According to experts, the prices of some of Britain’s favourite classic sports cars appear to be cooling off – good news for would-be owners
Market prices for perennial sports car favourites are cooling off as younger buyers turn to modern classics – meaning better deals on established Brit favourites.
'While the best-of-the-best MGs, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys and Jaguars are still commanding decent prices, the market for lesser examples does appear to be cooling somewhat,’ said Garry Shortt, MD of London-based Classic Chrome. 'There’s a lot of uncertainty around at the moment, which isn’t surprising given the current economic climate. We have a number of British sports cars in stock currently, and a couple of nice MGBs that are naturally attracting attention, but these would have sold much quicker at this time of the year in the past.
‘There has definitely been a slight dip in prices generally over the past couple of years and the older generation of buyers are now being replaced by a younger generation who are more interested in later 1970s/’80s/’90s cars that they grew up with, so this is naturally having an effect on the desirability and prices of some earlier British sports cars.’
MATTHEW PARKIN, BRIGHTWELLS
Oxfordshire-based Former Glory is one of Britain’s biggest classic MG dealers. Nigel Guild, who has run the business since 1986, says prices for MGBs and Midgets are remaining static rather than increasing. ‘There is still a good market for the best cars, often with older buyers involved. People look for quality and don’t want to take on cars requiring major work. The biggest cooling-off has been in pre-1955 MGs such as T-Types and certainly pre-war cars. I think it’s because people like the look of the cars but don’t think they are regularly useable or easy to work on.’
Auction manager at Perth-based Morris Leslie, Ke
