California Dreaming
Keith Riddington
Director Astonfinder & Classicmobilia. Assisting Classic Car owners and buyers. Locating and inspecting Classic Cars
Classicmobilia E’News Issue 163 August 2024
Dear Classic Car Enthusiasts, Collectors and Followers
It’s the time of year when the whole classic car world watches the large auction stage in Monterey. This year it was even more spectacular with four big players jostling for best results.
With 649 cars on offer over the four days, one can wonder where all the buyers are coming from, but as 538 were sold on the day, something must work well.
Did it all go the right way, and will the classic car magazines report how it all worked out? One very much doubts it!
Has the classic car market suffered in any way? Well, trying to follow the auctions is a task in itself; you tend to get slightly confused as to which one is a good buy and which ones to stay away from. It can become at best, slightly baffling and, at worst, tedious.
A mediocre ending, as a personal view, as we did not get that excited by the results and found the auction scene slightly dull in the end. The bottom-line question is, is the market up or down? It may be a little flat, yes, with some good results, but so many below the average.
As for the mayhem of Monterey… it is a wonderful place to be, with just so much to do and see, great people and marvellous cars, packed with wonderful stories from all walks of life. It was good to see many Brits there this year, mostly dealers, and a good turnout for the organisers.
Back home and still no rest, off to the Silverstone Festival with a great turnout even though the typical English weather did not help the proceedings. Then, two concours events took place, and a couple of auctions followed; everybody is looking for buyers!
At the cost of sounding boring, we reiterate the notion of even more on-line auctions taking place, popping up all over the place, and our skepticism about that part of the classic car scene.
From the auction results and the dealer network sales taking place, where do we really see the market today? The modern-day classics are still doing well, but not setting the world alight, the pre-wars cars are struggling a little, with slightly more mass-produced cars suffering.
Again, all desirable cars must have provenance: supporting history and well documented service and maintenance receipts from known agents and specialists help a lot in that respect.
We cannot stress this more, nowadays: it's all about HISTORY.
If you would like any assistance with buying or selling a classic car, valuations or restorations, we are here to assist.
Happy motoring
Keith
+44(0)7889 805432
+44(0)1908 270672
Never give up!
4mo🤗🤩