Leftfield choices
Discussion
After reading the thread about the Passat W8 it made me wonder, why do people actually buy these kind of unusual cars?
Normally these cars don't sell well compared to the competition because they are flawed. Yet some people seem to make a concious decision to go against the accepted norm and buy a car that is in measurable terms such as price, performance, reliability or image an inferior car to others.
The last few cars I've had were all a bit odd, or at least sold in small enough volumes to make them relatively rare. I'm not sure why, but when I browse classifieds I often search for the rarer cars, not the usual sports cars like an M3, 911 or Lotus Elise. I don't buy the cars new, so the cost to me is relatively low and if it all goes completely wrong I will not lose a huge amount of money, but the private buyers who pick them up new must have reasons for it.
The majority of petrolheads value performance and/or handling, this is important to me but will never be a deal breaker if the car isn't up to scratch. As far as I'm concerned the two main criterias for buying a car are engine noise and something a bit unusual. The first one can be explained, but the second part I have no logical explanation for it, so I'm curious as to why others who buy something a bit different chose their specific car.
Normally these cars don't sell well compared to the competition because they are flawed. Yet some people seem to make a concious decision to go against the accepted norm and buy a car that is in measurable terms such as price, performance, reliability or image an inferior car to others.
The last few cars I've had were all a bit odd, or at least sold in small enough volumes to make them relatively rare. I'm not sure why, but when I browse classifieds I often search for the rarer cars, not the usual sports cars like an M3, 911 or Lotus Elise. I don't buy the cars new, so the cost to me is relatively low and if it all goes completely wrong I will not lose a huge amount of money, but the private buyers who pick them up new must have reasons for it.
The majority of petrolheads value performance and/or handling, this is important to me but will never be a deal breaker if the car isn't up to scratch. As far as I'm concerned the two main criterias for buying a car are engine noise and something a bit unusual. The first one can be explained, but the second part I have no logical explanation for it, so I'm curious as to why others who buy something a bit different chose their specific car.
Being cynical I would say it is because you have people with money burning a hole in their pocket and they want the most expensive variant of a model. This may explain why we see OAPs in Impreza STIs or R32 Golfs.
On the other hand it could be because they like to be different and indeed go for that left field choice. This is often a 'petrolhead'...
On the other hand it could be because they like to be different and indeed go for that left field choice. This is often a 'petrolhead'...
Something like the W8 Passat sold in tiny numbers though in the UK didn't it?
Chances are such cars might have ended up as an oddball executive company car rather than a private punter, or for some other strange requirement. Their low volume hints that there was no reason for a private punter to opt for them.
Chances are such cars might have ended up as an oddball executive company car rather than a private punter, or for some other strange requirement. Their low volume hints that there was no reason for a private punter to opt for them.
I have frequently gone 'left-field'. Most cars are designed to appeal to people whos first priority is comfortable/reliable transport (and image?) - to me most modern cars are DULL (or out of my price).
Most of my buying life, I have prioritised fun well above such pacticalities...
Also as I hardly ever allow a garage to touch a car/bike I own, I have different criteria around maintenance. Running a US import with a 5.7 V8 is better than considering a modern diesel.
As a buyer of second hand cars - left field often means good value on the 2nd hand car market. Mainstream tend to hold their values better, so offer me less value.
Most of my buying life, I have prioritised fun well above such pacticalities...
Also as I hardly ever allow a garage to touch a car/bike I own, I have different criteria around maintenance. Running a US import with a 5.7 V8 is better than considering a modern diesel.
As a buyer of second hand cars - left field often means good value on the 2nd hand car market. Mainstream tend to hold their values better, so offer me less value.
Edited by balls-out on Tuesday 14th August 10:45
People buy cars with a lot less care than you may think. Most of us would research the purchase thoroughly, read everything we could find and seek opinions from forums etc.
Some people walk into the local dealer look at the cars, pick one that is about the right size and seems nice after a test drive, spec it up via a big ticklist and then pay the money.
As has been said I imagine a lot of the real oddball things like the Passat W8 come from odd company car policies.
Some people walk into the local dealer look at the cars, pick one that is about the right size and seems nice after a test drive, spec it up via a big ticklist and then pay the money.
As has been said I imagine a lot of the real oddball things like the Passat W8 come from odd company car policies.
300bhp/ton said:
Something like the W8 Passat sold in tiny numbers though in the UK didn't it?
Chances are such cars might have ended up as an oddball executive company car rather than a private punter, or for some other strange requirement. Their low volume hints that there was no reason for a private punter to opt for them.
It sold in tiny numbers worldwide, not just in the UK. However when I moved to Switzerland that's the car I picked up and there seems to be a lot more available here than in the UK, in particular when considering the market size of the two countries. I've just had a look, there are currently 13 for sale here:Chances are such cars might have ended up as an oddball executive company car rather than a private punter, or for some other strange requirement. Their low volume hints that there was no reason for a private punter to opt for them.
http://www.autoscout24.ch/Search/List.aspx?lng=fr&...
There is much less of a company car culture here, so I'm guessing most will be private purchases. Mine was owned from new by a private banker but why he bought it in the first place is a mystery. He's clearly not short of cash, yet chose a weird expensive VW rather than the usual 5 series or E class.
The 4 motion is clearly an advantage over here with the snow, but then a lot of other cars are available as 4wd that don't exist in the UK. For example you can get a similar vintage E55 AMG 4matic.
I think most of the private purchases will be bought by petrolheads, but why they want something a bit different and usually flawed is a mystery to me. That's the bit I'm trying to figure out, why would anyone who knows a product is inferior to its competition still make the concious choice to buy it.
When I bought my Alfa 164 in the UK, it was from a chap with a very strange car collection. He had 3 164s, 3 Saab 9000s, 2 Volvo 960s and a Phaeton W12. All of his old executive cars were in immaculate condition and he only sold the 164 I purchased because one of his other Alfa's had finished being fully restored and he was getting short on space.
It was a very strange collection, most people who save odd cars are usually a fan of that model or brand, but being a fan of all early 90's executive saloons (and not the standard German stuff) is unusual. It's great though, as it keeps more variety in the market and allows cars that would otherwise be left to rot to have several thousands spent on them when they are clealry "uneconomical to repair".
Bisonhead said:
Being cynical I would say it is because you have people with money burning a hole in their pocket and they want the most expensive variant of a model. This may explain why we see OAPs in Impreza STIs or R32 Golfs.
Yeah, my money was burning a hole in my pocket so decided to get an R32. Had nothing to do with the sound and delivery of the engine, or the "uniqueness" of it compared to a billion GTIs.300bhp/ton said:
Something like the W8 Passat sold in tiny numbers though in the UK didn't it?
Chances are such cars might have ended up as an oddball executive company car rather than a private punter, or for some other strange requirement. Their low volume hints that there was no reason for a private punter to opt for them.
As a secondhand bet they appeal as they are cheap and unusual, when new a W8 must have been an unusual choice, unless you speak to the original owners and get their rationale it is difficult to fathom, there is always a reason why someone goes for something like that but not always apparent.Chances are such cars might have ended up as an oddball executive company car rather than a private punter, or for some other strange requirement. Their low volume hints that there was no reason for a private punter to opt for them.
Sure it is a decent enough car with a good turn of speed, the normal Passat virtues apply but at twice the price of a normal one that would do the same job, look the same and cost much less.
Think a lot will be from within the VW network, managers who can specify anything as long as it had a VW badge, other than that I cant think of why anyone would go for one over a higher up BMW, Merc, Audi or a Jag.
Anyone know anyone who bought one new ?
I like left field but not sure I would go for a W8 Passat.
I once bought a Cadillac BLS.
