James Ruppert
Buying a repaired write-off is sometimes a risk worth taking
The risks of taking on a write-off
Jaguars depreciate but Bentleys reach a bump-stop
The ongoing question always is: would you touch a category-writeoff motor with a Tiptronic gearstick? The answer usually is that it all depends and I have recently spent time explaining why it can be a force for good to a regional radio station. It is also worth pointing out that the categories have been revamped and they now adopt some different letters of the alphabet.
Apparently, everything has shifted from the repair cost to the actual vehicle condition, which sounds logical. So for clarification, A is scrap, B is for break, S is repairable structural and N is repairable nonstructural. So categories C and D have been replaced by S and N. A vehicle in category N is where the cost of repair exceeds the car’s value but there is no structural damage – you know, like a dented wing.
It is worth bearing in mind, though, that the old A, B, C and D will be knocking about for some time in classified ads. In that case, what should we go and buy? A cheap Porsche, of course. Usually, there is no such thing, but if you choose the right model, you won’t have much to worry about long term.
I would argue that the right written-off Porsche isn’t a Cayenne or Boxster, which are sub-£5k Porsches that will come back to bite you. Instead, you need to think 911. The 996-generation ones are the value buys anyway, but a 1999 Carrera 4 Cabriolet at £9995 seems like a risk possibly worth taking. It’s a private seller, though. As is a 2002 Turbo at £26,599, but that seems terribly tempting. You would have to spend a sum on a proper engineer’s inspection for peace of mind.
Jaguars always end up in the bargain bins but can take a bit of time to get there. I quite like the idea of an XF Sportbrake and spotted a 2.2 TD SE in white. A 2013 car, it has done just 20k miles and its £11,495 price seems pretty good. Then there’s an XJ. Not an old few-hundred-quid XJ8 from the old days, but a proper 2011 3.0 TD Portfolio with a panoramic roof, no less. It looks a million quid but is on offer at £18,480.
Jags depreciate but Bentleys reach a bump-stop and an Arnage Red Label would be a keeper. I know it is old-school but that is no bad thing and they look great. A 2001 car with 52k miles and a bunch of service stamps seems like a lovely way to travel. Unless, that is, you find a 2006 Aston Martin Vantage on the register at £30,000. However, you need to look carefully at the market because, although the mileage is a stiff 63k, the going rate for an equivalent Vantage, give or take some spec, is £28,950 without the cat listing. A write-off, then, isn’t always the answer.