars, and the 9, 11, 14 Elite, etc.....
I've just sold my Elite after trying every way I know, including removing the seat altogether, to be able to drive the bloody thing!!

It was Peter Wheeler, ex-chairman of TVR, who was 6ft 6 inches. I had a Griff 500 a few years ago, and mates under about 6ft tall couldn't reach the pedals ! Some consolation after I had tried and failed to drive many of my 50s and 60s favourites.

[38E]

Colin Chapman was 5ft 7inches tall, which explains how he could race his early cars, and the 9, 11, 14 Elite, etc.....
I've just sold my Elite after trying every way I know, including removing the seat altogether, to be able to drive the bloody thing!!

Well, for some reason Chapman made the first versions of the Elan much more roomy. I'm 6'2 and had a couple of early Elans but I never needed the seats all the way back.

But it's not just your height that makes a difference, it's also a lot to do with your build. I used to fit into in my E-Type a lot easier 30 years ago when I was about 30 lbs skinnier than I am now.

Wow, a 356 can be worth ?145k nowadays? I sold the last one I had for ?50 and was glad to get rid of it (and that was at a profit). :D

[Kes]

Just my two bobs worth, but I would say that that car is at least 30% too expensive - even by todays market prices which, it seems for the time being at least, have topped out. I know it's original but it's a LHD imported American coupe - of which there must be plenty similar. I wouldn't mind betting that at an open auction it would reach around ?70K. Anyway, one more thing - I'm a slim 6'2" and I have to say, it's a very tight fit behind the wheel of my roadster - a smaller steering wheel would probably make more difference than the 'dished' floors. Interestingly in my '62 MGB, I need the seat quite far forward - there's loads of leg room even for a lanky bugger like me.

[356boy]

i have been looking at recent auction prices over the last 12 months and it does seem expensive

[vipergts]

Well at auction you don't get the chance to look at it underneath, test drive it, study it, ponder, study it some more, drive it again, buy it and then take it back if it turns out to be a dog.

Harry spends a lot of time out in CA and this is the lowest mileage, most original unmolested example he's come across.

But it depends what floats your boat, some guys want the perfect example, beautifully restored to exacting standards, that can cost you up to 200k and sometimes more. Others however see value in originality, that which cannot be replicated....it's a time gone by and it's getting forever rarer and more important, you only have to see the prices of Barn finds.

I've never seen another like it and and I've been around E's for too long.

Someone mentioned 70k at Auction........That's so far off especially when it's LHD which gives the rest of the world to sell it to

[vikla]

It's interesting hearing people's comments about E-Type prices. At the end of the day anything is only worth what one particular person is prepared to pay for it at a particular point in time. I'm pretty certain a multi-millionaire will pay a lot more for a specific car than I would. What a car is advertised for is unlikely to be the final price paid, i.e. it will be lower (unless it is obviously a bargain).

The only classic car guide to prices that I know of is published every month in the sister magazines, Classic Cars and Practical Classics. Below is the March 2013 table for E-Types. The first column is for Concours/Dealer, the second is Mint (very minor defects), the third is for Good (tidy, useable, only cosmetic defects) and finally fourth is Rough


As far as I am aware the data is predominantly taken from auction prices, since Classic Cars monitors them via a regular feature and in my experience they are about right. I notice that they haven't changed in about the last 10 months.
The table prices are only a guide and are likely to be averaged so they even out factors like whether a car is an original UK RH drive matching numbers one with original body and interior colours, or is an imported converted LH drive model in non-original colours, etc.

About this time last year E-Type Club magazine published an article I wrote about my experience of buying my E-Type over a very intensive 3 month period, monitoring cars and prices every day, going to auctions and travelling all over looking at cars, both private and dealer sales.

Here are some of the things I wrote:
I discovered that about half the buyers at auctions are dealers who within days are offering the cars with big mark ups. The biggest I saw was 100% - a car bought for ?27K and then re-advertised at ?55K. Typically it was ?32K then on display at ?45K- ?50K.

