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From BT and others comes this story of a restored E-Type Jaguar.
But this particular example, E-Type fixed head coupe Chassis No. 15, was discovered in a barn in Cernay, east France, in late 2013. It was more chicken coop than racing coupe, rusted, missing many vital components and covered in farmyard muck.
From the photo it had quite a few vital components missing, such as the engine. Apparently that had to be completely recreated according to the Mail.
Lovely car and all that, but if I rummaged around an old barn, found a couple of legs from an Elizabethan table and rebuilt it, folk would not be so impressed. It most certainly wouldn't be worth anywhere near the price of a genuine Elizabethan table. I'd have to sell it as repro. Different people, different outlook I suppose.
9 comments:
£300,000? Back in the 1980s, I knew a man who owned several e-types. He was obviously wealthy, but nothing all that special: he was the headmaster of a special school in Bournemouth. He had just built up his "collection" through patient searching and biding his time for parts. I wonder what happened to him, and the cars.
I take your point about the lack of actual authenticity but your old table doesn't have a plate with a serial number, I assume this wreck still has it's factory ID.
As time has passed remains of vehicles found in unlikely places are restored to "original" status from less and less of that found.
This is possible today because engineering facilities can reproduce almost anything as long as the blue prints are there and that is fine as far as it goes.
The serial number gives provenance to that found not to the ninety percent that has to made to restore but the market is so high for these vehicles that the goalposts have moved over the years as to what can be considered original.
That is also a reason for the astronomical prices paid for genuine classics such as the Ferrari just auctioned for 24 million
http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/motorsports/stories/1331775457983/ferrari-335-sport-scaglietti-auction
this is a vehicle with provenance and has been used and run for most of its life.
I briefly owned an E type in the mid sixties great bird puller but not quite the wonder car it is proclaimed to be, it had rust problems and other issues, though naturally as it was the faired in headlight model I wish I had it now, though I think most of us have a "wished I'd kept it" moment, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I can get you a genuine stone age axe . . . Nearer the mark, though, have you seen the prices good old Land Rovers are fetching?
They weren't a patch on the early 1930's Austin 7's.
Sam - perhaps he retired to somewhere warm on the proceeds, although collectors generally don't enjoy selling up.
Woodsy - I believe it had its factory ID because all the details were traced such as the original paintwork. If I had the money I think I'd prefer something more original though.
Wiggia - at a much lower level, I wish I'd kept my Norton ES2, but I've never owned a car I'd like to see again.
DCB - I always fancied an old Land Rover for commuting in and out of Nottingham because other cars seemed to steer well clear of them in heavy traffic, especially the scruffy ones.
Demetrius - my father had a 1930s Ford. Wouldn't do more than about forty but it took us to the Isle of Wight and back. Well most of the way back.
I sold one of these 18 months ago in worse condition than the one shown and I'm expecting it to turn up soon at some inflated price but it really was a mess.With uprated brakes and something other than a moss gearbox its a great car and I am considering buying another.
Thud - worse than this? It's not my line, but if I were to have a go at restoring anything it would probably be a bike.
A K, I read the comments on a classic car site re restoration, many were saying it has reached the stage where if a nut could be found to have provenance you could restore a car round it !
My E type ownership was short lived, after I finished racing cars I was approached by an aquaintance who had also raced and owned the E type, he needed money to start a business and wanted a quick sale and the car needed some minor work.
I didn't have the cash but plundered the savings towards the house my wife and I were hoping to buy, and purchased the car, after having the wrongs righted I sold it on at a profit of around £250 about three weeks later, with the average wage in the 20 pound a week bracket then it was a good profit, how times have changed, a car that cost me circa £1500 is now worth upwards of £100,000.
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