Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

Every old car I have bought since 1980 has been bought privately.

The one exception is the 1954 Series One Land Rover 86" in 2010. I had helped the trader who specialises in 1960s Fords and Vauxhall to a buy Mini Cooper S from a local owner by making the introductions to it's owner and a little moral support during the transaction.

My reward was to be able to buy the Series One at a mutually acceptable price.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rick]

Nearly all of mine have been private buys, the only exceptions were the A40 Devon - bought from a friend who has a garage - and the Dodge tourer, bought from a chap who sells vintage cars in the midlands.

RJ
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Rick - Admin
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[emmerson]

My first Range Rover was from a dealer, but all subsequent ones have been private, the last two through ebay.
Just a thought, which herself and I discussed only last evening; our first RR was only six years old when we bought it, and was comfortably within our budget.
I can't even dream about buying a six year old one now.
What happened?

[emmerson]

[Rootes75]

My purchases have been a mix really, a couple by word of mouth and a couple from ebay. The ebay ones were about 10 years back now, I have sold on ebay since but not bought anything.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[JohnDale]

Hi all, my Triumph came from a Triumph specialist dealer in Elmswell, Suffolk,Manvers Triumph. Highly recommended for all things Triumph.
My Volvo V70 came from a one man band dealer in Glasgow & I later sold him the Triumph,which is now in the London area. The Zephyr also came from a dealer, Spinning Wheel Classics in Chesterfield,very good dealer too.
I guess I would be a dealer customer before buying privately where there is
some possibility of dealing with any problems not noted at sale. With a private sale, once the vehicle is taken,that's(generally) the end of the story.
Cheers,JD.
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[Keith D]

I bought my Austin A40 tourer from the sleaziest garage in a backstreet in Carlton, a suburb of Melbourne that I believe is very yuppy now, but back in the early seventies it was really bad.

I would never have gone around there on my own after dark! A mate of the original owner was selling it for the deceased guy's widow and I had been chasing a decent A40 ragtop for at least two years, so I braved the suburb and bought it!

Keith

[Ray White]

I bought my Austin Swallow from a junk/antique shop owner in Wendover who had taken it from someone in lieu of a bad debt. The GT6 was also a private sale. Going back further in time, both my Isetta 300s were private sales. The low mileage A30 and pre Farina A55 Cambridge were both gifts as was my present challenge, the 1926 Dodge Brothers tourer.

The P38 Range Rover (if it can be called a classic) was bought from a dodgy dealer in County Durham. Although the car was -and still is- in very good condition with special features such as Napa leather interior, the Dealer led me to believe that the service history was with the previous owner. When I contacted him (after the deal was done) I discovered there was none! I could have taken the car back but decided that it was too good an example to miss out on.

[clan chieftain]

All bought from private sales.
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The Clan Chieftain

[lowdrag]

Mostly word of mouth over the years. An S-type restored by a gentleman who then had a stroke and couldn't drive; the Mk 1 that had sat for years in a brick & flint lock up, one owner and 18,000 miles. The E-type from Dorset, but the Lynx via a garage who just put me in touch with a chap who was selling. They just acted as the intermediary. They now sell cars and take their percentage!

[Riley Blue]

From friends or from other club members. Many Rileys change hands like that, especially pre-war saloons, so that they don't fall into the hands of those who would rip off their bodies and turn them into specials or more desirable sports models - this happens a lot to cars that find their way across the Channel.
RMs and One-Point-Fives owned by members often have a waiting list of people who would like to buy them.
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[Rootes75]

Also, who would you sell to?

Or more so would you sell privately or on ebay?

My preference would be privately as you have to vet (as much as you can) the purchaser, on ebay you are likely to get some last minute foreign fraudster bid etc etc.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Minxy]

The current Minx from e-bay just before it started to get silly on there. Previously cars came from a friend of a friend, an auction and a club web site. Generally when I see cars advertised with vendors/ garages they are top dollar for what tends to be an average car - I have looked at some but never been tempted. It seems pretty hard at the moment to source cars realistically priced anywhere, folk seem to have jumped on the rising prices band wagon and want inflated prices for any old banger

[Fluffle-Valve]

[Ray White]

What about classic car auctions? This is where the dealers get their stock. I have often seen cars sold at auction turn up in dealer's adverts in classic car magazines; often at twice or even three times the price.

Perhaps a subject in it's own right?