At Bonhams a S1 4.2 FHC went for ?44k under the hammer (?49.9K with the buyers premium). It had bills for ?68K, didn?t have a detailed engine bay but had an excellent body. The owner would have received less than ?40k. Later in the month I saw it advertised for ?90k by a London dealer. Then a 3.8 S1 FHC reached ?29K but didn?t sell. It was pretty unoriginal with a cheap red respray and black interior.

Selling a car privately you are unlikely to achieve anywhere near the prices asked by dealers. The most I saw a definite private sale go for was ?43K for an S2 Roadster which had just completed a ?50K restoration and so probably had cost the owner about ?70K in total.

The price table for December 2011 when I bought my car is here:

[GSR 54D]

Hi Steve

I read your article in the club magazine and at that time remember thinking how right you were and still are.

All dealers have to make money and some also allocate a certain percentage on unseen problems which may occur with a sale. I feel the real quality of a dealer becomes apparent if & when instant after-sale mechanical problems occur.....!!!!!

John H.

[MarkE]

I can't believe what I'm reading here! How on earth can an un-restored 50 year old E type in superb original un-restored condition with cast-iron provenance be compared to the prices achieved by the sale of restored cars in various conditions?

This car is so incredibly rare being an un-restored and fully authenticated E Type. I wonder just how many there are like this left....10, 20........maybe 50 out of say 40,000 E Types remaining? There are any number of tatty older restored E types, poorly restored E Types, perfectly restored E Types and way-over-the-top restored E Types, and they all have one thing in common....they've all been restored.

Perhaps E Type owners don't appreciate originality and authenticity as much as owners of other marques, but if this was a 12 cylinder Ferrari, a DB4 or 5, or even a Lotus Cortina, and being sold for the price of a restored car, it would be snapped up so fast that we would never even know about it.

The last un-restored Lotus Cortina sold 3 years ago for ?150k, or 3 times the price of a top restored car. That sort of ratio puts this E Type at ?300k or so.

That's more like it!!!

[Heuer]

Agree with Mark, 100%. This is a unique car at what will, in 5 years time, seem like a bargain price. You can't add originality!

[Simon P]

True. Can't say I necessarily agree with it, but never confuse the collectors' market with the regular marketplace (other than if something is deemed to be collectible it will have a positive effect on prices in the regular marketplace).

As an example, you can pick up a decent original Nikon F camera for around ?1,000. One of the limited editions might set you back around ?3-5,000. And currently on sale in London is one of a handful of pre-production models for...?250,000! Arguably the only difference between the ?250,000 model and the ?1,000 example is the serial number, but to the weird world of collectors these things matter...

[Heuer]

Eagle is offering this one at ?195k: http://www.eaglegb.com/cars/1964-e-type ... ster-64JAG - but although the interior is original it has been repainted. Full history though.

[vipergts]

I would say definately try before you buy when thinking about spending that ridiculous amount of money on THAT car.
I showed it to my wife and she said she thought it looked to be worth about ?30K and I have to admit I agree.
Have I missed something?

Paint work looks dull, weird colour, painted wires? original style rad with later carb linkage. All looks a bit tatty but again I MUST have missed something unless its a case of the kings clothes?

Dave

Dave...keep taking the medication Sir or jump on the next space ship :?

Original colour, CHROME wheels and totally original under the bonnet.......you sure you aren't looking at a different car?

[Heuer]

The most interesting thing to me is the original Jaguar paint which nothing can replicate because it is no longer made. A lot of the materials used by Jaguar are no longer available to us these days (e.g. Connelly Vaumol leather, cadmium plate, Bradite Old Gold cylinder head paint etc) and therein lies the passion and value.

If Matt has the means and the passion he is unlikely to find a better car for the money unless Harry turns up another at some point.

[Dave K]

I would say definately try before you buy when thinking about spending that ridiculous amount of money on THAT car.
I showed it to my wife and she said she thought it looked to be worth about ?30K and I have to admit I agree.
Have I missed something?

Paint work looks dull, weird colour, painted wires? original style rad with later carb linkage. All looks a bit tatty but again I MUST have missed something unless its a case of the kings clothes?

Dave

Dave...keep taking the medication Sir or jump on the next space ship :?

Original colour, CHROME wheels and totally original under the bonnet.......you sure you aren't looking at a different car?