Not brand new, though. That would require me to be certifiably stupid. Burning ten pound notes every few minutes would have been a cheaper hobby than buying a new BLS. The critical panning it received extended to being described as a local radio DJ's car by Top Gear, that well known paragon of well weighted consumer advice.
In fairness, who'd pay £25,000 for one of these when you could have a 3-series? So, no one did.
Fast forward a couple of years to when Cadillac were offloading their fleet. I needed a motorway hack and I had 7 grand to spend. I bought a 2-and-a-half year old model with 20,000 miles on the clock for £6,000. It was immaculate. A similarly aged 3 series was far better, but then that was £15,000. Even similarly specced Mondeos and Vectras were far more than Cadillac wanted for their beast.
It wasn't a seamless experience. When GM and Saab divorced, Saab briefly declined to supply parts which wasn't very nice of them. The dealer I bought it from promised to find me a new sensor or buy the car back. Fortunately I didn't need to take him up on that offer and I continued to enjoy the car.
When I sold 18 months and 20,000 miles later, it sold for £5200. It's only the uncertainty over Saab that made me sell, and I know that values went down again after I sold. I was fortunate to buy at the right time and sell at the right time too.
My car had a hard life after leaving me. I met it again by chance at a used car dealer's in Stroud. It had clearly had a very hard life and it upset me that the car I'd looked after was now a tired old hack. Never meet your old heroes; it'll upset you. I still feel guilty for not saving it from that fate.
I think that these left field cars plummet in value and then stabilise when they meet a market to whom they're interesting. Then, when they lose interest for the new second hand target group they plummet in value again. I put it to you, dear PH jury, that the BLS was a disaster as a new car but it was briefly a little known second-hand steal. I'd wager that many left field cars are the same.
Not brand new, though. That would require me to be certifiably stupid. Burning ten pound notes every few minutes would have been a cheaper hobby than buying a new BLS. The critical panning it received extended to being described as a local radio DJ's car by Top Gear, that well known paragon of well weighted consumer advice.
In fairness, who'd pay £25,000 for one of these when you could have a 3-series? So, no one did.Fast forward a couple of years to when Cadillac were offloading their fleet. I needed a motorway hack and I had 7 grand to spend. I bought a 2-and-a-half year old model with 20,000 miles on the clock for £6,000. It was immaculate. A similarly aged 3 series was far better, but then that was £15,000. Even similarly specced Mondeos and Vectras were far more than Cadillac wanted for their beast.
It wasn't a seamless experience. When GM and Saab divorced, Saab briefly declined to supply parts which wasn't very nice of them. The dealer I bought it from promised to find me a new sensor or buy the car back. Fortunately I didn't need to take him up on that offer and I continued to enjoy the car.
When I sold 18 months and 20,000 miles later, it sold for £5200. It's only the uncertainty over Saab that made me sell, and I know that values went down again after I sold. I was fortunate to buy at the right time and sell at the right time too.
My car had a hard life after leaving me. I met it again by chance at a used car dealer's in Stroud. It had clearly had a very hard life and it upset me that the car I'd looked after was now a tired old hack. Never meet your old heroes; it'll upset you. I still feel guilty for not saving it from that fate.
I think that these left field cars plummet in value and then stabilise when they meet a market to whom they're interesting. Then, when they lose interest for the new second hand target group they plummet in value again. I put it to you, dear PH jury, that the BLS was a disaster as a new car but it was briefly a little known second-hand steal. I'd wager that many left field cars are the same.
blearyeyedboy said:
I think that these left field cars plummet in value and then stabilise when they meet a market to whom they're interesting. Then, when they lose interest for the new second hand target group they plummet in value again. I put it to you, dear PH jury, that the BLS was a disaster as a new car but it was briefly a little known second-hand steal. I'd wager that many left field cars are the same.
Corvettes are distinctly left field in UK and absolutely do not behave like that!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff