Dear Classic Car Enthusiast
What a breath of fresh air we have experienced in the last few weeks! We welcome the change, with doors opening to some special events around both the UK and Europe.
The start of some rallies in the next few weeks should get the ball rolling, but we are still on tenterhooks, concerned and wondering whether they will all still go ahead as planned.
We are still watching the market riding on a rollercoaster but there are news of dealers reporting high volumes of enquires, and sales are still ‘on the up’. Even more encouragingly, it seems that this trend is across the board, not just run-of-the-mill cars but including important chart-toppers.
In general, the auction house world has boasted through-the-roof results in the last few weeks; never before have auctions had so many lots, and have run for so long. As we all think that standing in a room full of like-minded bidders is fun, it is fair to say that armchair bidding is boring.
I cannot stress enough the importance of checking out the cars offered in auction: now, more than ever, the saying “buyer beware” is of paramount importance.
Unfortunately, in fact, some of the examples going across the rostrum should come with a public health warning and these offerings are affecting the whole marketplace. A major concern is the inaccurate condition reports on the cars, which are not a true reflection of what the lots are really like; the lack of true history information is woeful, and indeed most of the auction listings have none at all.
Hats off to the organisers of the recent “Passion of a Lifetime” auction, run by Gooding at the Hampton Court Concourse: a prime location at which a premier auction was held, with hand-picked, limited audience, and a large number of onlookers. The first official auction to be held publicly since lockdown, it was a very well-run event and some grand results were achieved for a beautiful motorcar collection.
Let’s just hope the events keep rolling on and we see more of the same in the very near future.
The market is alive and buzzing just as the weather is turning, but let’s not hold back: drivers! Start your engines and get back out in your classics while we still can.
Remember, if you need any friendly advice on buying, selling your classic, restoring, shipping or importing, then please do let us know. We are here to assist.
Happy motoring.
Keith
+44(0)1908 270672
+44(0)7889 805432
