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The Regular Summary of Classified Ads of Se7ens Found For Sale


Croc

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Anker is correct, to my mind.

 

You could buy a new Caterham 420R for that money. I’m still confused what engine spec that car had? Inferred as a Cosworth but never got an answer to that question.

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Fair point, but that was a significant premium. As Croc notes, the new price for a 420R SV is less. As a data point, Beachman Racing recently had a 420R SV listed on their site as ready to ship for under $49k. There are always people willing to overpay for immediate gratification or for a very specific color, but it's rare these kind of outlier prices reset the market.

 

-John

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My information must have been incorrect, I heard a different number about a year ago. Regardless, having seen the quality of Brue's work firsthand, it is as you note, a reasonable fee.

 

I don't think we are going to change each others mind. :) Clearly there were two people who really wanted that car, but I remain surprised by the final price of $63k with buyer's fee.

 

-John

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Anker is correct, to my mind.

 

You could buy a new Caterham 420R for that money. I’m still confused what engine spec that car had? Inferred as a Cosworth but never got an answer to that question.

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as someone who has been going to, and buying at the live, in person auctions for a 1/4 of a century or more (Mark IV and Skip can attest to this :D ), an auction result does not automatically reset the entire market, nor does it "make the market". In the case of an auction, you have at least two people (hopefully, unless there are underhanded things going on in the background similar to the 308 fiasco of the late 80's) who want a specific car, add in a little consumables, or an ego issue, and you get record pricing for the sale of a car. Again, this is a live auction atmosphere, not a classified advertisement online, but live action, where mitigating factors come in to play. What we see afterwards, and the Black and red car in the classifieds is the perfect example (no offense to the seller, it's a beautiful car), is a seller now viewing the auction results and saying "well if that car sold for XXXX, then my car is worth XXXXX, watching the $9,000 bump in asking price yesterday shows this to be true. We, who have been around the longest online, call this "The Barrett Jackson Syndrome", there are hundreds if not thousands of such examples of a bump in price online, usually you see it on craigslist type adds, or higher buy it now or opening prices on ebay, before they trickle down to the forums as the sellers now "test the new market" as they see it. Of course the flip side is, someone who sees the auction says "I better jump in and buy now before the prices skyrocket" as a knee-jerk reaction....Yet those folks are far and few between, in fact, with specialty forums like this, are almost non existent these days, as we are enthusiasts first, and most do not view their cars as an investment, but a toy to use as they see fit.

 

Just my two cents worth this morning.

 

Bill S.

Edited by mrmustang
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Hypothetical - buy the 420R spec roller kit, add in the build fee, taxes and allow for shipping (to East Coast since I know that number) and you get a completed car at around $61K that is more recent than a 2014 kit (built 2017) and higher spec than the car auctioned (inclusive of buyer premium) costing $63k. For an apples to apples comparison, we should add shipping on to the auction car at $1500 and the differential increases to $3500 area in favor of the new 420R roller kit.

 

Some people would not blink at that price differential and others will choke. Some people want it now and others are prepared to wait. Thats your basic evaluation a buyer would be making. The only thing that would swing the choice beyond that is color preference and for that no amount of money is going to swing it with some buyers.

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Bill:

 

I would agree with you if this 360 price were aberrant. But a review of the BAT prices for Caterhams in the last 6 months, maybe longer, shows that auctions have almost consistently resulted in LARGE premiums, over previously established market values. A recent BAT sale to a new member here involved a late 90's spec X-flow Caterham for nearly what a new, fully assembled, engine installed, turnkey SV 310R, could be purchased for from Beachman Racing.

 

My hunch is that BAT has provided a national buying audience to what were previously little known Caterham sales mostly on Craigslist, here, Hemmings, and as you note, at exotic car auctions. I think the knowledgeable comments, sometimes in the hundreds, mostly from enthusiastic owners espousing the car's wonderfulness have contributed to a greater appreciation for car's strengths and weaknesses.

 

It used to be there was a Road and Track article ever few years about Caterhams. Now there are repeated testimonials on BAT, on a nearly monthly basis, stoking enthusiasm for the amazing se7en experience. Probably doesn't hurt that everyone is stuck inside due to Covid and is fantasizing about their next car:).

Edited by Kitcat
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Bill:

 

I would agree with you if this 360 price were aberrant. But a review of the BAT prices for Caterhams in the last 6 months, maybe longer, shows that auctions have almost consistently resulted in LARGE premiums, over previously established market values. A recent BAT sale to a new member here involved a late 90's spec X-flow Caterham for nearly what a new, fully assembled, engine installed, turnkey SV 310R, could be purchased for from Beachman Racing.

 

My hunch is that BAT has provided a national buying audience to what were previously little known Caterham sales mostly on Craigslist, here, Hemmings, and as you note, at exotic car auctions. I think the knowledgeable comments, sometimes in the hundreds, mostly from enthusiastic owners espousing the car's wonderfulness have contributed to a greater appreciation for car's strengths and weaknesses.

 

It used to be there was a Road and Track article ever few years about Caterhams. Now there are repeated testimonials on BAT, on a nearly monthly basis, stoking enthusiasm for the amazing se7en experience. Probably doesn't hurt that everyone is stuck inside due to Covid and is fantasizing about their next car:).