Only commenting on what I see in the photos, I certainly wouldn't pay that for an E-Type.
Does he want to put the car is a museum or drive it? If it's to be driven then it will lose 3/4's of the value when parts require replacing.
Each to their own I want an car that looks like and E-Type, sounds like one and can be driven like one.

Crayon marks in particular places mean sod all to me as does originality.

I hope someone buys it then like someone else said all our car prices go up. If thaat car is sold for ?130K then it shows there is one born every minute and hope for us all.

Dave

[vipergts]

Why would it lose value if used? a restored FHC can make that money and more and as already stated originality has more value.

The main difference with this car is that it's been maintained all it's life never let to languish but run regularly. In fact it was out on the road today as a very well known Etype historian was visiting to drive and take notes and photographs of it's intricate detail.

[GSR 54D]

Hi vipergts

You sound like a car dealer/salesman?

John H.

[harryetype]

Very interesting comments on my FHC. Its not often I comment on my own Forum about cars I have nor do I use the Forum promote my business which some say I should. I just want a forum where people can have open chat about E-types or anything else of mechanical interest.

However when people make un-realistic remarks about cars I have or any other dealer for that matter I have to respond.

?30k? Weird Colour panted wheels? and wrong Rad? Please before you attempt to bring the value of a car like this one down please get the facts right.

This actual car which I sourced from one of the main Judges at Pebble Beach and he confirms that it was used for many years prior to the concors as a guide for the Judges to use as a reference for the correct detail of the restored cars. It is also in the Quaile magazine and mention as one of the most original if not the most original cars left.

As for the colour Opalescent Dark Blue with Red interior is in most peoples opinion one of the best combinations you can get. The painted Wires are in fact Chrome. The radiator is original and the engine compartment is not bling because thats what makes it original.

Whats more I have had trade offers far in excess of the prices mention in this thread.

If the colour is not to someones taste or they don't like the markings on the bulkhead that is their choice. But that doesn't mean they have to devalue the car on that basis.

The rarity of unrestored cars or cars with 100% good Coventry metal are becoming ever more value & I put a lot effort ensuring that I find them.

I would also like to ad that you will not see cars appear on my website that have come straight out of an auction. I like to get the hard to find cars.

Keep your eyes posted as one of the top Jaguar Mags will running a story on this car next month.

I would to thank those who have appreciated the car for what it is even though they may like a modified car to use themselves.

[38E]

The resonators on that '62 certainly look like 4.2 items but since it is purported to be the most original 3.8 left, I guess there must be something I'm missing.

[Kes]

Very interesting comments on my FHC. Its not often I comment on my own Forum about cars I have nor do I use the Forum promote my business which some say I should. I just want a forum where people can have open chat about E-types or anything else of mechanical interest.

However when people make un-realistic remarks about cars I have or any other dealer for that matter I have to respond.

?30k? Weird Colour panted wheels? and wrong Rad? Please before you attempt to bring the value of a car like this one down please get the facts right.

This actual car which I sourced from one of the main Judges at Pebble Beach and he confirms that it was used for many years prior to the concors as a guide for the Judges to use as a reference for the correct detail of the restored cars. It is also in the Quaile magazine and mention as one of the most original if not the most original cars left.

As for the colour Opalescent Dark Blue with Red interior is in most peoples opinion one of the best combinations you can get. The painted Wires are in fact Chrome. The radiator is original and the engine compartment is not bling because thats what makes it original.

Whats more I have had trade offers far in excess of the prices mention in this thread.

If the colour is not to someones taste or they don't like the markings on the bulkhead that is their choice. But that doesn't mean they have to devalue the car on that basis.

The rarity of unrestored cars or cars with 100% good Coventry metal are becoming ever more value & I put a lot effort ensuring that I find them.

I would also like to ad that you will not see cars appear on my website that have come straight out of an auction. I like to get the hard to find cars.

Keep your eyes posted as one of the top Jaguar Mags will running a story on this car next month.

I would to thank those who have appreciated the car for what it is even though they may like a modified car to use themselves.

Now I understand - but you don't have to justify your own valuation if that's what you reckon you can convince someone to pay for it. In fact, I'm delighted to see Etype prices talked up.