What Is It Worth?

By John Linhardt

As an antique car owner, aren’t you tired of people asking “What’s your car worth?”. Most who ask are not really car buffs but observers. They seem to be more interested in the monetary value than your actual car, itself.

Just exactly what a certain brand name car is worth in dollars is usually secondary to a true car lover. This dollar amount boils down to the formula of what the buyer will pay and what the seller is willing to take. Then when this figure is agreed upon you have the price “what it is worth”.

Yes, there are “old car value guides” but these are only guides with nothing written in stone. In this current recession“bargains” exist and it may not pay to restore the car of your dreams when you may be able to find a “restored” version for way under what the restoration would cost. Just watch your cable TV with “Mechum Auction”. Televised selling prices are so low it will stun you. On some sales you could not re-paint the car for the ‘no-reserve” selling prices. Certain “rare” cars like Ron Demieri’s Cadillac, John Serafin’s Cadillacs and Joel Adelstein’s 1938 V-16 convertible will never drop in value. Like the guy on TV who advertises “buy gold” it has never lost its value or has never gone to “0” zero.

On value, remember “Don’t go crazy”! Do not get sucked into an expensive restoration without and up-front final price. Time and material restorations will kill you. Frame off restorations are never cheap. Buy or settle for the car you like already done at someone else’s expense. You may not be 100% happy with the
color or the interior choice but it beats doing your choice car over with money you will never recover.

Remember, auction or private sales, the bottom line on worth is what the buyer will pay and what the seller will take. But at auctions, remember the commissions get paid on top of your settlement price. This antique car market will not always be down so look very carefully for bargains that exist and you, yourself determine what it is worth. But get the car you want, don’t settle for less!