Seems that not so long ago, a car would keep its value far better than these throwaway plastic pulley kind of times. Looks like buying new these days is very foolish even if new prices are lower now in real terms. I don't mean to sound bashful, but I'm gonna declare what I managed to recoup on the 2 cars I have bought new in my life and let's see if I can be beaten ?
1) Saab 9 - 3 SE Convertible Auto , bought brand new from a large main UK dealer In October 1998 on the S reg , kept 27 months & 27000 miles. Bought new at £24000 , sold on 27 months later at £21000
2) Smart cdi ( 800 cc diesel , a brilliant car ) Left hand drive bought new from a Benz / Smart dealer in Belgium in November 2000 at £4800 , add VAT paid here and fetching costs plus SVA / Light conversion , say £6k in all, kept 30 months and 24000 miles , sold on at £5350 .
I still remember the reg numbers on both
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How about appreciation..is that the correct term?
Morgan 4/4 2 seater. Bought 1st Dec 1980 for £6545.46, sold 5th Dec 1980 for £7111.10. £100 deposit placed 31st July 1976!!
By the time I had paid the bank interest and advertising costs I had just about broken even, but it was fun for a young 20 year old. then it was back to the Marina, or was it a Fiat 128 estate?
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Citroen 2CV, bought brand new in 1987 for £3,100. Sold at three years old with 87,000 on the clock for £1,500
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You did eighty-seven-thousand miles in a 2CV in 3 years?!? wow.
gabble
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morgan... that doesn't count , the car needs to have been properly used... this was just speculation. Impressed with the 2CV.. 87 k miles
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That's amazing, Motorprop. And there was I feeling proud of SWMBO's '06 Mini One, worth 80 % of its cost after 21 months in PX for a new Cooper.
Perhaps the Saab was an early model and therefore rare - the current one according to What Car will be worth 35 % of cost after 3 years. Or you're just a very good salesman!
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Ford 100E 'pop' bought 1971 £5, no MOT, no brakes.
Sold eighteen months later £2.50, rear box section collapsed.
I did sort the brakes, and MOT it.
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You did all that and still lost 50 %.....
I always thought 50s Austins were better than Fords: my first ever car was a glorious old 1955 Austin A50, bought in 1969 for £65 and sold in 1970 for £65. Never failed to start nor ever let me down.
Edited by Avant on 24/11/2008 at 22:32
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Ok, 1985/C Fiat Panda 1000S, 71000 miles exactly, purchased in 1994 for £250.
4x new tyres fitted @£20 each (145x12 or 13 I think).
Bulkhead rusted out around pedal box at 94,000m after 18 months of ownership.
Exchanged 4x wheels with 7mm tyres for 4x wheels with 1.6mm tyres, with Panda-owning neighbour for £100 (I did fit them for her though).
Car sold through auction for £250 before fees.
I did 23,000 miles in 18 months (at 60mpg!) virtually for nil depreciation.
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Well the Austin would have had the OVH A series where as Ford would have still been using the old side valve units at that time. Still I like the old 50's Fords and I still see quite a few of then around. They are not common but a lot more common than 50's Austins. At least where I live.
I wish I had cars like that. My first car cost me £400, spent £90 on a service and was told at that point the 'rattle' was the worn camshaft and the piston rings are none existant. Even so it lasted another 5000 miles (dad driving) till the MOT, MOT cost just £90 as not a lot needed doing, engine finally give up 6 weeks after the MOT. Sold it for £80 as a none starter to a trader. Not bad for an 11 year old Fiesta which did not start and had well over 100k on the clock (well 9000 miles!).
Second one is too early to tell, but it is in the garage atm so it wont be a cheap car, would like to sell it for what I paid for it though.
My dad once bought a Lada for £800 and kept it for 6 years not a lot needed doing but MOTs were always around £200 (he never once serviced it!, engine died at 67k). Was cheap motoring though.
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apart from Avant's mini, all the rest are bangernomics , more connected to the price of scrap metal than value as cars. I'm talking about depreciation from new... The Saab was not that rare , but it was an auto in midnight blue. I put it up for sale for a 'silly price ' , lo and behold , a blazered BA pilot came by train to take it away. Didn't even Hpi check it .
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Just for the record, the Austin A50 had what developed into the B-series engine. Both A- and B-series were truly long-lasting engines; the A from 1951 (803 cc A30) till the last 'old' Mini (about 2000?) and the B from 1947 (1200 cc A40) till the final MGB (about 1980).
They were great engines - lots of torque and, with Zenith then SU carburettors, very easy to start, hot or cold. It's easy to forget how temperamental many cars were before the advent of fuel injection.
Edited by Avant on 25/11/2008 at 00:21
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Yeah I know Fords could be tricky to start until they introduced the electronic ignition in around 1986. I hadn't used my Fiesta since Friday morning and it has been really cold, it took less than 2 seconds to turn over from turning the key. How many £350 cars would have done that 10 years ago. I remember in the winter my grandad always had to recharge his batteries in the winter and I always remember they kept a spare A series in the garage for when the Alegro's O? series eventualy died.
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". Impressed with the 2CV.. 87 k miles"
I was using it for work - wonder if its still around or whether it was clocked after I sold it on?
It was waxoiled/greased and I flooded the chassis interior with around a gallon of used engine oil/waxoil - by putting rag bungs in the open ends of the chassis rails to retain the oil for a while.
Edited by oilrag on 25/11/2008 at 09:30
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I just looked it up.. Its still on the road! actually first registered august 86 and now 22 yrs old.
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A Volvo 144 saloon my dad bought in 1970 is still around. I know for sure it had pretty high miles on it when he sold it in '72. Must have been cosseted since.
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I suppose this doesn't realy count as it's a classic and benefitted from the price bubble in the 80's. Daimler SP250, bought for £3500 and sold two years later for £10,000. What a pity I lost it all again on the next car.
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This also doesn't count, probably! When I worked abroad and was able to buy cars tax free and with a 15% discount from the maker I bought a 1994 320SL, new, and made a good 25% on it as there was a waiting list for them in the UK at the time
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