So has anyone ever bought a car from Target Cars?

[JCB123]

On the face of it, these guys look as bent as you like *IMHO.

http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/list.asp?d=1007

All of there cars are British RHD's, in Holland, on an Ind Est near the Airport?! And they all seem a few grand cheaper than the equiv' cars for sale in this country....

I've noticed the company crop up in lots of adverts when I've been trawling the classifieds, but I have a special eye on the Sagaris they have in at the moment......

Anyone dealt or heard any stories?

ETA

• added to clarify.

Edited by Big Al. on Wednesday 17th August 20:01

[nottyash]

I wonder if they are cheap. There are a few damaged cars, some have mechanical problems. You have to import them from Holland, and maybe register them in the UK. They may work out cheaper but I dont think they are steal of the century.

[mercfunder]

OP, nice opening gambit, as you obviously know nothing about the company.
Fancy buying a good lawyer a new holiday home? If not I'd lose the first line of your post

[900T-R]

I know of a chap who's bought a Griff from them. Their cars are 'as they come' from the UK, untested and unregistered here; not necessarily ropey or fishy, but no added value compared to getting to the UK and look at a few advertised cars either - apart from being able to see a few of them in one place on this side of the channel instead of having to travel all over the UK.

As it was, the chap put it through the registration procedure, got told at the test station what's wrong with it (mainly a few wishbone bushings that were shot), he ordered a SH polybush kit with bolts and droplinks and other bits and bobs from me, did the work himself and got him a nice little 500 on the road for not a lot of money.

I think all in all it's a case of 'you get what you pay for' - I'd be surprised if buying from them and bringing the car back into the UK would turn out cheaper than getting one of the same spec and condition that remained in the UK to begin with - which would asume rather excellent buying-in skills from their side if they're to make any money on the transaction.

Edited by 900T-R on Wednesday 17th August 08:24

[GSP]

He's not suggesting they ARE bent, just that they LOOK bent... there is a difference between stating opinion and stating fact.

[falkster]

I suppose 'on the face of it' is a good way of merely suggesting something rather than stating something.

[GSP]

TVR1 said:

falkster said:

I suppose 'on the face of it' is a good way of merely suggesting something rather than stating something.

Prima Facie (on the face of it)

In common parlance the term prima facie is used to describe the apparent nature of something upon initial observation. In legal practice the term generally is used to describe two things: the presentation of sufficient evidence by a civil claimant to support the legal claim (a prima facie case), or a piece of evidence itself (prima facie evidence).

So, no. Unwittingly the OP has stated a fact IMO.

Apparent - Seeming real or true, but not necessarily so

[Irish]

Does anyone know what the gig is? Do they just hoover up every abandonded RHD car on the continent? Always wondered where the stock came from - some interesting stuff all the same.

[Tuvra]

Irish said:

Does anyone know what the gig is? Do they just hoover up every abandonded RHD car on the continent? Always wondered where the stock came from - some interesting stuff all the same.

Im not sure, but would also love to know, I know they are a pretty serious buyer in the Plant & Machinery sector also. They must have some serious cash because they appear to be "sitting on" millions of pounds worth of assets at any one time.

Whenever I am browsing for cars, I ALWAYS find something with them that catches my eye, two nights ago it was the lime green Sagaris.

I am not sure if memory serves me right but I read about someone who visited them, apparantley everything you see advertised is there although you are left alone to wonder around a huge site unassisted and need to search through trucks, plant & machinery to find cars which are spread across the site. Again I am not sure whether memory serves me right - but im sure same person said its Arab owned?

[Targarama]

JCB123 said:

but I have a special eye on the Sagaris they have in at the moment......

This was discussed in the Sagaris forum a few weeks ago. Looks nice with some interesting mods, but people reported that the car needed some work. I think it might have been a cat'D too - check the thread.

