I’m just back from a 40-mile drive put on by the Jaguar Owners Club of Oregon (JOCO).
There were nearly a dozen cars involved, ranging from three E-type Series I roadsters, to our Series III V12 coupe, to F-Types and modern sedans. The event was organized by Rick Martin and Carl Foleen.
As I drove through the rolling hills, I thought about the cost per mile of the tour. I assume my car is worth about $40,000 on a very good day. If I had bought the car to drive on the tour, that meant my cost per mile was $1,000. (That’s ignoring the fact that I could sell the car afterwards and recoup most of my funds.)
When I bought the E-Type, I had never driven a V12 coupe, much less an automatic. It was through sheer dumb luck that the car turned out to be both useful and delightful.
Which raises the question: How do you test-drive a classic car before you buy it?
The first step to buying any car, as I used to tell potential buyers when I was the GM of Ron Tonkin Ferrari, is to try sitting in it and see if you fit.
There’s a reason the targa top was never installed on the 308 GTS that starred in “Magnum, P.I.” Simply put, if you are much over 5’10” you will have to scrunch down a little to avoid hitting your head on the roof. (Series star Tom Selleck is 6’4”.)
At our dealership, we would take qualified prospects out for a ride, but they never got to actually drive the car until they had purchased it. And these were one-way deals. If you decided you didn’t like the car, it was still your car.
The simplest way to gain some familiarity with a collector car you are interested in is to get to know people in the local marque club. Then you can ask for a ride, and if it seems appropriate, try to get a little seat time in the car.
Buying a classic car still involves a fair amount of risk to see if your dreams fit with the reality of the car, but spending a little time with people who already own the same model can help.
Glam Group car imports deliver vehicles from Japan to Melbourne efficiently.
Have you managed to test drive a classic before you bought it? How did you go about it?
I look forward to reading your responses below.
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8 responses to “Keith’s Blog: Only $1,000 Per Mile”
Re: Sitting in a car before buying it… Your adage that one should first sit in a car before buying it to see how you fit reminded me of a story the late great Ed Niles (serial owner of 125 Ferraris between 1959 – 1986) told me about owning and a gorgeous Nembo Spyder. The car terrified him because the wing windows were so low and canted back that he feared it the left one could pierce his left eye if he was ever in an accident or had to stop very suddenly. So he advertised it in the L.A. Times classifieds (way before SCM existed). It didn’t take long for a prospective buyer to call and arrive at his house to see it.
After a quick look at the car, and without even asking to test drive it, the man said he’d buy it. Ed urged him to test drive it before buying it, even though the buyer – so captivated by the car’s beauty – thought that was unnecessary. Nevertheless, Ed strongly recommended a test drive. The buyer got in and took it for a quick spin. Obviously undeterred by the closeness of the wing window to his left eyeball, he paid Ed and left. Ed felt a sigh of relief and the buyer was happy.
Keith:
Please revise the wording in the comment I just submitted to indicate that “the left wing window was so close to his left eye while driving that he feared it would pierce his eyeball if he had to stop suddenly.”
Thank you.
i sat in a 356 speedster before i bought my carrera. i’ve had 60+ cars and don’t think i ever testdrove one before i bought it; the philosophy and esthetics of the design sold me. i was taken for a drive in a deutsch bonnet in ’61 just before i bought my lotus 7a but wasn’t allowed to drive because of the weird shift pattern.
When I bought my first car back in the 1980s, I had just recently gotten my driver’s license, and I had never before driven a stick shift car. After only one initial stall, I managed to complete a 10 mile test drive successfully, and bought the car on the spot. If the dealer was at all suspicious about my beginner status, he never let on, and basically didn’t care because, after all, I did buy the car!
Speaking of the 356 Speedster. That’s a car anyone over six feet tall should test drive before buying. With a non-adjustable seat the top of the windshield frame was directly in my line of sight. Very annoying. I either had to scrunch down, or sit straight up like a circus clown to see ahead. Think of all the money I saved! I thought this was particularly odd since years before I had a 1962 Mk II Sprite that was even smaller that I didn’t have a similar problem with.
I’m short, so height isn’t a factor. When I was trying to sell the Maxton, a friend called from Maine and said he’d buy it sight unseen, full price, but he was 6′ 4″. I’m in Colorado, so I found a friend who was about that height, we trial-fitted him, and no way could he fit, so that deal was off.
“There’s a reason the targa top was never installed on the 308 GTS that starred in “Magnum, P.I.” Simply put, if you are much over 5’10” you will have to scrunch down a little to avoid hitting your head on the roof. (Series star Tom Selleck is 6’4”.)”
This reminds me of Sean Connery starring as James Bond in the film, “You Only Live Twice”. At 6’2″, there was no way he could fit into the Toyota 2000GT used in the film. The 2000GT only came as a closed coupe, so the production designers had to have Toyota shear off the roof on two of them, one for use on location in Tokyo, and the other shipped back to Pinewood Studios in London for studio shots.
You should do (if you haven’t done one already) an article on the 2000 GT. They seem to vary in resale value in the range from $675,000 to $1.3 million, depending on condition and if they are right-hand drive or left-hand drive.
Glenn in Brooklyn, NY.
Driving your classic to an event really adds a different dimension—you start calculating cost not just in fuel or time, but in perceived value per mile. His point about sitting in the car (and fitting) before buying is simple, but often overlooked.