Old AV News!

Bonhams, Silverstone 25th July 2009

Jenson didn't conduct the auction. He was busy in Budapest.

Bonhams held an auction for classic cars and memorabilia during the Silverstone Classic festival.
• What premium does a manufacturer museum add?
• What is the value of a modern, but redundant, ex-F1 car?
AV will look at several topics over the coming days:
• Flooding the market with F1 souvenirs.

Bond's Lotus

A Lotus Esprit has sold for £105,000 at a recent COYS auction at Blenheim Palace. It isn't the 'underwater' model from The Spy Who Loved Me, but a more normal road 1981 W 2.2 turbo from For Your Eyes Only. Having been driven by James Bond (Roger Moore) and used by Colin Chapman too has increased the value 10 fold. The specification is similar to the Essex Esprit, but without the Essex paint.

Perhaps I can get Craig and Ross to drive my car...

Recent Online Articles of Interest:

Used prices are up again. The Daily Telegraph's Honest John reports that summertime is here for used cars. Will it last? [8.7.09]
AV says: The used market has certainly improved, from cheap town cars to big 4x4, but much uncertainty remains. New car registrations remain low which help used values. Unemployment continues to rise. It is too early to tell how supply will develop and how demand will develop.

UK car production falls. New cars are down again compared to 2008, although this is as expected and it is surprising that comparisons are still made to year on year sales like it is a new development. [BBC, SMMT, 19.06.09]
AV says: From a used car perspective we have seen an increase in values as there is less volume pressure from the new market. There is an argument that too many cars have been pumped into the market and this is normalisation. The late '80s and early '90s saw a significant fall in registrations that boosted used values; except that wasn't quite as sudden. Where is the natural level of registrations? 2.1m? 1.8m? 1.5m?

Ghost Car scam on the increase. Fraudsters are targeting reputable websites. [Daily Post, 19.06.09]
AV says: Fraudsters stay away from this website!

Government claims scrappage boost. 60,000 orders using the scrappage scheme have been placed for new cars, mainly in the lower sectors. [BBC, 15.06.09]
AV says: Remember the Goverment doesn't lose out with this scheme as they recoup the £1,000 they give in taxes. Which is probably as well because they couldn't afford it.