Future Values?

[Woody252506]

With the S40 and C30 now getting a little long in the tooth, I wander are they likely to increase in value?

Just looking around, a lot of cars from the mid to late 90's and early 00's are slowly creeping up in terms of value provided they have been well maintained and looked after. Many are not even top spec or the performance version.

Thoughts?

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Woody252506

With the S40 and C30 now getting a little long in the tooth, I wander are they likely to increase in value?

Just looking around, a lot of cars from the mid to late 90's and early 00's are slowly creeping up in terms of value provided they have been well maintained and looked after. Many are not even top spec or the performance version.

Thoughts?

I think that values of such cars may well increase, 'Woody252506', but neither greatly nor rapidly, at least, not yet!

There is a precedent, though. Just look at the prices of !, 2 and 7 series cars today. In my time, I have bought and sold similar cars for a few hundred pounds. I once bought a 19 year old, one owner 144, with less than 60K up, from a club member for £600 and sold it three years on with close to 100K for just under half that. Consider what that car might have been worth today if maintained in good condition.

I think that the values of later cars of the type you mention will follow a similar pattern; i.e. they will stabilise at the bottom of their depreciation curve for a few years before seeing a slow, steady increase as remaining car disappear through natural erosion. I don't think that they will reach any dizzying heights for some time yet - you may well see a spike at 25 years as they achieve 'classic' status, and again at 40 as they become tax and MOT exempt.

At this point in it's life cycle, I would buy the best example that I could find for pleasure rather than investment purposes while values remain low, and benefit from depreciation free motoring - possibly even making a modest profit upon resale.

If you're looking at one for investment purposes I can't help feeling that ther are better options. Don't forget that you would need to factor in the cost of maintenance and storage to preserve your investment, which would reduce the gross ROI to a significantly lower nett figure.

Unless it's a 1930 Bentley or similar, I think cars should be bought to enjoy, not as an investment - a piece of fine art or similar would be my choice if that was my main consideration!

Regards, John.