[Irish]

It appears to be a "what you see is what you get shop". Cheap - for a reason. No prep, no warranty. Not necessarily a bad thing if you go in with your eyes open. Some of the 964s will makes sense if the exchange rate goes to 130/140 again.

[Tuvra]

Targarama said:

This was discussed in the Sagaris forum a few weeks ago. Looks nice with some interesting mods, but people reported that the car needed some work. I think it might have been a cat'D too - check the thread.

Plainly says in the ad I seen that it is a Cat D.

If they were dodgy i.e. selling undeclared insurance messes, surely they wouldn't sell crashed/cat d cars along side cars with a clean history?

It is a very odd outfit to say the least as most cars are UK registered.

[bimjim]

I part-exchanged my car at a London based dealer when I changed in June last year, a few weeks later it ended up with them.

[Whitean3]

They do have some nice cars for sale- I've had my eye on a couple- but I recall there is a thread on here about them, and someone's experience of buying a car from them- as others say, slightly offputting that they are in a warehouse by the airport.

I also believe that a lot of their stock may be Cat D stuff and other repaired vehicles. I've heard others comparing Target Cars to Douglas Valley Breakers in the UK, but I think this would be a little harsh!

[900T-R]

Tuvra said:

It is a very odd outfit to say the least as most cars are UK registered.

That's not odd at all - in fact, if I had a few million in the bank doing nothing and at the current prices/£ exchange rates I'd sweep the UK clean of specialist sports cars, too. No use going through the expense of registering et al as long as there's no bums in the seats.

Only difference is that I personally would try and create some added value when I get an interested party for a car, at least by doing the necessary repairs for Dutch/German etc. registration and offering a valet, warrantee etc. At present I don't see how they would make worthwhile margins - unless they can buy in very cheaply... - but then again, they're traders and not in the automotive business as such, and it's just a side line to their regular activities...

[Mattt]

Target Cars is great for the kind of buyer who just cannot make his mind up between a TVR Chimaera, GMC Sierra pickup or a 25 tonne crane.

I know I often have those days.

[Tuvra]

Mattt said:

Target Cars is great for the kind of buyer who just cannot make his mind up between a TVR Chimaera, GMC Sierra pickup or a 25 tonne crane.

I know I often have those days.

I thought I bought a dirt cheap Exige, turns out I bought a trailer & a cherry picker:

[JCB123]

Are these the guys that ALWAYS ring and offer you cash and next day pick up whenever you have a car in the classifieds or on autptrader?

SWMBO's Beetle conv was in the classifieds and someone from Holland rang offering cash and they'd send someone over to Hull to pick it up?!

Maybe they're just buying up from desperate sellers with cash?

[monthefish]

Irish said:

Does anyone know what the gig is? Do they just hoover up every abandonded RHD car on the continent? Always wondered where the stock came from - some interesting stuff all the same.

900T-R said:

ITheir cars are 'as they come' from the UK, untested and unregistered here;

So how does a UK car become unregistered here? Is it the 'exported' box is ticked on a UK V5?

[900T-R]

I mean, unregistered in The Netherlands... This means 3 things still have to be done:

1) Dutch governmental test station needs to confirm that the car complies with what's on the paperwork. Lights etc. need to be changed in order to comply with traffic driving on the right.
2) Car needs to be MOT'ed (can be done in one go together with 1) these days)
3) Registration tax (based on the Dutch list price of an equivalent vehicle; if the car's not new depreciation according to either a standardised table or an independent valuation is being deducted from the amount due) needs to be paid before a registration number is being consigned.

Depending on the age of the car, being unregistered in NL means you need to add anything between 1,500 (for an old Griff) and maybe 20,000 euro (for a late Sag) to the price to end up with a road legal car.

Not sure when the car disappears from the UK registry; I only looked up the UK reg after I had registered it here ,it said 'EXPORT' on the DVLA site. I assume this happens as soon as the former owner sends in his amendment on the V5 with the new (foreign) owner's details.

Edited by 900T-R on Wednesday 17th August 14:18