‘It’s now a target-rich environment’

‘Market still regularly manages to surprise me’

Though the classic car market in general remains remarkably buoyant, the squeeze on finances does appear to be affecting it. For a start people are taking more rational looks at those projects awaiting attention. The effect being that auctions and classified ads are now stuffed with them. If you are looking for a project, it’s now a target-rich environment – as a Top Gun once said.

Also, more cars are being offered at auction with no reserve, which can – and now increasing does – lead to bargains. Try this recent selection. A ’68 Jaguar S-type, usable, presentable, possibly low mileage, £5724.

An ’87 Jag XJ40 3.6, FSH, 81k, £4-6k estimate, £3132. How about an ’01 Merc CL500, 83k, fresh MOT with no scary advisories, refurbed alloys, £2700. A now rare ’95 Saab 9000CSE Turbo, one family from near new, 162k but fresh MOT, £1360. Just a snapshot from the recent Anglia Car Auctions sale, and very typical of what’s out there.

The thing that connects them all is something I’ve written in the past: their size. This is oldsmoker class stuff possessing both size and some degree of thirst. But the recent fall in fuel prices has yet to make them more palatable.

Coming back to my opening disclaimer, the right stuff is still fetching some air-sucking prices. Impressionist Jon Culshaw’s Granada made a way over estimate £17,280, and a fairly shabby Lotus Cortina II was just shy of £20k. Also, how about just over £10k for a 64,000-mile ’85 Vauxhall Cavalier SRI? Rare, I know, but who saw that coming?

Even after 25 years of monitoring it, this market still regularly manages to surprise me.