Like a Virgin - Why you should invest in low-mileage classics

Mileage is one of the most important factors when buying a classic car – for most, it’s a case of the lower, the better. But can mileage ever be too low? In light of some recent big-money sales of ‘delivery-mileage’ classics, we asked the experts whether such cars should be embraced, or avoided…

Why pay a premium for a low-mileage car?

Those ‘in-the-know’ are often quick to write off an ultra-low-mileage car as a poisoned chalice; they (correctly) believe the lack of use over a prolonged period can result in various mechanical troubles – not something for which you’d want to pay a premium. But considering some recent high-profile auction results (and the numerous ‘factory fresh’ classics currently for sale in the Classic Driver Market), we thought further investigation was warranted.

Earlier this year, Silverstone Auctions sold a 1999 Ferrari 456 M with only 400 miles on the odometer for (an above-estimate) £118,125. In 2014, both RM and Bonhams achieved similar feats: $242,000 for a 95-mile Ferrari Testarossa, and £247,900 for a 221-mile Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato, respectively. Later this week, a 24-mile DeLorean – now that’s time travel for you – will go up for auction with a high estimate of £39,000, while a 116-mile Countach was sold privately last year for what we’re told was ‘a significant sum’. So, if they’re so troublesome, why are people still paying a premium for such cars?

Adding a less-travelled stallion to the stable

Bonhams’ James Knight, the auctioneer who presided over the sale of the V8 Zagato (and several other delivery-mileage cars during his career), agrees that classics should ideally be well exercised. “Cars are a bit like human beings: if you’re sitting in your armchair for too long, your limbs tighten up and you start to get aches and pains. With a motor car, it’s good to put the mechanicals through their paces once in a while.”

However, that’s not to say cars with minimal mileage shouldn’t command a premium. Much like original paintwork – a sought-after attribute in today’s market – there’s no reversing any changes, so the dwindling pool of cars with such qualities will always be in demand by certain sectors of the market. “If one was looking for their first collector-grade car, a car with such low mileage might inhibit them from using and enjoying the car on a regular basis,” says Knight. “However, for a connoisseur collector who has a stable of five, ten or even 20 cars, this would be the sort of car that would make for a worthwhile addition to the collection because of its low mileage, and the associated time-warp condition.”

Preservation for future generations

Lucas Hutchings of Image Automotive echoes Knight’s sentiments, as he regularly deals with ultra-low-mileage machines – and has even owned one himself. “I love the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, and I bought one with 1,800 miles on the clock. I loved the romance of opening the door and smelling brand-new leather; the paintwork was original and untouched. But at the same time, I didn’t feel it was ‘fair’ to the car for me to put several thousand miles on it – it needed to go into a collection to be preserved for future generations. In an ideal world, I’d have had one very low-mileage example, with a sister car on which I could put as many miles as I liked in order to enjoy the delights of driving it.”

Time-warp treasure

Perhaps the naysayers are right; if you’re planning to enjoy the car for its original purpose, you’re probably better off buying a cared-for and routinely-serviced example with commensurate mileage for its age – and saving yourself some cash in the process. But if you’d prefer to treat a car as an historical artifact, acting as a custodian for an increasingly rare specimen, a less-travelled classic might prove to pay dividends. Numbers of such cars can only fall, and interest in the phenomenon will only grow.

The sweet spot

For those that want the best of both worlds, you’ll have the difficult task of finding a car in that undefined ‘sweet spot’. One of the Jaguar E-types at Bonhams’ forthcoming Festival of Speed sale might represent just that: a Series 1 coupé with around 7,500 miles on the clock, regularly serviced, appropriately stored, and completely original – right down to the old Castrol GTX stickers.

Photos: David Bush, Artcurial, Bonhams, Historics at Brooklands, RM Sotheby's

‘72 Honda CL350 – Christian Laws

The custom bike scene, like any other art form, often finds itself bending to the will of fashion. But there’s no shame in that – music, painting, dance and almost any other genre you care to name have to endure the same challenge. And while in the heat of the moment a certain trend can seem to the viewer to be very ‘cool’ or ‘exciting’, it’s often only a matter of time before the truth becomes apparent. That’s when cool becomes lame, exciting becomes humorous and your wardrobe full of flared trousers becomes an embarrassment. But what happens when time doesn’t weary? When something improves with age? Well, that’s when timeless happens. Classic happens. This happens.

Christian Laws, today’s owner and builder, got into riding a little over a year ago when he bought himself a nice ‘74 Honda CB550. The original plan was to make a few custom improvements to the bike but, like some kind of divine intervention from above, everyone kept telling the poor guy that he should keep it stock. The reason? “It was in absolute mint condition,’ says Christian. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

The answer was simple – buy another bike (isn’t that always the answer?) “So I purchased the bike you see here, a CL350, as a project bike. It was rusty and cheap, but I could instantly see the potential.”

What drew Christian to the CL350 was its timeless style and its raw simplicity. As anyone who’s ever ridden one will tell you, the bike has only what it needs to run and nothing more. Naturally, this lends itself well to café racer-style tweaks “It also makes it a good choice for a first time build.”

Of course, the stand-out feature of Honda’s original bike was those big, beautiful exhausts. “I think the vintage pipes make the bike what it is and they really inspired the tone of my project. I always thought it was a crying shame that the mufflers on the other CL builds I liked had been replaced with louder but less interesting mufflers. The original pipes add so much character, it’s a real shame to lose them.”

After the pipes, Christian lists the headlamp as his next biggest source of pride. “I really love the 1960s CEV headlamp with the built-in speedometer and vintage Italian glass. It created all sorts of grief during installation, but I think it was well worth it. I also like the longer look it gives to the bike.”

Naturally, the build wasn’t without its challenges. One of the biggest issues uncovered was that the bike’s frame and forks were bent. And in multiple places, to boot. But the guys at Sydney’s Surfside Garage straightened the issue out, literally.

“Because this is such a small machine, my vision for the build was to give it a larger appearance with a strong focus on beautiful lines and a clean, classic look which I like to think I have achieved. The intention was to enhance and improve the original features and let form guide the build rather than performance.”

“It’s a fun motorcycle to ride because it’s just so light and it always seems eager to go faster. I also seem to feel a lot more connected to the road with a small bike like this as there is not much machine between me and the ground. Basically, I just love riding it.”

Beautiful stuff, no? It’s also interesting to note that when we cast our mind back to some of our all-time favourite posts, many of them have been CLs. Most notable, the work of Jonathan Wood. If you like what you see here and you’re hungry for a little more, you can take a look here and here. Enjoy.

via PIPEBURN

Spring awakening on the streets of London

Spring, it seems, has officially arrived. With the streets of London now buzzing with classics, what better way to celebrate the start of the season than with these stunning classic supercar photographs by talented street-snapper, Luke Gilbertson...

 

We discovered Luke while searching for our favourite automotive Instagram photographers. If you're not following his @yournotmyfather account, may we suggest you do so. Based in the UK, Luke is clearly a talented photographer with a keen eye for London's hidden automotive gems.

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