TVR Chimaera Prices
Discussion
Hello all,
So help me out. I previously owned a Chimaera 4.0 HC 1995 from 2003 to 2006.
I bought it for about £14k and sold for about £12k.
Loved it and still miss it.
Have looked at Chimaeras recently, and am looking at buying the best / most recent I can. Have seen a 450 (pick of the range?) with less than 50k miles at roughly £23k.
What do you guys think? Will decent, well looked-after Chimaeras hold their value now?
So help me out. I previously owned a Chimaera 4.0 HC 1995 from 2003 to 2006.
I bought it for about £14k and sold for about £12k.
Loved it and still miss it.
Have looked at Chimaeras recently, and am looking at buying the best / most recent I can. Have seen a 450 (pick of the range?) with less than 50k miles at roughly £23k.
What do you guys think? Will decent, well looked-after Chimaeras hold their value now?
I think they will, my old car appreciated in the 6 years I owned it but I would say for 23k it really needs to be something very special.
I think Chims years ago were seen as the runt of the litter but things have moved on.
Values have gone up recently but all cars have.
They are cars that are very difficult to get out of your system once owned, not perfect but feel special every time you drive them.
I think Chims years ago were seen as the runt of the litter but things have moved on.
Values have gone up recently but all cars have.
They are cars that are very difficult to get out of your system once owned, not perfect but feel special every time you drive them.
Edited by Belle427 on Sunday 9th May 09:32
You will get the same answer there really, no one really knows what the future holds for values.
I can’t see them going down personally, especially if the new car ever materialises.
They increased for me from 2014 to 2020, my car went from £7500 to £12500.
If your budget is healthy then wait for the right car, they do pop up now and again but the 450 and 500 are more difficult to find because owners don’t part with them.
I can’t see them going down personally, especially if the new car ever materialises.
They increased for me from 2014 to 2020, my car went from £7500 to £12500.
If your budget is healthy then wait for the right car, they do pop up now and again but the 450 and 500 are more difficult to find because owners don’t part with them.
dunc69 said:
So, I have been widening the search, including 500s.
The original Q was, do you think a late Chimaera will hold its value, assuming it is looked after and doesn’t do big miles, from this point forward?
Thanks guys.
(Also, would I be better posting this in the TVR section?)
They are getting rarer. Whether people will still want a non-TC non-ABS 4-5.0 V8 in future is hard to say. I know I will, but then I won't ever be selling mine...The original Q was, do you think a late Chimaera will hold its value, assuming it is looked after and doesn’t do big miles, from this point forward?
Thanks guys.
(Also, would I be better posting this in the TVR section?)
I would say yes, that the trend for Chimaera and most other TVR prices to rise. The older ones use tried and tested mechanicals with fibreglass bodywork that is generally pretty robust, on fairly simple mechanicals. Relatively easy to work on compared with more complicated cars.
Yes, slightly biased, have a 98 Chimaera up for sale.
Yes, slightly biased, have a 98 Chimaera up for sale.
andrewcliffe said:
I would say yes, that the trend for Chimaera and most other TVR prices to rise. The older ones use tried and tested mechanicals with fibreglass bodywork that is generally pretty robust, on fairly simple mechanicals. Relatively easy to work on compared with more complicated cars.
Yes, slightly biased, have a 98 Chimaera up for sale.
Thanks Andrew, and good luck with the sale! Yes, slightly biased, have a 98 Chimaera up for sale.
I looked at prices of Griff vs chims for sale in November 2023 both in NZ and UK.
I saw a 20% premium asked for Griff's in the UK while in NZ it appears the Chim has that premium.
The 500 powered cars in the Chim range are only 10% of the total of Chim made. So very rare. Not sure of the 400 and 500 numbers produced regards the Griff.
I bought the best condition and regularly used car I could find. I would have preferred a 500 but the only one I drove needed quite a bit of work regards power steering and it had a rushed paint respray due to front fender damage. 500's will always be worth more I'm seeing 20% premium being asked for them with Griff or Chim.
