ASK QUENTIN
Is it DB6 time?
I have around £300k to spend and I’m considering an Aston Martin DB6. I’d prefer a manual but I know they can be converted from automatic for around £10k. Do you feel the DB6 is a good investment in these uncertain times? Grant Palmer
A good DB6 in the right condition and spec would make a reasonable long term-investment if it’s an immaculate, well-preserved original or something that’s been fastidiously restored by a well-known Aston specialist. The market prefers manuals but converting won’t help investment potential. You need a matching numbers car in its original colour and trim combo with a long, and ideally continuous, history. Prices have levelled oé, but a fine manual car is likely to be advertised at £275-350k. With so much market weakness around, now’s defintely the time to try some spirited oéers. Quentin Willson
Non-moving Ferrari
I’ve had my 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS – red with crema interior – for sale on consignment for two and a half years. It has 50k miles, mostly highway, and has been very well maintained. Should I wait for the market to pick up again or trade it in for about US$50K? Thomas Mikel
Having your Ferrari on consignment for two and a half years suggests they’re either pricing it too high or not marketing it eéectively. Rightly or wrongly, most 328 buyers prefer much lower mileages. If you can secure $50k I’d take it. The market isn’t going to rise anytime soon and you’d be better putting the money into something that you can buy advantageously in today’s softer market. Quentin Willson
Auction or private sale?
After owning my 1987 E28 BMW M5 for 20 years it feels like the time to sell. Auction charges are significant so I’m thinking of a private sale. It has 73,000 miles and comprehensive invoice history including the original service book and is in highly original condition, down to the Blaupunkt New York stereo. It has never been welded or painted in my ownership. The interior is unmarked but the exterior has a few minor stone chips and dings. It’s one of the 187 ‘DC92’ right-hand-drive cars and the only one specified with standard ‘comfort’ cloth seats, in this case heated and with central armrests. Stephen Offley
The E28 M5 is still hot – and original unmolested examples like yours are very rare. Some dealers are pitching exceptional cars as high as £80k but I think £60k is more achievable. Selling an E28 M5 privately doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get more than at auction so I’d detail it very carefully, sort any body issues, put all the invoices in a neat chronological ring binder and enter it into one of the higher profile auctions. You may be pleasantly surprised. Quentin Willson