TVRs in ACA auction 5th Nov
Discussion
Several in this weekend's ACA auction. The Griff 500 has just gone for £17,500 + fees. I saw it close up and the paintwork was excellent:
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
Blue 1998 Chimaera 400 with low reserve. what's going on with the 2 chrome studs on the bonnet and the extra pull handle on the passenger door?
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
The 1978 Taimar went for £10,400 + fees! The bonnet had osmosis bubbling all over it, that's about £11,500 all in by the time you fetch it.
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
The blue early Chimarea is actually tomorrow, no MoT:
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
Haven't seen so many at the same auction for a very long time, hope it's not owners 'bailing out'
The economy or fear of other restrictions
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
Blue 1998 Chimaera 400 with low reserve. what's going on with the 2 chrome studs on the bonnet and the extra pull handle on the passenger door?
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
The 1978 Taimar went for £10,400 + fees! The bonnet had osmosis bubbling all over it, that's about £11,500 all in by the time you fetch it.
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
The blue early Chimarea is actually tomorrow, no MoT:
https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
Haven't seen so many at the same auction for a very long time, hope it's not owners 'bailing out'
The economy or fear of other restrictionsThere is always a reason why they are end up in a car auction, especially a local one. The Griffith is a cor-blimey colour, so was probably hard to sell elsewhere. Could be a dealer moving stock that isn't going to sell over winter, thinking about the extra interest he is paying on his overdraft, from this week.
Could be a desperate private seller. It was another few hundred miles a year. It's far cheaper to hire one than own one, when you do such a tiny mileage, especially when times are tough.
The Chimaera is another unappealing colour. Like some flat BL colour you might see on frog-eyed Sprite. And as you say the eyes on the front and the plastic cupboard door handle are interesting, as it the mismatched carpet colour! That car shouts probate sale to me. The MOT expired last December. Any dealer or sensible private seller is going to MOT it prior to auctioning it. No solicitors acting as executors of a deceased's estate are going to do that. They will just sell it as it is. They will auction, because at law, that protects them from allegations of not selling it for the best price.
You missed another one: https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
Yet another hardly used between the MOTs example. Looking at the MOT history, it looks like a bodge-it-at-home owner's car. Take it for the MOT, see what it fails on. Take it home again. Do some work. See which of the items re-appear on the Fail list, go home, try again and repeat. Took about 6 weeks and 3 attempts in 2020! The MOT expires in a couple of weeks. Perhaps the owner couldn't face anymore hokey-kokeying too and fro the MOT station and bodging at home.
And why do the wipers seem to park to the right on these cars? Normally it's the left on UK market ones
Could be a desperate private seller. It was another few hundred miles a year. It's far cheaper to hire one than own one, when you do such a tiny mileage, especially when times are tough.
The Chimaera is another unappealing colour. Like some flat BL colour you might see on frog-eyed Sprite. And as you say the eyes on the front and the plastic cupboard door handle are interesting, as it the mismatched carpet colour! That car shouts probate sale to me. The MOT expired last December. Any dealer or sensible private seller is going to MOT it prior to auctioning it. No solicitors acting as executors of a deceased's estate are going to do that. They will just sell it as it is. They will auction, because at law, that protects them from allegations of not selling it for the best price.
You missed another one: https://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctio...
Yet another hardly used between the MOTs example. Looking at the MOT history, it looks like a bodge-it-at-home owner's car. Take it for the MOT, see what it fails on. Take it home again. Do some work. See which of the items re-appear on the Fail list, go home, try again and repeat. Took about 6 weeks and 3 attempts in 2020! The MOT expires in a couple of weeks. Perhaps the owner couldn't face anymore hokey-kokeying too and fro the MOT station and bodging at home.
And why do the wipers seem to park to the right on these cars? Normally it's the left on UK market ones
Edited by LucyP on Saturday 5th November 14:03
You could take the positive sometimes... 
It's not a 'local' one, it sells internationally, and get a lot of traders up ffrom the 'smoke'. Their commission is 8% too, not 12.5% or even 15% like some of the 'big' companies.
