TR4A at Auction

[Steppenwolf]

TR4A

What d'you reckon to this modified TR4A with a 2.5 PI engine? It looks very nice and is obviously going to fetch a good price (with 4 days left) but it's lost a lot of originality.

[RobG]

I am surprised already at £32,000 considering that is near TR5 prices and this is a non PI engine in  TR4A. Very nicely done though.

Also honest description of bubbles in paintwork so paintwork needed in near future.

If that is what people want to pay though good for him.

RobG

 

 

[stuart]

Not very well put together and you would have thought MWS would know the difference between the motorcycle logo and the car one

Stuart

[Tony]

Great! So What do you think mines worth, though its not for sale,yet! 

[Malbaby]

I admire your fortitude to build a very nice car with individuality. The standard of workmanship looks exceptional from the posted pics.

IMHO, and pardon my comments... Potential buyers would be limited. The car needs something to break the dark theme.  I would replace the wheels and tyres.

[Steppenwolf]

21 hours ago, RobG said:

I am surprised already at £32,000 considering that is near TR5 prices and this is a non PI engine in  TR4A.

 

 

They sold a TR5 last week for a bit more than that:

TR5

I must admit I prefer the look of the TR4A to the TR5. The interior and the badges are nicer - more "classic car". 

Also last week a nice TR4 (although LHD):

TR4

Edited August 20, 2022 by Steppenwolf
typo

[TR4Tony VC]

Hi

Interesting when you say ‘sold’ on that particular auction site …. My recent experience is that the bidders sometimes are not real, don’t actually do any buying even though they have the legally binding winning bid. You can also be bidding against ghosts ! Pumping the price up. 

The guy who’s painting one of my TR4’s found similar when he ‘sold’ his VW Beetle a few weeks ago and the successful buyer decided that he couldn’t after all ! The reply from the auction people was very much ‘nothing we can do, you’ll have to pursue this outside C&C’. Quite astonishing. They just took the fees and commission.

With this site and I presume others, the legal contract exists between the seller and winning bidder, all the auction house does is broker the sale and take the commission. This one seems especially slippery, so I’d say beware this particular auction site and the results.

Regards

Tony 

[Steppenwolf]

15 hours ago, TR4Tony VC said:

Hi

With this site and I presume others, the legal contract exists between the seller and winning bidder, all the auction house does is broker the sale and take the commission. This one seems especially slippery, so I’d say beware this particular auction site and the results.

Regards

Tony 

Yes, I think this online auction site is very much based on ebay's "principles". They don't charge the buyer anything but they charge the seller their fees and commission regardless of whether the "buyer" actually honours their bid or not. I've also had buyers on ebay "disappear" after bidding (successfully) on an item I'm selling - but it is quite rare. Ebay does nothing except allow you to relist the item for free. To be fair this seems reasonable given that their advertising reaches a huge audience and their charges are much lower than other more "reputable" auction houses.

I can understand that this presents serious competition to dealers though.   

[TR4Tony VC]

The issue with Car & Classic is that it actually states in their T&C’s words to the effect that the contract is between buyer and seller and they have no further responsibility or liability. I think that’s probably not the case in law, but in practice  the seller has to do all the running if a buyer defaults (and they are very quick to tell you so) including all the court fees and legal bills so I suspect that doesn’t happen.

It’s very clear that they also do very little to filter buyers beyond taking card details that they clearly don’t verify and even less to action a sale, and reading the reviews this seems to be common knowledge. That says to me you’ll probably end up over paying or not selling your car, as I found to be the case.

Ebay is slightly better I feel ! 

[Andy Moltu]

As a bidder I would not go to an auction where bids "off the wall" are permitted. Point of principle - you go to an auction to outbid the next highest bidder.

You should not be expected to bid against fake bidders.  I most auction houses don't let people bid a sale up on your behalf so why should it be different if the autioneer does it?

Ultimately a bitsa car is hard to value. It may drive like a 5 but it's not one (or even a 250) and has lost the originality of the 4A too so the valuation is probably going to be less than that of a 4A in similar condition. And because of the chassis mods to take the 6 pot engine, it can't easily be out back to a more original spec. (Seats, carbs, bumbers & wheels are a matter of indiviual choice and a few nuts and bolts and you can revert to originality so can still appeal to those who like original and modified cars).

[Steppenwolf]

Wow - I didn't see that coming. The TR4A went for £42,250. Looks like two people were determined to buy it. 

I agree with the remarks above about "originality" - or lack of. It was always going to be a hard car to value. I'm wondering how much my own '67 TR4A is worth now. It's all completely original (including all panels, paint, glass and interior) and basically like new with 20k genuine miles. A time warp car - one of the final 12 to come off the production line all painted royal blue. I was thinking it might struggle to get to £30k.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Steppenwolf
typo

[Jase]

Wow, lovely looking car and clearly a labour of love but £42k for a car that lacks originality etc. I hope the buyer pays for the sellers sake and afterall they are worth what they sell for.