CASE STUDY | Moto Stattus

CASE STUDY 1

A CERTAIN TYPE…

My client, we’ll call him Mark, is a busy Hong Kong businessman who’s often in the UK. We got chatting about classics and after we initially looked at an Alvis Drophead Coupe, an older restoration, we discussed other possible marques that he may like. Mark’s a man who appreciates quality and design with a leaning towards classic British style.

A child of the ’70s, he has a penchant for 60’s and 70’s movies and culture. This would be his first classic, so I wanted the whole process to be exciting and fun.

A Jaguar E Type would fit the bill - but which one?

Personally, I would have picked a series 1 or 2 coupe, that rear door and window gives the perfect silhouette. However, my client wanted a roadster, and he really liked the poise of the Series 3 [S3]. This was refreshing because a lot of purists don't like the S3 as much as earlier cars, but, from a financial standpoint, the S3 is a safe bet when checking the investment statistics, still increasing in value.

Having trawled the classifieds it quickly became apparent that almost all good available E-Types were being handled by professional vendors – no bored billionaires having a spring clean in this market – so I picked out 8 cars to my client’s taste to view and assess.

DAY 1

We first viewed two Old English White examples, one a US import, the other a matching numbers UK car. We realised that the US manual imports are fitted with lower gearing at the rear for quicker acceleration but rev high when cruising compared with their British cousins.

Both cars were at the lower end of the price scale. We wanted to see what was achievable, but after tests and short examinations, we knew that this was not where we needed to be, not bad cars, but not bargains. To bring these up to the standard that my client expected would be time-consuming and likely to demand an elastic budget.

DAY 2

The next stop was a lot more promising but the ceiling of my budget. A dark British Racing Green example with two massive history files. We sat down and sipped our way through several coffees taking in the history file. We had a good idea about the car history and two restorations. She sat gleaming in the showroom, seducing us from every angle, but this wasn’t about us – it couldn’t be an emotional purchase.

We just needed to report what we witnessed. We took her for a drive and got her up on the inspection ramp and to give her a good look over. She had been incredibly well cared for. I could only find a few small faults, but the fact that the car hadn't been used much over the past 5 years, kept us on the side of caution, however, the dealer offered a 6-month warranty. This was a definitely, maybe.

DAY 3

Next was another specialist who had two to look at. A modified version boasted a 6-litre XKR-S engine, 5-speed gearbox, air-conditioning, uprated brakes, and custom interior. It was my personal favourite, priced lower than other favourites, but would not be so popular with purists or investors. While it was a gorgeous drive, it wouldn’t be one to go for as a first classic purchase.

What came next was the epitome of a Series Three V12. She had been under long ownership and lived a charmed life. A beautiful red example owned by a renowned ‘Lady of Goodwood’, sporting an original factory hardtop and heated engine blanket [bless!], yielding an extensive history file that read like a romance novel and a little patina on the upholstery. This was a very possible choice.

DAY 4
(NOT PICTURED)

The next example was in an auction and we were very excited. The online photographs were striking and I was practicing my bidder’s wink in anticipation for hammer time. We could only look at the car during the public viewing, no start-up or test drive was permitted, so a brief inspection commenced.

The interior and paintwork upon first glance was magnificent to behold, but lifting the bonnet and looking at those hard to get to areas, there were a few tell-tale signs that this car had been finished in a hurry. A year later, any coachwork shortcuts taken would be hard to hide and expensive to put right.

We phoned our client, walked way, glad that we had helped him dodge a bullet, but disappointed all the same. We didn’t stay around for the auction. There are some incredible deals to be had at auction, it’s just that this wasn’t one of them.

DAY 5

The next day was a drive across country to look at a beautiful fully restored example, priced a higher than our budget. Blue with biscuit hide, stunning. The car had been sitting in the showroom for a while and the dealer couldn’t get her started upon arrival.

It was immaculate but when I uttered “2+2?”, noticing the tiny passenger seats and with luggage runners in the boot. It dawned on us vendor included - this beautiful car had been converted from a coupe!!