The Griffith plaque colour code was for Halcyon Heather. I had a Cerbera that colour, I really like it, but it had been resprayed and seemed a bit lighter than it should be but could be the artificial light, it was in the tent.
I could only fault the original suspension (not expensive to sort) and couldn't really check the chassis of course. If I hadn't already got one, I'd have probably bid on that, it was £19,180 including the fees. It also had the original front coolant pipes which needed changing.
It's not a 'local' one, it sells internationally, and get a lot of traders up ffrom the 'smoke'. Their commission is 8% too, not 12.5% or even 15% like some of the 'big' companies.The Griffith plaque colour code was for Halcyon Heather. I had a Cerbera that colour, I really like it, but it had been resprayed and seemed a bit lighter than it should be but could be the artificial light, it was in the tent.
I could only fault the original suspension (not expensive to sort) and couldn't really check the chassis of course. If I hadn't already got one, I'd have probably bid on that, it was £19,180 including the fees. It also had the original front coolant pipes which needed changing.Edited by sixor8 on Saturday 5th November 14:01
All auctioneers sell internationally. They always did on the phone, now online. It doesn't prevent it from being described as a local house compared with BCA for example with many branches. Local as in only one branch. Just the same as your local Joe Bloggs antiques/house clearance auctioneer with only one location, compared with Sotherby's 80 locations in 40 countries and 9 salerooms around the world.
And a respected dealer is selling a similar Griffith, with similar miles, in a much less putrid colour for £23,995, which is bound to be discountable at this time of year and in this climate. So for less than £4K more, you can buy one that doesn't need the work that you describe, and if the chassis is made of rust and the engine goes bang next week, then you have come-back, whereas with the auction example, you are firmly on your own with your hard-cheese.
And a respected dealer is selling a similar Griffith, with similar miles, in a much less putrid colour for £23,995, which is bound to be discountable at this time of year and in this climate. So for less than £4K more, you can buy one that doesn't need the work that you describe, and if the chassis is made of rust and the engine goes bang next week, then you have come-back, whereas with the auction example, you are firmly on your own with your hard-cheese.
Edited by LucyP on Saturday 5th November 14:27
You can but only agree with the colour of the Griffith as it’s loud but at the same time reminiscent of the 90’s and Tvr especially for offering far more variety and exciting colour scenes than almost any other manufacturer at that time.
Very period you could say
43,000 miles, 16 service stamps
So what if it needs outriggers and some carpet and bits and bobs like any old car you could say.
For a bloke who likes a spanner or two and a decent garage a body off doesn’t have to cost the Earth ( base car depending) and at 43,000 miles surely not a bad bet for a 5.0 Griff!
I know confidence in world matters is low and we are all going bust but a Good sorted Griff is always going to sit well with some people.
Depends how passionate about the cars you are I suppose. The problem with PH is all the owners are talking on other forums so though some people view the cars rather lowly and that’s fair enough the owners are out there racking up the miles.
A TVR is always going to be a summer 3000 mile a year car but that doesn’t mean they are not used very regularly, ( just don’t dare taking it any distance )
so often owners only go on a 20 or 30 odd mile run but crucially they are being used regularly.
Still garage queens the lot of them but that’s not a bad thing surely.
You can park the car for 6 months while your on your boat and it doesn’t hurt the car.
The cars worth the money in someways but the colour is why id love it more if it was 3k less.
I drive a lot of good cars and 16k to a guy with the skills and workshop who could have a 5.0 Griff and all in for 20k after chassis resto could always change the colour at a later and more valuable date
It could be worth a lot of money one day maybe?
It’s really very cheap to mod and restore a lot of Tvr stuff if your handy and using the experts to do major jobs if necessary on these models is cost effective if you own the cars a few years so enjoy the benefits of mods and good repairs.
You will have a very fast car on your hands for not a lot of money if set over a period of time and new chassis rails always sells well
Very period you could say
43,000 miles, 16 service stamps
So what if it needs outriggers and some carpet and bits and bobs like any old car you could say.
For a bloke who likes a spanner or two and a decent garage a body off doesn’t have to cost the Earth ( base car depending) and at 43,000 miles surely not a bad bet for a 5.0 Griff!
