Since reading this post back in March, I have been asking members who have sold or bought via the columns of FP, confidentially, what sort of money has changed hands.
I am starting to accumulate a database of information which hopefully will be fed back into the buying guide at some point. There is, however, as you say, quite a wide divergence across the board. It is early days as yet, but I am starting to suspect that the private sale price of a nice useable 4 cylinder car in good general fettle does seem to be rising beyond the levels expressed in the guide, and is now heading towards £15,000. There are, however, still examples around that appear to be useable cars that are advertised for half of that.
There is also a regional variation that is becoming clear, with cars in the north of the country seeming to fetch less than those in the south and perhaps not surprisingly, dealers seem to ask for the top prices. A recent magazine review of the Traction, used a car from a dealer in Lincolnshire, a 1953 Normale, that was priced at almost £20,000, although this has now been reduced, I notice, to £18,995!
However, some reviewers still seem to think that a project car can be had for between £2,500 and £4,000 ! I dread to think what a £2,500 Traction might be like in condition terms.
It is a shame that the various websites that advertise classics, do not publish the actual prices achieved and as you say this may be significantly different from the asking price.
There is further comment on this in the next FP and I will continue to monitor and advise as (if) the picture becomes clearer.
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This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by Editor FP. Reason: typo
Dave Thornley
Editor FP