Driving a good sale

Interest rates to determine how the market moves

How long has EAMA been holding classic sales? How many did it hold last year, and how many are you planning for 2017?

EAMA held its first classic sale in 1986 and then held one a year for some time. I joined eight years ago and have held two annually since then.

What price brackets do you cover?

We try to accommodate most cars, but generally anything pre-1990 and usually several projects and some motorcycles. People like to see cars being driven through – it means that they can hear them running and makes them more comfortable about bidding.

Do you see values of any particular makes or models rising sharply this coming year?

Jaguar XK8s, and especially the fixed-heads, are on the up, as are Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows and Bentley T-series models. Same too for low-mileage, low-owner Bentley Turbo Rs – there are plenty of high-mileage cars out there – the trick is in finding a good, low-mileage one.

‘A lot of owners have overinflated ideas of their car’s value’

What is the highest price you have achieved for a classic?

Three years ago we sold a Jaguar XK150 for £52,000.

And are any cars seemingly falling out of favour?

Almost anything pre-1950s will struggle to sell, unless it’s really rare or very special. Austin 7s and Morris 8s are hard work because there are fewer people who want one, and that’s because anyone with money wanting a classic will buy something they remember from their youth. With older cars, a lot of owners have overinflated ideas of their value and in the case of 1950s British saloons, people don’t want to spend £10,000 – they’d rather spend £5000.

Are real enthusiasts being priced out of the market?

Plenty of people have seen the classic car market take off and thanks to the internet and numerous classic car television programmes, everyone’s an expert, and wants a piece of the action.

How do you see the market going in 2017? Expanding, contracting, or staying about the same?

It’ll stay the same until we know what is happening with interest rates.