I know confidence in world matters is low and we are all going bust but a Good sorted Griff is always going to sit well with some people.
Depends how passionate about the cars you are I suppose. The problem with PH is all the owners are talking on other forums so though some people view the cars rather lowly and that’s fair enough the owners are out there racking up the miles.
A TVR is always going to be a summer 3000 mile a year car but that doesn’t mean they are not used very regularly, ( just don’t dare taking it any distance )
so often owners only go on a 20 or 30 odd mile run but crucially they are being used regularly. Still garage queens the lot of them but that’s not a bad thing surely.
You can park the car for 6 months while your on your boat and it doesn’t hurt the car.
The cars worth the money in someways but the colour is why id love it more if it was 3k less.
I drive a lot of good cars and 16k to a guy with the skills and workshop who could have a 5.0 Griff and all in for 20k after chassis resto could always change the colour at a later and more valuable date
It could be worth a lot of money one day maybe?
It’s really very cheap to mod and restore a lot of Tvr stuff if your handy and using the experts to do major jobs if necessary on these models is cost effective if you own the cars a few years so enjoy the benefits of mods and good repairs.
You will have a very fast car on your hands for not a lot of money if set over a period of time and new chassis rails always sells well
Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 5th November 18:12
Except that the Griffith has done less than half your quoted mileage in the last 16 years, and the price including commission was just over £19K and not £16K, and with that awful colour. It's raspberry if you're selling it and it's pink if you're buying. And sure TVR's came in all sorts of colours, but not many in that colour, for a reason. It's very expensive for an auction car in that colour that needs some work.
And sadly, it's very unlikely that they will ever rocket to crazy prices, because there are plenty of them, and it still hasn't happened with wedges, or S models.
And sadly, it's very unlikely that they will ever rocket to crazy prices, because there are plenty of them, and it still hasn't happened with wedges, or S models.
LucyP, if you'd read my original post instead of going off on one with an edit, you'd seen I hadn't missed one. You repeated a link to a car I'd already linked to, the 4th TVR that goes through tomorrow.
The wipers parking right, probably because the park switch is bust or something maybe, or they turned the ignition off with them in motion like in some of the Griff photos. Or the motors have been removed and assembled the wrong way round. Mine park left anyway on all TVRs I've had.
Have you ever bought a car at an auction? I have, many times, and sold through them too. Not a TVR admittedly although I was outbid by only £200 on a Cerbera at a CCA auction, probably a good resul!
Yes it can be risky but the savings can be big. I only bought one which turned out to run awful (a Fiat Tempra) and a new distributor cap fixed that...
You can get a decent Griff 500 for well under your suggestion of one for £25k, which you've now edited out. I did, in July 2021.
If you knew anything about TVR ownership at all, you'd have grounds to comment on colours, it's neither, it's purple. Even my neighbour's 4-year-old daughter called my Halcyon Heather Cerbera Purple, not pink.
Classi Chhim was referring to a hypothetical Griff I expect, not the one in the auction, which seems obvious to me since the hammer price was £17,500. He did a huge amount of work on his own Chimaera. This sort of thing in the classifieds at £14k seems cheap to anyone with the skills and equipment, a Griff for £14k!
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13630961
The wipers parking right, probably because the park switch is bust or something maybe, or they turned the ignition off with them in motion like in some of the Griff photos. Or the motors have been removed and assembled the wrong way round. Mine park left anyway on all TVRs I've had.
Have you ever bought a car at an auction? I have, many times, and sold through them too. Not a TVR admittedly although I was outbid by only £200 on a Cerbera at a CCA auction, probably a good resul!
Yes it can be risky but the savings can be big. I only bought one which turned out to run awful (a Fiat Tempra) and a new distributor cap fixed that...You can get a decent Griff 500 for well under your suggestion of one for £25k, which you've now edited out. I did, in July 2021.
If you knew anything about TVR ownership at all, you'd have grounds to comment on colours, it's neither, it's purple. Even my neighbour's 4-year-old daughter called my Halcyon Heather Cerbera Purple, not pink.
