What’s the market like at the moment?

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Does anyone have a feel for how well TVRs (and Chimaeras in particular) are selling at the moment?

I’m seeing a few cars advertised very cheaply. Is this because the market is slow?

[Belle427]

The general market has crashed somewhat this last 12 months but Chimaeras have always been funny sellers.
The problem is the prices are ranging from £10k to £20k for a 400 so that doesnt help buyers decide.

[drummerboytom]

The market for classic and fun cars generally is in a real slump atm, people are more concerned with paying for their their food and fuel and mortgages

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Yes, that’s what I feared. There’s a huge spread of asking prices, making it difficult to decide how to price mine.

[Belle427]

Post up what it is and let us have a guess.
A tidy 400 has hovered around £13000, a 450 around £17000 and a 500 £20000.
Thats for your average cars not fully restored ones.

[sixor8]

There are plenty about for less than £13k if you don't mind a car that needs work. There's even one for £6k in the classifieds here on PH because t hasn't been driven for 12 years!

ACA sold one for less than £10k (including fees) in June

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/auctions/2649-22-J...

Historics sold a 500 for £16k in May, I think this was after auction itself because it didn't meet reserve in bidding:

https://www.historics.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-201---...

Amore has a black one with a front Tuscan light conversion for under £10k, and he doesn't sell cars that are below average:

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/17169816

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

Does anyone have a feel for how well TVRs (and Chimaeras in particular) are selling at the moment?

I’m seeing a few cars advertised very cheaply. Is this because the market is slow?

More likely that they are all really old cars. Their price is better than any other car of a similar vintage (probably).

Also, most people that are likely to buy these are also ageing and thinking twice.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

With regard to getting old...that's why I sold mine.

After 300,000 miles in TVRs I could neither get in nor get out!

[Belle427]

Not surprised that Chimaera with the Tuscan lights is not selling, its utterly hideous.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Belle427 said:

Not surprised that Chimaera with the Tuscan lights is not selling, its utterly hideous.

Not as bad as a Tuscan with Tuscan lights

I actually quite like it

[Andy70]

I paid £7500 for mine but it was a repaired cat c that needs work (a very poorly repaired cat see after closer inspection), I'm brushing up on my fibre glassing as week speak, something to do next spring I guess lol.... Another has just popped up in Tewksbury on facebook I was interested in, originally he was asking £9800 for it, dropped to £8500 then when I enquired about it, the guy told me it was up for auction, so I missed out..... 3 weeks later it is back up for £8500 again, so assume reserve not met at auction maybe? That is a blue 400

[Belle427]

Thats the problem with a lot of these cars is the cheaper ones generally want a fair bit of work doing which soon escalates.
If your fussy about paintwork or interior condition you could be hitting a big hole in £!0000 to sort that out.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

More likely that they are all really old cars.

Not really. There’s a year 2000 450 with 55,000 miles advertised on PH for £13,500 currently. Faded carpets, but otherwise looks in decent condition.

Mine is a 1999 450 with 93,000 miles. Mechanically and structurally very good condition, but with cosmetic issues that will need attending to.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

More likely that they are all really old cars.

Not really. There’s a year 2000 450 with 55,000 miles advertised on PH for £13,500 currently. Faded carpets, but otherwise looks in decent condition.

Mine is a 1999 450 with 93,000 miles. Mechanically and structurally very good condition, but with cosmetic issues that will need attending to.

Any car from 2000 is an old car.

[M_A]

I think the market in general is down and it doesn't matter whether it's modern or a classic, TVR or any other brand.

As for the Chimaera, typically it's previous TVR owners who missed their cars and come back to buying another one 10-20 years later, so they're 50+ and can afford the better prices and better condition cars. Or they've had other TVR's and see the Chimaera as an upgrade.

The younger crowd, apart from some on FB, don't even know what a TVR is or where it comes from so it's not on their radar when they look for their BM, Merc, Porsche sports cars.

I sometimes get asked what it is when filling up in petrol stations. Hence your first time sports car buyer is not looking at TVR's.

Nonetheless, there are fewer and fewer cars every year, so the prices will pick up at some point. Or suddenly a YouTube video will go viral and get a huge surge in demand. There are not enough YouTube videos or some of the bigger YouTubers haven't done long raving reviews for it to get the next wave of younger buyers into the brand recognition. I mean for the not petrolheads.

Insurance and tax are still low for the amount of raw performance on offer.

Good time to buy and hold on if you're a seller and don't need to sell.

The black one is over 110k miles, so would put a lot of people off. Unless you want to daily it, in which case it's ideal.

Cerbras, Tuscans etc also lower than when I was looking two years ago.

Edited by M_A on Sunday 18th August 08:09

[sixor8]

Andy70 said:

I paid £7500 for mine but it was a repaired cat c that needs work (a very poorly repaired cat see after closer inspection), I'm brushing up on my fibre glassing as week speak, something to do next spring I guess lol.... Another has just popped up in Tewksbury on facebook I was interested in, originally he was asking £9800 for it, dropped to £8500 then when I enquired about it, the guy told me it was up for auction, so I missed out..... 3 weeks later it is back up for £8500 again, so assume reserve not met at auction maybe? That is a blue 400

Blue, and an auction, very likely it was this one at Brightwells in July (80k miles, knackered dash, clash of colours on the interior, needed work). Spare pair of mirrors in the boot though:

https://www.brightwells.com/timed-sale/5536/lot/72...

Reserve was £7k, I think it reached just over £6k. I indulged in a 2003 CLK 320 as a project / runaround to add to my vehicles in the same auction.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Out of interest, about how much would a full respray cost - Starmist Blue?

I don’t personally think mine needs a full respray except if a buyer wants perfection, but it would give me an idea of the upper limit to knock off for paint work. In reality it needs one rear quarter respraying, and ideally the bonnet. The rest is reasonable, and in fact I had it detailed a few years ago and it looked stunning.

[Belle427]

Around £5k id say, could be more at a "Tvr specialist".

[Belle427]

sixor8 said:

Andy70 said:

I paid £7500 for mine but it was a repaired cat c that needs work (a very poorly repaired cat see after closer inspection), I'm brushing up on my fibre glassing as week speak, something to do next spring I guess lol.... Another has just popped up in Tewksbury on facebook I was interested in, originally he was asking £9800 for it, dropped to £8500 then when I enquired about it, the guy told me it was up for auction, so I missed out..... 3 weeks later it is back up for £8500 again, so assume reserve not met at auction maybe? That is a blue 400

Blue, and an auction, very likely it was this one at Brightwells in July (80k miles, knackered dash, clash of colours on the interior, needed work). Spare pair of mirrors in the boot though:

https://www.brightwells.com/timed-sale/5536/lot/72...

Reserve was £7k, I think it reached just over £6k. I indulged in a 2003 CLK 320 as a project / runaround to add to my vehicles in the same auction.

Could be a nice project if the chassis cleaned up ok and paint didnt need attention.

[trev4]

I'm trying to sell mine at the moment, it's had all the right upgrades including, Outriggers, emerald ECU, V8 Developments engine bits and bobs, brakes, shock absorbers, Air Conditioning and so on. I've had one enquiry in 6 weeks and no viewings, I have dropped it to £15,000 and still no interest.