Bring a Trailer Article on 7

[pksurveyor]

The reason we went to the dark side.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/2017/12/28/why-we-love-them-the-lotus-caterham-seven/

[panamericano]

Thanks for posting.

[panamericano]

Glad I read it. Nothing new to us, EXCEPT, I didn't know they had a mobel specific tracking page of auction results. 2017 doesn't look so bad.

 

This chart tracks BaT Auctions sales results for Lotus and Caterham Sevens and Super Sevens, as found on our BaT Model Page here.

https://bringatrailer.com/lotus/seven/

[Croc]

The BAT model tracking data is too short a time period to draw trends and the spec so heavily influences pricing that BAT has a meaningless random scatter plot. Lotus 7 and Caterham have to be considered separately as they have separate depreciation curves (i.e. the Lotus is fully depreciated and now in the classic value upswing phase while most 1985 on Caterhams are still in the depreciation down swing phase. Hagerty has similar tracking data going over a longer period - much better analysis although BAT will get there with time.

 

I have a spreadsheet variation of the theme from the Ebay/Craigslist thread going back to when it started (yes I am a failed actuary). The big thing evident is prices are consistently trending down. While the original Lotus 7 seems to have plateaued/tracked inflation unless it is ultra restored and impeccably validated (extremely rare) in which case prices have risen, the rest - Caterham, Birkin, Westfield, or Stalker - have trended down. Not precipitously but still evident.

 

Why? A couple of reasons:

 

1) The pound has dropped so new Caterhams/Westfields are much cheaper like 20-30% area although inflation increases offset that

2) The dollar strengthened against the Rand so Birkins are holding fairly consistent in price

3) There is far more supply out there on the market from the last few years of sales

4) I think demand has stayed constant while the supply has increased - this market is a niche market and not a mainstream market. It requires some level of minimum wealth to afford a second "man toy" car.

 

There are probably other reasons but I recommend we get out and just drive! :driving: