First Lambo - Thoughts on CAT N?

[compynei]

Hi all

Been looking into a Lambo for a while especially since working from home a lot has meant I can consider something a bit more fun since I no longer have a commute.

Always wanted a Lambo and have been passively looking for a while, budget is top end 70k. Saw a beautiful white one online that is CAT N due to fire. I’ve seen the Cctv video of fire, it happened at a petrol station and the car was covered in powder and extinguished.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? It seems like a low mileage well looked after example that would be ideal. Plan is to keep it long term. The dealer is telling me it only has 1mm of clutch wear when measured 1000 miles ago, though I’d obviously get that checked out.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102189...

[R8Reece]

If it’s a long term keeper and you’re fully aware of what you’re buying then I’d say go for it.

[andymc]

do a motor check on and this will confirm what the damage was

[M2287]

I suppose it depends on your plans with it. I’d say it’s a perfect car to really put some miles on. Probably not so good if you plan on doing 2k a year.

You will more than likely have issues reselling it (just as you are asking the question now, others will in future!).

[BlackR8]

For the sake of around £10-12k more after some negotiation I would personally hold out for a non-CAT car.

[Turbo cab]

R8Reece said:

If it’s a long term keeper and you’re fully aware of what you’re buying then I’d say go for it.

This.

If you know what the damage was and it has been repaired to a high standard then go for it.

Plenty of cars out there with similar history that slip through the net and aren't recorded that should of been.

Reminds me of my father in law's F355Gts that he purchased back in 1999.

The car was a late T reg F1 example with around 1000 odd miles, he owned the car for 6 months or so before getting it serviced.
Whilst getting service it was noted the car had an after market lexan curved rear screen instead of an OEM glass one, from memory this was around £3k to replace... Anyway some digging later (because why did it have this) it turned out that the car was also the result of an engine fire, whether it was to do with the faulty fuel clips they had the recall on we'll never know but it was unrecorded on the insurance data base.

I'm not too sure if there was any recourse from the supplying dealer as consumer rights were different back then but the point of the story being, you never really know a cars history unless you've owned it from new.

[paul0843]

My first reaction would have been no,but having clicked on link if it was a long term car it could be
worth a punt.

[compynei]

Thanks guys appreciate the insight.

Since found out the last owner has only had it for about 6 months and “is trading to something bigger as he’s expecting a kid”. Bit of a red flag, maybe nothing but I’m a bit wary and looking for a long term keeper.

May do some more digging.

[Petrus1983]

A car like this should/would have been repaired by a leading specialist- ask to see the file of the work that was done. A client of mine had a Jaguar stolen and it came back a lot nicer than when it was stolen - it did crush the value though.

[AndyC_123]

I had a lot of written off cars when I was younger, good way to get into something that's normally out of budget.

Cars can be taken apart and rebuilt relatively easily, so owning and driving one if repaired properly is fine if you take emotion out of it.

You will find it much harder to sell on... as per my opinion above... supercars are often an emotional purchase.

Edited by AndyC_123 on Monday 15th March 13:41

[Gnevans]

I think you will lose relatively more than you save when you come to sell it on. Cheap for a reason and the majority of potential buyers won’t touch it no matter the quality of repair, or lightness of the damage.

[compynei]

Thanks guys, useful replies, will bear it in mind....or keep saving!

[V10vroom]

My very clean car with FSH is same price and although 2008 has no such accident damage!!!!

[monthefish]

In principle, I don't think it's a bad idea, however it doesn't seem especially cheap considering the status/history.

BlackR8 said:

For the sake of around £10-12k more after some negotiation I would personally hold out for a non-CAT car.

[ruggedscotty]

This vehicle was written off (Cat N)

This vehicle was damaged in the past but the structural frame or chassis were not affected. The insurer decided that repairing the vehicle would have cost more than replacing it.

Contact the seller to find out as much as you can about the damage that was done and how it was repaired. Many Cat N vehicles are safely repaired but you should have it checked to ensure it's roadworthy.

1. get the full info on what it was - photos reports etc.

2. understand what it was that resulted in the Cat N. dont go in with your eyes closed.

3. if it has been repaired properly then there is no real shakes, just be aware that it will have an effect on your insurance and on the sell on price.

4. is it really a bargain with all taken into account ?