Classi Chhim was referring to a hypothetical Griff I expect, not the one in the auction, which seems obvious to me since the hammer price was £17,500. He did a huge amount of work on his own Chimaera. This sort of thing in the classifieds at £14k seems cheap to anyone with the skills and equipment, a Griff for £14k!
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13630961
Edited by sixor8 on Saturday 5th November 19:02
LucyP said:
Except that the Griffith has done less than half your quoted mileage in the last 16 years, and the price including commission was just over £19K and not £16K, and with that awful colour. It's raspberry if you're selling it and it's pink if you're buying. And sure TVR's came in all sorts of colours, but not many in that colour, for a reason. It's very expensive for an auction car in that colour that needs some work.
And sadly, it's very unlikely that they will ever rocket to crazy prices, because there are plenty of them, and it still hasn't happened with wedges, or S models.
And sadly, it's very unlikely that they will ever rocket to crazy prices, because there are plenty of them, and it still hasn't happened with wedges, or S models.
Well not long ago many people would have disagreed with you. Prices were very healthy.
In today’s reality I reluctantly agree but I did point out 16k would be better simply because of the couloir but if you have a mate with a body shop nothings out of the question!
People like playing with cars and some people can do it relatively inexpensively if they are savvy TVR types.
Some people only look at the purchase/ sale as some massive barometer when in truth most TVR owners become passionate about their car and spend money for fun just to make it a better car. Resale will never recoup but that’s not really why they do it. It’s not a business deal it’s a hobby.
A good fast 5.0 Griff ( if in deed it is ) is a desirable thing in any car buffs mind!
Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 5th November 18:41
Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 5th November 18:42
Yes, I had a run of Chimaeras because I couldn't stomach the asking prices of Griffs, my first TVR in 2001 was a 6 year old Chimaera 500 and I only sold it to get a house deposit.... The Cerbera bit me hard with a knackered clutch (and it was too bespoke really), whereas Chim / Griffs are mostly Ford / Rover with a sprinkling of Vauxhall parts.
But a medical issue last year resulted in my decision to say, f**k it, get one. I've learned many a lesson not considering future resale, so I got one with reasonably low mileage and good history. In 15 months and 2k miles, a new alarm / immobiliser has been the only pricey requirement.
ETA: I think it's a positive that a Griffith with 44k miles and 22 years on its original suspension can fetch over £19k (including fees) at an auction. Most of the ones I've seen in person and reviewing catalogue results online at classic auctions have an aspirational reserve price and don't sell, the owner and auction house here were more realistic. I don't agree that there are "plenty of them." There are about 1k Griffs in existence, and quite a few aren't in very good condition or are SORN. In the classifieds on here there are 17 for sale (although winter is approaching), one with no engine and some have ridiculously high asking prices (IMHO of course ), leaving about a dozen to consider. And if you want PAS (I did), you are looking at 3 or 4 (many don't show the engine bay, some mention it Obfuscation?) There are 4 on Autotrader, and 3 of them are also in the PH classifieds.
(and it was too bespoke really), whereas Chim / Griffs are mostly Ford / Rover with a sprinkling of Vauxhall parts. But a medical issue last year resulted in my decision to say, f**k it, get one. I've learned many a lesson not considering future resale, so I got one with reasonably low mileage and good history.
In 15 months and 2k miles, a new alarm / immobiliser has been the only pricey requirement.ETA: I think it's a positive that a Griffith with 44k miles and 22 years on its original suspension can fetch over £19k (including fees) at an auction. Most of the ones I've seen in person and reviewing catalogue results online at classic auctions have an aspirational reserve price and don't sell, the owner and auction house here were more realistic. I don't agree that there are "plenty of them." There are about 1k Griffs in existence, and quite a few aren't in very good condition or are SORN. In the classifieds on here there are 17 for sale (although winter is approaching), one with no engine and some have ridiculously high asking prices (IMHO of course
), leaving about a dozen to consider. And if you want PAS (I did), you are looking at 3 or 4 (many don't show the engine bay, some mention it Obfuscation?) There are 4 on Autotrader, and 3 of them are also in the PH classifieds.Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 6th November 08:06
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