18k miles Thema 8.32 at auction

[Lindsay]

This sold on ebay a few weeks ago for around £6500 if I recall. So someone is "profiteering".
Or trying to.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C207276/

[peteracs]

Hi

Not sure if you were complaining about the quick resale/price differential or simply commenting about someone trying to make a profit on the car.

I have been involved with a company who buy and sell second user equipment for many years and where I can see something undervalued or have a customer in mind, I will buy from Ebay and then sell on at a decent profit elsewhere (or even resell on Ebay). There are some risks in what I do and hence the margin in the buy to sell has to reflect this, unlike new/warranted equipment.

So if the guy has bought on Ebay for £6500 and 'thinks' it is worth £10K using this route to market, then I see no problem in him doing this. As far as I can see he is taking on a fair risk with this type of car in that it has a fairly limited market and hence could easily be left holding on to it for a while. He also has sellers fees with the auction house, ie he has all the financial risk.

As to whether it is worth £10k is down to any customers he can find, given that the final Ebay figure was £6500, may mean he has a false sense of the car's value, but that is the game you play with these things.

The price may also reflect some work that had to be done or any warranty he is offering, though through the auction route I guess this will be limited.

Peter

[HF_Dave]

I have just bought a 8.32, I actually saved it from the scrappage scheme. It's going to take a bit of work to get it into the same shape of that one

[Lindsay]

Hi

Not sure if you were complaining about the quick resale/price differential or simply commenting about someone trying to make a profit on the car.

I have been involved with a company who buy and sell second user equipment for many years and where I can see something undervalued or have a customer in mind, I will buy from Ebay and then sell on at a decent profit elsewhere (or even resell on Ebay). There are some risks in what I do and hence the margin in the buy to sell has to reflect this, unlike new/warranted equipment.

So if the guy has bought on Ebay for £6500 and 'thinks' it is worth £10K using this route to market, then I see no problem in him doing this. As far as I can see he is taking on a fair risk with this type of car in that it has a fairly limited market and hence could easily be left holding on to it for a while. He also has sellers fees with the auction house, ie he has all the financial risk.

As to whether it is worth £10k is down to any customers he can find, given that the final Ebay figure was £6500, may mean he has a false sense of the car's value, but that is the game you play with these things.

The price may also reflect some work that had to be done or any warranty he is offering, though through the auction route I guess this will be limited.

Peter

Hi Peter. To be honest, yes I am complaining about it. I spoke with the orginal vendor of the car and after a bit he said it had been bought by a real enthusiast who had been looking for an age for a good 8.32 with low miles. And it turns out it is apparently not an enthusiast at all but someone who wants to turn a quick buck.  My experience of genuine Lancia people is that they are indeed that - a love of the cars and not in it for profit. So, as you say, fair enough if someone wants to take the risk and punt it on at a profit. But a shame for someone who is a proper Lancia person who may have missed out on a genuine car.

[Angle Grinder]

My experience of genuine Lancia people is that they are indeed that - a love of the cars and not in it for profit. So, as you say, fair enough if someone wants to take the risk and punt it on at a profit. But a shame for someone who is a proper Lancia person who may have missed out on a genuine car.

Totally with you on that! There is an unspoken code of honour amongst Lancisti that should not be violated!

[peteracs]

Hi Peter. To be honest, yes I am complaining about it. I spoke with the orginal vendor of the car and after a bit he said it had been bought by a real enthusiast who had been looking for an age for a good 8.32 with low miles. And it turns out it is apparently not an enthusiast at all but someone who wants to turn a quick buck.  My experience of genuine Lancia people is that they are indeed that - a love of the cars and not in it for profit. So, as you say, fair enough if someone wants to take the risk and punt it on at a profit. But a shame for someone who is a proper Lancia person who may have missed out on a genuine car.

I would have to agree that I would want it to go to an enthusiast who would actually want to keep the car for what it is, the main reason I and most others here have an interest in the marque. I sort of find it difficult to square the fact that it was offered on Ebay then, which is a free for all where the seller has no control (normally, unless you want to qualify each bidder) of who buys it in the end. Not sure if they offered it on one of the Lancia forums first, but that would have made it more likely to go those who have a genuine interest. I know from buying my car on Ebay that of the 4 bidders who actually placed bids for it, the other 3 were traders.

It will be interesting to see what price it actually sells for in the end. I think the experience of the Beta 2000 Silver Coupe on Ebay shows that trying to make money out of the lower value Lancia's is not that easy, still for sale and price is going down......

Peter

[m tulloch]

Is it just me or does that Alcantara interior look awful!

[peteracs]

Is it just me or does that Alcantara interior look awful!

Nope, I quite agree and the brown dash for me makes it pretty hideous inside.

Peter

[Lindsay]

I think you're right Peter, on both counts - ambitious at auction, and the interior of that one is particularly horrid!