Auctioneer View
Derek Mathewson, Mathewsons
‘I believe the market is volatile because of a generation gap’
We’re half-way through the year now, so how much do you think your sales reflect what is going on in the British classic vehicle market generally?
I think our sales, and most others, reflect the classic market – and that is one filled with confusion. I’m sick of being asked why advertised prices vary from £40,000 to £120,000 for a Jaguar E-type which is up and running, and on the road.
Has the market stabilised now and if so, do you think it’s for the longterm? Is it likely to see any bumps in the near future, for example?
From what I hear most sales are following the same format, featuring few true classics and more than enough modern/future classics. It’s easy to blame all the uncertainty on Brexit, but I believe the volatile market is more due to a generation gap. There are very few buyers for 1920s and 1930s cars these days and not enough buyers for 1950s and 1960s models.
You’ll hold nine sales this year. That’s more than any other classic vehicle auctioneer, so will you also be doing the same amount next year as well?
The nine sales a year were introduced solely to reduce the number of cars offered in our earlier sales, while easing our storage and parking problems at the same time. Judging by our entry numbers we’ve failed. Our regulars will riot if we cut down, so I guess we will continue with nine sales in 2019.
Would you be happy to offer more modern classics? They’re clearly becoming more popular and more accepted in the classic movement?
I can see more and more moderns being offered so we may introduce a modern section.
What about projects? Surely there’s a difference between a genuine barn find and something just pulled out of a lock-up?
With regards to projects you are correct, the ‘barn-find’ description is bandied about liberally by owners who find a deceased aunt’s Morris 1000 in her garage - sometimes still wearing a current MoT. We insist all vehicles labelled ‘barn find’ come with 20 years of dust on them, with no attempt to get them running.