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I spotted this on the web, one of the cars on my possible wish list one day perhaps,
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C267989
Priced at 52.5k
My question is, why is this priced so far below what one might expect to see it at, say 80-100k ? Is the fact this car has been converted from a saloon to an open tourer, a serious downer on its price and potential and also it needs a re-spray, full chroming of bright work and interior retrimming ?
A serious and more correct car is coming up at auction priced at 80-100k, out of my league unless I win the lottery soon.
Simon
Simon, I think there are some obivous reasons:
a non original body in general
converted (cut) from a saloon into a tourer body style that never existed originally on the LG45 (the factory tourer looked much better, see an example http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorbasa/5936994605/
the colour, the condition, the bootlid..
Peter hi
So the change or re-bodying incorrectly, means the car has lost its real value and is neither fish nor fowl, if you know what I mean ?
The car I prefer if I had the spare cash is this one :
This example coming up on 24/5 for auction.
Now that drophead looks a nice car. The converted saloon looks pretty dreadful IMHO. I think it would be better to build the chopped car back into a saloon as original. Obviously the price would need to allow for this.
David
This car which went under the hammer on the 24th with an estimate of 80-100 k did not sell.
http://www.classic-auctions.com/…headCoupe-34772.aspx
Did anyone see the car and would care to comment on it ??
Simon,
Like many others I read these forums without making much comment. This looks like a nice car (unsold) but your original description… “This example with one owner for the last 58 years” is incorrect – the auction catalogue says “Dating from 1937, this particular example entered the current ownership some fifty-eight years later” – ie in 1995, so the vendor has owned the car for 17 years. Not sure why the auction house would use such a roundabout description as I am sure they would not want to confuse potential purchasers.
What do you think of the colour of the wire wheels?
Alistair hi,
This part of the forum needs a good dose of life being injected into it, from owners of all pre-war cars. Please do contribute, since Peter has made a fabulous job and spent a lot of time setting it up, for all of our benefit. The more information, pictures and discussion, the more useful this forum becomes for everyone.
Well the auctioneers, certainly confused me, and made the car sound far more interesting of course. All part of the tricks of the trade of course, normally the less said the better for them, Caveat Emptor as always.
I liked the look of the car and the wheels, but then again, I am very partial to the LG45 and would love to find an affordable one. I have space for one more car, and this would be No 1 on my list in either saloon or tourer form, prefarably in un-restored condition, unless the price was so favourable…
Interesting that this Alvis originally a saloon sold for ?94,000 and the Lagonda an original “restored” drophead didn’t sell.
David
David – I don’t understand the logic here, the Alvis started as a saloon and was rebodied as a tourer, so why did this sell so well ?.
“It started life as a 1937 Alvis Speed 25SB Charlesworth Speed Saloon, but was rebodied as a lightweight competition machine and used for racing in the mid ?60s. The current, very elegant Vanden Plas-style suit of clothes was acquired in the ?90s at the hands of Simon Isles of Pott Shrigley.”
The LG45, a vastly superior car, was always a tourer and has been restored nicely.
Am I missing something ?
Hi Simon,
My point was why did a re-bodied Alvis saloon sell for ?94,000 and the Lagonda with original body didn’t. However well the re-body was done it was still a re-body. Personally I quite like Charlesworth saloons and wish they hadn’t thrown the original body away.
David
David hi
No doubt the saloon body was rotten or the new owner wanted an open tourer, they did a nice job of it..
Point taken, were there some other problems with the Lagonda that buyers who attended the viewing saw ??
Or was it unpopular in this color scheme ?
Yes, that Alvis with the VDP 4.3 type body may be a replica but is in a totally different league to the tourer in question, surprised it didn’t go for more !
Not sure that a Speed 25 or 4.3 owner would agree that Lagonda were superior, SRD, or were you tongue in cheek there ?! Proprietary Meadows engine, inferior gearbox – but no doubt the Bentley/Lagonda/Alvis argument will rage for another 75 years yet.
Interesting topic. I believe Alvis cars were significantly less expensive than Lagondas when new; which infers Lagondas were perceived as better cars. Doubtless Derby Bentleys were more expensive again…but I doubt they were better; certainly more fragile. I’m not an Alvis hater…my brother had a TA14 dhc for many years, and I remain impressed with the attention to engineering detail which made working on the mechanics a pleasure. Can’t honestly say that of the V12, where perversity dictates that any small job entails several large ones being done first!
Out of interest:
Alvis Speed 25 saloon – ?885 – 97 mph, 0-60 15 secs
Alvis 4.3 saloon – ?995, 100 mph, 0-60 13 secs
Bentley 4.25 PW saloon – ?1510 – 95 mph, 0-60 15.5 secs
Lagonda LG6 saloon – ?1195 – 96 mph, 0-60 16.4 secs
Lagonda V12 saloon – ?1559, 103 mph, 0-60 12.9 secs
SS 3.5 saloon – ?445 – 91 mph, 0-60 14.4 secsThe “tourer” in question now resides in my shop, so maybe I can answer some of the questions. The body was the product of an unknown local Kenyan craftsman executed in a very competent manner the body was solidly framed, mostly in mahogany, and clothed in aluminum with steel doors. The body now has been removed and a new 2 place lightweight “sport” body will replace it. The mechanics and chassis were in excellent condition due to its sojourn in dry climates. The fenders “wings” and other bits are currently for sale elsewhere in this forum. Time will tell if this metamorphosis is more successful than the last.
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