BUYING WITH CONFIDENCE

CONCOURS £80,000- 150,000

1 HIERARCHY

The FF tops the hierarchy, followed by the triple-carb ‘Six Pack’ (usually £90k-100k). Convertibles are way up there, too.

2 ORIGINALITY

Discreet mods that enhance reliability are likely to add value, but rare models (eg. early Vignale cars) are best left alone.

3 A CUT ABOVE

The very best cars are distinguished by provenance, rarity, and preferably an impressively packed service history with stamps from wellknown specialists.

GOOD £50,000- 125,000

1 THE DRIVE

Expect rapid performance, even by today’s standards. If it’s not, ask questions. The smallest V8 should be chucking out 325bhp.

2 HOT TOPIC

Under-used Interceptors such as collectors’ cars suffer overheating. Run it to operating temperature to ensure that the coolant is flowing.

3 FF FULLY FUNCTIONING? Usually £100k+ is reserved for FFs, but there are exceptions (see right). Make sure air-conditioning and ABS function; they’re not easy to fix.

USABLE £30,000- 75,000

1 INTERIOR

Re-trimming is just the start; the instruments and dash could cost more, so a shabby interior makes a good area to haggle over.

2 BODYWORK ROT

Corrosion is likely to be a major issue at the price, around conspicuous areas and anywhere in the bottom few inches of the car.

3 MECHANICALS

Both manual and automatic gearboxes are long-lived, but expensive to replace. Bushes and joints wear quickly, especially early examples with kingpins.

PROJECT £10,000- 40,000

1 UP TO IT?

Interceptors are not for beginners. They’re big, expensive, heavy and in some areas (such as the ABS on FFs) quite complex.

2 COSTS

A full resto at a specialist can cost six figures. About 80 per cent of this tends to be labour, due to the need to make unavailable parts.

3 PRICE RANGE

A MkI or MkIII donor vehicle might only be £10k, while a worthy FF project could be £40k. Bear in mind that you’re unlikely to recoup the cost of restoration though.