Classic Cars (UK)

Intercept a 2014 bargain in 2021

Values of Brum’s stylish GT are time-travelling back to cheaper times – but for how long?

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If you’ve always wanted an Intercepto­r, now might be your moment. This year values of Birmingham’s Aston Martin have weakened with lots of no-sale results and some surprising­ly reasonable hammer prices. These days £20,000 to £30,000 buys a decent driver-condition car and £45k a wellrestor­ed and very special example.

How about the £16,650 drawn by CCA in September for a very straight and refreshing­ly rust-free, left-hand-drive ’71 Series II from California? Driving and starting well with just one owner from new – reputedly the largest orange grower in the state, so fittingly delivered in a lovely shade of bright Citrus Yellow – it was nicely original, needing only fettling and recommissi­oning. This was the sort of money that not so long ago we used to pay for shabby, non-running projects.

In August, Anglia Car Auctions sold a metallic green ’75 Series III, just out of tenyear ownership, looking very smart, shiny and running and driving well with 68,000 miles and history for £22,680. In July Bonhams at Bicester sold a 1970 Series I, an older restoratio­n in silver with 67,000 miles and an ‘extensive history file’, for £23,062 including premium. An honest, straight and alluring early model, all it need was detailing, recommissi­oning and the later Series III alloys swapping for the period correct earlier Rostyle rims.

Expensivel­y restored Intercepto­rs are looking like really good value. In June Anglia sold a ’75 Series III in blue, restored from an acid-dipped ’shell, with a multitude of new panels fitted, new leather trim and a full mechanical refresh. With 90,000 miles and lots of history, its hammer price of £30,420 would be a fraction of the previous owner’s restoratio­n costs.

In May, Brightwell­s also sold a restored Series III, this time a ’74 with 63,000 miles, recent bills for £20k and a wonderful, near-continuous history including sheaves of old invoices from the Seventies and Eighties, for £42,784. This was a seriously nice Intercepto­r knocked down for half the price it would’ve made several years ago. Intercepto­rs have been going in and out of fashion since launch and this year’s softening in values may be one of those moments – 2021 was a great opportunit­y to bag one of these bewitching V8 GTS at 2014 money. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

‘2021 was a great opportunit­y to bag one at 2014 money’

VALUE 2014 £18.5k VALUE NOW £35k

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