Buckley’s market matters
In the days when I used to ‘blag’ press cars, one I recall now is the Alfa Romeo GT JTD. I think I was intrigued by the idea that this was a diesel Alfa coupé and remember being vaguely impressed by it and that it was fairly pretty.
Fifteen years later the Alfa GT is very much a used car with classic aspirations, although the impressive continuity of Alfa Romeo styling and its ability to resist the ageing process means that I wasn’t really that aware when, or if, it stopped making them. I’m as up to speed with moderns as I am with social media: I don’t use it and I don’t fully understand it, but I am aware that it has its uses when it comes to buying and selling cars.
My wife keeps a fairly close eye on what’s on offer, hence the recent appearance of a 2006 Alfa GT; lots of history and being sold by a kindly old gent in a care home who had realised he wasn’t going to drive it for much longer.
Apart from a heavy clutch and some touch-up attempts in various shades of grey, it’s a nice thing – too new to get me excited but good value, fast and cheap to run at an economical 45mpg.
So, what’s the problem? Nothing, except Mia’s eye got almost immediately caught by a Mercedes CLK convertible. The Alfa has suddenly become very superfluous and, I suspect, very unsaleable. Attempts on Facebook have been met with an ominous silence and the more I mention it to people the more intense and chilly are their sharp intakes of breath; something to do with the costly to repair front suspension. Heavy clutch? That could prove expensive. And, being a diesel, the Alfa is now the work of the devil, poisoning small children on sight.
I’m getting the impression that I have stitched myself up, not majorly but to the extent that I have just taken on someone else’s problems. I even caught myself saying that stupid, pompous, selfdelusional line that I have heard so many times: “I’ll put it away until it is worth something.” When has that ever happened? Hopes of even recouping my money faded when I saw 30 of the sodding things on ebay, all nicer and lower-mileage.