I haven’t a clue what’s protocol here, and if I’ve committed a high crime and misdemeanor mea culpa … but as far as I am concerned this one falls into the what were they thinking department. On top of everything else, this car has a monogram on one of the doors. I like Jags. Not that much! In the current climate I’ve seen a few VDPs where the “full on chutzpah” asking price was in the mid 20s to low 30s, but I can’t believe anyone would be paying that, let alone what is being asked for this SV8. And if you can really get that much, anyone’s free to make a mid ‘20s offer on my ‘03VDP with under 40K on it!

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...ly_marketplace

 

And it has 102,000+ miles on it.
Looks like it's time to sell some cars.

 

Page not found now.

 

From what I can manage to recall, it was a 2003 Super V8 with the light blue metallic color, and the interior was in remarkably good condition as was the exterior and underside. I saw no obvious issues with the finish/bodywork. As mentioned by 1 of 19, it had 102,000+ miles on it.

Of course, it had a monogram on at least one door that I could see. the asking price was ... drum roll please ... $38,000. It was at an independent dealer that appeared to specialize in high-end cars, muscle or otherwise.

 

Since I'm in the market for another classic car it made me contemplate my own experiences. Granted SV8s are rare, but that does seem way too much. Seems sellers way too often have an inflated opinion of value. I sold a 68 Mustang through one of those consignment dealers and when I told the manager what reasonable price I wanted, he seemed very relieved and admitted to me that most of the cars they had, the owners were asking way too much, emphasis on waaaaaay. They'd get true market offers and have to call the owner back over and over to see if they'd take something less. I asked why do they even accept such consignments when the owner isn't reasonable and he said it was to fill the warehouse. Having a large and diverse inventory of cars brings people in to look. Maybe they buy something else that is reasonably priced but sometimes too they fall in love with something and just have to have it regardless. There are people in this world who could overpay by $30K for a car they like and never miss that money.

This was a pre-Covid, but he told me the sweet spot at the time was cars priced in the $15-$25K range (probably more like $20-$30K post-Covid). They get quite a few people coming in there contemplating some kind of classic car. He said that he could sell multiple cars a day in that range if he had more of them because that's where the average working man could justify buying a "toy". Cars cheaper than that were too often junk. Cars priced over that, even when its reasonable, he said tended to sit for a long time because then they're getting into collector cars. They have to wait for somebody who wants exactly that car, that color, with those options etc. My Mustang for example took three weeks and he said it went to a guy who showed an old faded Polaroid picture of himself standing next to one exactly like it that he had in high school in the 70s.

I had looked to buy a car there a couple months ago (ironically one similar to what I had in high school), told them where I needed to be, about 36% less (yea maybe, if it were the highest output engine and manual transmission, but its the smaller 2 barrel v8 and an automatic). I noticed yesterday on their web site they've reduced the asking price about 14%. If the asking price comes down another 14% I might go back and talk to them. However, I'm planning a trip to go see another car at a consignment dealer 750 miles away in early May if they don't sell it first. But I expect it will still be there because again they're asking waaay too much. But its a car on my wish list that was never sold new in the US. I've never had a chance to see one, let alone buy one, so I won't too terribly disappointed if I can't make a deal. It'll be cool just to see it plus my brother is going with me so we're making a road trip out of it and plotting a few vehicles to check out along the way. He is in the market for some kind of classic truck in that sweet spot range so hey, the consignment dealer may get a sale out of that high priced car whether they're asking too much or not.

So I guess that really is how it works. Somebody goes in just to see the outrageously priced SV8 and maybe drives out in a more reasonably priced XJR, VDP or something else they had in stock.