Is a Wentforth worth hanging onto

[Veefor]

Hi,
So what the general opinion on various models worth keeping due to them being limited editions or not as common as other models.
Obviously the really old ones or particularly sought after ones hardly going to lose money if kept in a good condition with history etc.
My question for purely selfish reason is should I keep my Wentworths(got a couple),I've been told they are going to become collectors cars at some point.Now is this just hype or exaggeration.Do I have to hang onto them for 20 years+ or something stupid like that?
I picked them up for quite a reasonable price,ones better than the other and both got good history(ish).
If I'm dreaming then I might as well sell them and get what I really want, or keep them and save for the model I want(but can't find��)
Also anyone got Wentworths here and what their value.
Just to add I know it's not a T5r or Amazon but I'd still like to know.

One little thing might interest you must be one of the biggest mistakes I've come across.My friends Auntie was very successful employee at Citroen,started off with an entry level position and worked her way up to become senior management of Dealerships within the whole of France(through hard graft and nothing else I hasten to add).
When she retired she was offered a quite rare car for £5k and a kind of thank you.It was the very last Citroen 2CV very to be made and was on display in their headquarters,suspended from the ceiling as a talking point I suppose.Imagine that, the French are very proud of their Company and whether you think they are awful rubbish peasant cars or not,you must appreciate it is iconic and has a massive following.
Anyway she didn't want it as she was happy with her C5 estate thingy.I suppose she proved she wasn't a money monster but........
Major fail in my eyes.
Not suggesting my 940 is even remotely in the same ball park but it got me thinking that's all.
Cheers.

[brickexpress]

I dont know how many are left, website of the same name will, but how accurate is it?
Non Volvo people may not know what a good spec the wentworth is, hpt, locking diff, aircon etc but I expect they will be well regarded in these circles?

Models that are less sought after tend to get scrapped sooner, thus become rarer, weather that increases the value im unsure!

[CharlesStevenson]

Brickexpress, your comment ref the less well liked models becoming rarer is true I feel.

I recollect years ago having a Manta 1.9 SR, the original version, and was told that because so few standard 1.6 models were left (back then) that they were more in demand. Fast forward 20+ years and there's even less.

Ref Volvos, except for such low production run models as the 960/S90 Exec and lwbs and the 940 sports, all the rest have their followers and detractors ("I prefer manual saloonss", "I prefer auto estates", etc).

If good keep, if not, put it up for sale and I'm sure someone will purchase it and carry it forward.

[Prufrock]

Originally Posted by Veefor

Hi,
So what the general opinion on various models worth keeping due to them being limited editions or not as common as other models.
Obviously the really old ones or particularly sought after ones hardly going to lose money if kept in a good condition with history etc.
My question for purely selfish reason is should I keep my Wentworths(got a couple),I've been told they are going to become collectors cars at some point.Now is this just hype or exaggeration.Cheers.

There will always be opinions of a subjective nature on a subject like this, my view is until the wider classic car market becomes aware of the virtues of RWD Volvos (especially the 700 series and to a lesser extent the 900 series) then values will not rise in any significant way.

The 900 series cars whilst having an enthusiastic following among committed Volvoists, they are, and will remain, cars of utility - for some time to come: irrespective of specification. And I ask the question, how many current owners will still be driving their 700 or 900 in say 5 years time (I know will be) ?

It would be unlikely (for example) that any RWD Volvo of recent times will enjoy the following and pricing that the Mercedes Benz W124 series enjoys; the W124 estate being not only a contemporary of the Volvo 760/740 estate but they were also competitors in the 1980s marketplace (both introduced mid decade) - both Mercedes and Volvo would have had similar buyer demographics for these cars.

The irony is of course, this often has little to do with how good the cars may be; and rarity is not always a synonym (for higher pricing).

Jon.
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.

N.B pressed edit instead of quote, hence comment at bottom of your post.

[Prufrock]

And apologies, I didn't answer the question.

Is a Wentworth worth hanging on to? Do you like the car (as you already own it)? If so keep and enjoy.

If you're looking for a car to buy then -

1. Buy the best you can afford (condition).
2. Low ownership and good history (i.e provenance).

In addition to the points made in my previous posts, many RWD Volvoists still expect to purchase cars for pennies - this creates a problem.

Jon.
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.

[Steve940estate]

I think a lot of Wentworths will and probably have been broken for their locking diff rear axle.
Cars with the M90 gearbox also seem to be used as doner cars so they will become a bit more scarce. I'm guilty of doing this and my original plan was to rebuild the other car and use it. I didn't realise at the time how much of a pain swapping the engines would be regarding the insurance so it's been saved as a spares car. My local breakers haven't had a 940 in the yard for years so it's proved invaluable in keeping my car on the road.
Another rare car in the making is the manual 960 as they get broken to provide a gearbox to fit onto a 5 cylinder T5 engine.

I think early 700's that are in good condition are starting to be considered more than cheap runabouts. A lot of the abused ones have gone and it's far more noticable when a good one turns up.

[brickexpress]

Its interesting as I actually purchased a wentworth estate so that I could take my w124 estate off the road in the winter (aware of its increasing value), trying to keep the mileage down as its my main vehicle but dont want to lay it up completely.
However I have been thinking the Volvo is too good to use as an everyday/work car ( its a beautiful example) esp in winter!

[Prufrock]

Originally Posted by brickexpress

Its interesting as I actually purchased a wentworth estate so that I could take my w124 estate off the road in the winter (aware of its increasing value), trying to keep the mileage down as its my main vehicle but dont want to lay it up completely.
However I have been thinking the Volvo is too good to use as an everyday/work car ( its a beautiful example) esp in winter!

I have Mercedes W124s, and whilst I do advocate using them all year round they are in the garage if snow (salt) is likely, and living in a very rural area there's also a lot of mud around in the winter.

However my 740s are all year-rounders (winter tyres on my 745).

Jon.
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.

[CharlesStevenson]

Just to endorse Prufrock's comment re long-term ownership and use; we've had 740 or 940 estates in the family since just after our 1st child was born, so that's 15 ish years now.

Except for a total of about 5-6 months when we'd swapped to saloons for a while we'd never be without one.

[Veefor]

Ok right damn.

So this what I'm getting from all the(really sound)info.

Keep the better of the 2 Wentworths on the road

Keep the lesser of the 2 Wentworths as a spares bin

Buy a W124 and see how it compares in all aspects to the Volvos

Buy another W124 as a spares bin for the good W124

Buy a garage/car lot to store them

Hire a solicitor to sort out the possible forthcoming relationship ending due to my obsession with car buying.

Sell all cars to give to ex as she will want to screw me over and make a point.

Buy an old battered Ford Fiesta as that's all I will be able to afford.

Meet another Girl

Rejoin forum(as I quit it because too many bad memories of My old Volvos)

Buy another Wentworth

Repeat until i learn(on the 12th of never!)

G/F thinks I'm nuts after reading this
Might go out for a spin,hmm maybe just pop in a couple of Showrooms en route.

Tongue is firmly in cheek btw.