Most NZ cars are ex Japan. Not likely to have corroded out riggers. There's 60 Chim registered in NZ currently. By far the most popular model TVR here.
I saw a 20% premium asked for Griff's in the UK while in NZ it appears the Chim has that premium.
The 500 powered cars in the Chim range are only 10% of the total of Chim made. So very rare. Not sure of the 400 and 500 numbers produced regards the Griff.
I bought the best condition and regularly used car I could find. I would have preferred a 500 but the only one I drove needed quite a bit of work regards power steering and it had a rushed paint respray due to front fender damage. 500's will always be worth more I'm seeing 20% premium being asked for them with Griff or Chim.
Most NZ cars are ex Japan. Not likely to have corroded out riggers. There's 60 Chim registered in NZ currently. By far the most popular model TVR here.
One of the main price drivers is you tubers reviewing cars and saying the car is good to drive cheap to own and buy.
No 27 and JayEmm on cars
Both did very positive reviews in the last few days. And the other big driver of prices is when USA can import cars. When the special interest vehicle reaches 25 years of age the can private import them when at the time of manufacture back in the day they were essentially banned from commercial important. This market pays way more for performance cars!! It pushes world prices up left hand drive or not makes no difference. Nissan skyline prices tripled and they are all right hand drive that's the wrong side for the USA but the demand from that market was massive. YT videos now being done by USA car enthusiasts that have just got cars imported should be encouraged. Add comments ! 😆. Any car this rare and powerful will gairn value rapidly once USA market can buy them.
No 27 and JayEmm on cars
Both did very positive reviews in the last few days. And the other big driver of prices is when USA can import cars. When the special interest vehicle reaches 25 years of age the can private import them when at the time of manufacture back in the day they were essentially banned from commercial important. This market pays way more for performance cars!! It pushes world prices up left hand drive or not makes no difference. Nissan skyline prices tripled and they are all right hand drive that's the wrong side for the USA but the demand from that market was massive. YT videos now being done by USA car enthusiasts that have just got cars imported should be encouraged. Add comments ! 😆. Any car this rare and powerful will gairn value rapidly once USA market can buy them.
Interesting thoughts TVR NZ, thanks!
I didn’t go down the TVR route again, in the end.
I do see a Cooper Green Chimaera round my way regularly, and it is so nice to see (and hear!) it! Same colour as my old one. Nostalgia and actually taking the step to buy one are blurred by grey lines……..
I didn’t go down the TVR route again, in the end.
I do see a Cooper Green Chimaera round my way regularly, and it is so nice to see (and hear!) it! Same colour as my old one. Nostalgia and actually taking the step to buy one are blurred by grey lines……..
You never see any of these you tubers actually owning one though so im not sure the reviews do anything really.
Sure Harry Metcalf had a Griff for a while but he sold that.
The reliability factor for me still plays a big part in peoples decisions, i would love a Cerbera for instance but i dont think i could put up with all the niggles they seem to have more so than the other models.
Sure Harry Metcalf had a Griff for a while but he sold that.
The reliability factor for me still plays a big part in peoples decisions, i would love a Cerbera for instance but i dont think i could put up with all the niggles they seem to have more so than the other models.
I sold my Griff long ago, but prices to me have always seemed incredibly reasonable.
They were teens when I bought (in 2003), teens when I sold (in 2009) and they’re teens now.
Basically TVRs seem to have missed the “recent” boom in car values and the longer term increase in classic car values - IMHO.
So I don’t actually have a lot of faith in them rising, although the US import (where my Griff is now, funnily enough) effect is interesting. But society and the law as a whole is moving against greedy, noisy old tech cars so I’m not convinced.
Anyway, if you want one, buy one!
They were teens when I bought (in 2003), teens when I sold (in 2009) and they’re teens now.
Basically TVRs seem to have missed the “recent” boom in car values and the longer term increase in classic car values - IMHO.
So I don’t actually have a lot of faith in them rising, although the US import (where my Griff is now, funnily enough) effect is interesting. But society and the law as a whole is moving against greedy, noisy old tech cars so I’m not convinced.
Anyway, if you want one, buy one!
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