 

One thing I'd like to add, without referencing any sale in particular, but a 7 that is already registered makes life a lot easier in many states to transfer registration into than starting from square 1, and that alone can carry a premium.

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Bill:

 

I would agree with you if this 360 price were aberrant. But a review of the BAT prices for Caterhams in the last 6 months, maybe longer, shows that auctions have almost consistently resulted in LARGE premiums, over previously established market values. A recent BAT sale to a new member here involved a late 90's spec X-flow Caterham for nearly what a new, fully assembled, engine installed, turnkey SV 310R, could be purchased for from Beachman Racing.

 

My hunch is that BAT has provided a national buying audience to what were previously little known Caterham sales mostly on Craigslist, here, Hemmings, and as you note, at exotic car auctions. I think the knowledgeable comments, sometimes in the hundreds, mostly from enthusiastic owners espousing the car's wonderfulness have contributed to a greater appreciation for car's strengths and weaknesses.

 

It used to be there was a Road and Track article ever few years about Caterhams. Now there are repeated testimonials on BAT, on a nearly monthly basis, stoking enthusiasm for the amazing se7en experience. Probably doesn't hurt that everyone is stuck inside due to Covid and is fantasizing about their next car:).

 

No argument there at all, but it still is not a maker of the market as a whole, unless your entire market is now BAT. I'll continue to collect the data as I have for years......When I'm ready, another 7 will be in the garage, and more than likely, by spring, be it a Caterham, Birkin, or ????

 

One thing I'd like to add, without referencing any sale in particular, but a 7 that is already registered makes life a lot easier in many states to transfer registration into than starting from square 1, and that alone can carry a premium.

 

As a keeper of many Cobra replicas, I can tell you that the flip side is the same, how it is titled can cause high asking price based on the assumption of ease of retitle and registration (California excluded), or could be a detriment, causing a decrease in the price (older PA kit car title without a year and a big RECONSTRUCTED listed on them). Again, Rick (aka: Mark IV) can attest to this if asked.......

 

No harm, no foul, everyone earns there money differently, everyone spends their money differently, everyone views the cars differently.....It's all good any way you look at it as long as you enjoy it for what it is.

 

Bill

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NEW

 

Stalker - back again after a long absence

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/lotus/7/2167534.html

 

 

Lotus 7 - back again after a long absence

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-Other-Makes/154205189050?hash=item23e75873ba:g:5qcAAOSwlOJfuI5m

 

 

Lotus 7 S4 project

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/hereford-lotus-s4-seven-project-car/7232085841.html

 

 

 

REPEATS

Birkin

https://www.wirewheel.com/inventory/available/2015-birkin-s3-for-sale/

 

 

Lotus 7 S2

https://thesmiekelcollection.com/1967-lotus-super-seven/

 

 

Caterham

http://rockymountaincaterham.com/inventory/

 

 

Caterham

http://www.beachmanracing.com/inventory

 

 

Mitsuoka

https://www.duncanimports.com/vehicles/547/1994-mitsuoka-zero1-roadster

 

 

Lotus 7 S2

http://www.motorcarcompany.com/1963-lotus-seven-s2-1500-cosworth-2dr-roadster-for-sale-at-motor-car-company-in-california.html

and here

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/lotus/super-seven/2409828.html

 

 

Replica

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1382221/1979-lotus-seven-for-sale-in-arvada-colorado-80005

 

 

Wharton 7

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1299993/1978-lotus-seven-for-sale-in-cadillac-michigan-49601

 

 

Caterham

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/lotus/caterham/2416012.html

 

 

Diva 7

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/d/prescott-diva-roadster-1962-lotus/7232431342.html

 

 

Caterham

https://charleston.craigslist.org/cto/d/charleston-lotus-caterham-seven/7225779452.html

 

 

Birkin

https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/d/fort-collins-birkin-s3-super-lotus/7219759246.html

 

 

Stalker

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/lotus/1437589044/1437589044ss.htm

 

 

 

CANADA

 

Sorry no ads as kijiji site was down this morning.

Edited by Croc
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Too many bidders with too much money and not enough knowledge about what they are bidding on!

 

We've seen people pay a big premium on BaT recently and then make posts here that reflect that they didn't know what they bought. I might be one of those people but any premium I paid pales when compared to what some others have paid.

 

Clearly, BaT is seeing a bull market. Good for them and the rest of us. The buyers on BaT, yours truly included, are lured in by the ease of finding a car we always wanted but never would have searched out. If you offer goods with a limited supply to a newly expanded market prices go up.

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NEW

 

Stalker - back again after a long absence

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/lotus/7/2167534.html

 

 

Seen this car before. Nice build. Not sure, but I think Scott Minehart may have built this at Stalker Auto; not a 100% on this. Been running in the Stalker circle for many years now and this is the only example of this particular Stalker (known as a Classic R) that I’ve seen personally where Stalker Auto combined the looks of the classic (legacy) chassis with inboard shocks (front and rear) and IRS with the CTS-V Getrag diff.

 

A final thought. This car is running a larger Wilwood brake kit than my car (for comparison) along with. 17x9 wheel. Not sure how well a smaller (15” or....) wheel would fit if one wanted to track the car. Research that if you’re a serious buyer with HPDE or auto cross in mind.

Edited by xcarguy
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