Car as an investment - which one is best?

[Ayahuasca]

Let's say you were bored by stocks and shares, and wanted to invest into cars, with a view to long term profit. What would you choose?

F40?
Other Ferrari? Forget stuff like 250 GTOs - the entry level is too high.
Bentley Speed 6?
E-Type?
911 2.7 RS?

In most investment there is a predictable relationship between risk and reward - what cars would you place at the low and high ends of that spectrum?

[V8LM]

I reckon the best investment today would be a Ferrari BB.

Would I invest in a car?

No effin way.

[blearyeyedboy]

Cars cost money to store, tax, run, service, repair, insure... Even those that accumulate value rarely break even when these are taken into account.

By all means seek a car where you lose as little money as possible while enjoying it. But if you think you're going to make money on it, you're very likely to be proven wrong. Some people get away with it, but very few.

So I would recommend you buy wisely but accept you're still more likely to lose money than gain it, or buy one of these:



EDIT: Least risky? I'd find a low mileage E46 M3 or Z3M and stash it somewhere safe, and look after it well. If you've a bit more money, an Escort Cosworth is a good bet if you can keep the joyriders away, or as the chap below me says, an air cooled 911.

Edited by blearyeyedboy on Thursday 1st May 23:23

[markmullen]

Any air cooled 911, from the cheapest SC right through to the 2.7 RS Lightweight, 993 RSR etc. The gains are huge and are far from slowing.

[neutral 3]

Griff 500, Sagaris , T350, Citroen SM, BMW 3.0 CSL / CSi, Alfa Montreal, E46 M3, R5 Turbo 2 , R5 Gordini and GT Turbo, Aston AMV8.....Healey 100/6, 3000, TR3, MGA,

[SEE YA]

+1

markmullen said:

Any air cooled 911, from the cheapest SC right through to the 2.7 RS Lightweight, 993 RSR etc. The gains are huge and are far from slowing.

[TimLambert7]

Ferrari 500 Superfast is a relative bargain at the moment; I'd put one of them away.

I'd buy tons of 911s from all eras and I'd buy a bunch of 996/997.1/997.2 GT3s and try and get my hands on a GT3 RS 4.0.

Surely Nick Mason has made money on his GTO, he paid '£35k in 1965 (for arguments sake) = £573,702.50 in today's money' for it and it'll be worth >£30 million now; it can't of cost him that much to run!

Edited by TimLambert7 on Friday 2nd May 11:00

[anonymous-user]

Zonda would have been a good shout a few years ago.

[Mr SFJ]

BMW 8 Series might be on the money, Or a Delta Integrale.

[Legacywr]

I though Nick Mason bought his GTO in the late 60's for around £35k?

[Pan Pan]

Legacywr said:

I though Nick Mason bought his GTO in the late 60's for around £35k?

The issue here would be that £35 thousand then, would be the equivalent of much more now.

In the 60`s it was possible to buy a reasonable house for a couple of of thousand pounds.

[43034]

Pan Pan said:

Legacywr said:

I though Nick Mason bought his GTO in the late 60's for around £35k?

The issue here would be that £35 thousand then, would be the equivalent of much more now.

In the 60`s it was possible to buy a reasonable house for a couple of of thousand pounds.

£35k in 1965 (for arguments sake) = £573,702.50 in today's money


Source: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1...

[B.J.W]

Mercedes R107 SL. I've seen nice examples rise a good £10k in value over the past few years.

The R107 SL is one of my favourite cars of all time. And herein lies the issue. An investment is only an investment if it is ultimately realised. I don't think I'd ever sell mine if I had one.

[Blib]

markmullen said:

Any air cooled 911, from the cheapest SC right through to the 2.7 RS Lightweight, 993 RSR etc. The gains are huge and are far from slowing.

I agree with this. Even with standard air-cooled cars. I've been looking for a 964 / 993 for a few months now and prices for those have been edging up. I'd say a less than average 993 which in January was on at £20k will be closer to £23k by year's end.

[Anglade]

Alfa SZ or BMW Z1

[sjc]

Can't help thinking that the Aston Vanquish at 50K ish is fairly blue chip.(Yes you can get them cheaper still.)

[ajcj]

I bought my T350T three years ago for £23k. It's cost me a grand and a half a year in tax, insurance, servicing and maintenance, and I've driven it on average once a month, and it's never less than sensational when I do. I reckon it's worth somewhere north of £28k now, maybe as much as £30k, but the real issue is I've tied that money up in a fantastic car that I now feel I can't drive every day, or track, or modify, because at the moment it hasn't cost me anything, and I don't want to damage that.

What I'm getting at is if you want to buy an investment, put it in a climate controlled storage, have it serviced and fettled, but never driven much. Don't buy the car you love, just buy the best investment. If you wan to buy a car you really want to drive, buy it and drive it, and figure out later whether you've been lucky with the money.

I'll probably sell mine this summer and get a Triumph Rocket III, and a part share in an Elise for track days.

[ajmcampbell]

Testarossa? Crippling running costs though. Cars should be a hobby first, any investment is

[ManFromDelmonte]

La Ferrari would be my bet

[Justayellowbadge]

TimLambert7 said:

Ferrari 500 Superfast is a relative bargain at the moment; I'd put one of them away.

I'd buy tons of 911s from all eras and I'd buy a bunch of 996/997.1/997.2 GT3s and try and get my hands on a GT3 RS 4.0.

Surely Nick Mason has made money on his GTO, he paid '£35k in 1965 (for arguments sake) = £573,702.50 in today's money' for it and it'll be worth >£30 million now; it can't of cost him that much to run!

Edited by TimLambert7 on Friday 2nd May 11:00

Think he paid 40k in the early 70's. Dark Side paid for it, and his people thought he was bonkers.

Edited by Justayellowbadge on Friday 2nd May 11:32