The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
ANDREW MARTIN’S ADVICE FOR BUYING AT AUCTION
Andrew offers tips to avoid buying a real lemon after purchasing another peach of a Mercedes Benz from a car auction
Yes, in the words of that pop princess Britney Spears, I’ve done it again. But don’t assume I’ve made an Alfa style blunder, no, it’s another Mercedes I’ve bought at auction, so what can go wrong?
I love car auctions. The juxtaposition of high-end motors like Porsche and Rolls-Royce with people dressed as extras from Peaky Blinders accompanied by loyal bull mastiff terriers. Then the live action commences. A celebrity with a small hammer takes to the stage regaling the audience with catchphrases such as: “a lot of car for the money” (it’s cheap because it’s rubbish); “try to find another” (they’ve all rotted away); and “you’re all sleeping” (you’re missing a bargain/you’ve dodged a bullet).
Away from the stage there is always great banter, loads of cars to look at and sit in, and, of course, the best of comfort food provided by a number of outlets featuring good, wholesome, home-made fare from the 1970s.
Some years back I had a moment of epiphany at a Morris Leslie car auction: did I want to be a spectator or a player? I decided to play, then bid and bought a very clean Mercedes of 1990 vintage. A lovely two-door coupe, with an unmarked period interior and a huge period ’90s car phone.
All for about £1,200, from memory. Why were the other bidders “sleeping”? Well, it was a left-hand drive (LHD), and on closer inspection had had some paintwork on one side. Still, no worries, I was in the trade and ready to make some money. It required nothing apart from petrol. So, I set up a deal in London (where LHD cars are more sought after), persuaded the long-suffering Alice we should go for a holiday there, and off we went. It ran perfectly, as it was actually a very good car. The wheeler dealer had got it right. Factoring in all costs, including petrol and car wash, I made… £6. Although we still had to get home, but that’s another story.
Everyone will tell you that buying at auction is akin to playing Russian Roulette. Not so. Follow my simple rules and you could drive away a bargain. I’ve made a number auction purchases from several auction houses and haven’t regretted any of them.
Right, here are my rules:
1 Do your homework and read the online catalogue. Look for a story of loving ownership. Type in the registration number to the DVLA website and see its MOT history. What has it failed on in the past? Look at the mileage increase over the years. Realistic?
2 Arrive early at auction with some old clothes, then go all round the cars you are interested in. Get underneath and look for any worn-out items and rust. Spend time looking round both interior and exterior. Look in the glovebox and rear door pockets for evidence of the car’s life. I’ve found invoices, parking tickets, sunglasses and even the ignition keys. What is your intuition telling you? Is this a genuine car or worn-out and knackered? The paintwork deserves close attention, any blemishes or poor repair means walk away.
3 Then, if still interested, go to the office with the lot number of your prospective purchase and look at all the paperwork that is there in a box. Read it all. Lots of invoices and stories from previous owners is good. An empty box is bad.
4 Now, find a spot where the auctioneer can see you. Set a limit, and only exceed it by a few hundred pounds.
Returning to my most recent purchase. Lot number 721, a 1994 red Mercedes E280. The car looked cheap at £2,100, so I bid £2,200. Someone else bid £2,300, so I made a head-chopping signal to the auctioneer which I thought meant I was out, but he took it to mean I had bid £50 more, not £100. So at £2,350 the car was mine. I sorted out insurance and road tax online and I was off up the A90.
So what’s it like? It’s a peach! It’s done 54k genuine miles from new, with only three previous owners. Front wings replaced by Mercedes, the original wheel, tyre and toolkit still in its plastic in the boot. A perfect, yes, perfect interior, with original sounds and all electrics working.
Yes, it’s been to my Mercedes specialist in Inverurie for a service and some minor fixes, but it’s a wonderful car being used every day with pride. Sure, it’s not 2019 slick and easy to drive, and there’s a strange small letter box above the radio, but everyone who has ridden in it loves it. And so do I.
Britney has had other hits too: Baby One More Time and You Drive Me Crazy come to mind. There’s another auction in November.