Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Trad prices

My advice is to completely ignore asking prices, especially dealer asking prices, if you want to learn the true value of your Morgan at any given time, follow classic car auction sale prices (including the premium).

An auction will always find the true value of anything!

TBH, I wouldn't want to be in the classic car auction industry right now because it's quite clear sellers haven't corrected their value expectations in line with the current market, the auction house understands the true current market value of the car better than anyone else but sellers are ignoring the auction representative's advice and are still expecting the numbers being achieved three years ago. Sellers are refusing to accept the market has corrected itself, and from what we now need to acknowledge was a bubble.

Sellers setting unrealistic reserve prices is a real problem for auction houses right now, the auction house representative's biggest current challenge is trying to realign their seller's value expectations with the depressed market conditions. Auction houses don't earn any money from failing to sell on the day, understanding this, now study recent classic car auction results you'll soon see the percentage of unsold Lots has gone through the roof over the last 18 months. This is typically why their first proposal to sellers will be the 'No Reserve' option, the auction house has fixed costs so a sale at any price is infinitely better (for them) than no sale at all, if this is refused by the seller (and I recommend you do refuse it) the next proposal from your auctioneer will be a low ball reserve because the auctioneer knows the market is depressed and a low reserve will be far more likely to secure a sale too, the seller must then negotiate with their auctioneer to bring the reserve up to just below the true market value of the car.

As the market continues to fall, over inflated dealer prices that once just looked expensive are now looking comically ambitious, this is a real problem for dealers who must rotate their stock regularly. Right now dealers are holding declining assets that are just not selling, if the dealer bought the car outright or even took it as part-ex deal, for every day that goes by his asset is getting closer and closer to a negative margin situation. This is why dealers love to sell on consignment, there's no financial commitment and the dealer sidesteps all risk of negative equity, indeed all the risk is on the seller! When a car is being sold on consignment, all the dealer has to do is assign a small amount of space in his showroom and upload a few images to his website, and often the cheekier dealers just take the photos and then persuade the seller to store the car themselves, that's "nice business if you can get it"!

Back to the current market conditions, it's quite clear the natural overall price correction situation has also collided with a very noticeable shift in buyer's tastes. Out are vintage cars and cars from the 1950's, in are hot hatches and other cars of interest from the the 80's & 90's, buyers are younger and want something that scratches a more recent nostalgia itch, they also want cars that are reliable and usable on modern roads, the sweet spot period seems to be 1986 - 1996.

So what does all this mean for Morgan values, well, starting with the positives modern trad Morgan's have modern engines and transmissions making them surprisingly usable for something that looks like it was born somewhere between the 1930's - 1950's. Sadly that's where the positives end, like it or not Morgan's are perceived as an old man's car, and even old men now are more inclined to be nostalgic about the 1986 - 1996 period. Most buyers these days just aren't emotionally connected to the 1930's - 1950's period, worse still for the values of a modern Trad Morgan's is the change in Morgan's traditional 'low supply, high demand' model that for years ensured the cars were always more or less depreciation proof.

Sadly we must now accept these times have passed and as the value of CX chassis cars continue to fall, its no surprise the very limited number of prospective used Morgan buyers out there right now start to favour the newer cars over our Trads further depressing the value of our Trads. While all this may seem quite negative, for me and hopefully you too none of it matters.

Because we bought the car we like, and we're keeping it

I've been a constant voice of doom, despondency and........realism........ on the future of MMC and outdated values for some time now.

The attitude reflected by several on TM of 'we bought it 'cos we like we're keeping it' is the right way to view the cars.

Don't mollycoddle them worrying about future values, which has traditionally been the mindset of many Morgan owners, DRIVE THEM...!
Get them dirty and wet, run up the miles, give them a good thrashing....!

The market is totally saturated with Morgans at the moment, anyone who really wants or needs to sell, need to make their cars the very cheapest out there to stand any chance at all of selling.
There being no buyers, is a problem though......🤷🏻‍♂️

🇬🇧🇬🇧

I've always felt the cars from the early 80's to mid 90's represented some of the best build quality and still relatively simple electronics, with more advances in braking and handling aids be it ABS or traction control, assisting the driver whilst not being too intrusive. My ideal cars of that period were my 930 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, my Mercedes E320 Sportline Cabriolet, my Mercedes 420 SL and finally the company car a Lotus Carlton. Great cars.

I still think the writing is on the wall for the ICE, but I'd still buy a good example of the Mercedes E320 Sportline Cabriolet as it was the best all round full 4 seater cabriolet I've ever owned and I've had a few of them.

Absolutely

I'm not bothered about prices, the money is spent. Just happy that I have a Morgan. I don't want a newer or faster one. I love it for what it is and never tire of driving it. It's crude and simple but incredible fun. It's so low tech I can fix it when it breaks and can it keep on the road for beans. Just like me it will get rattier and tattier as time goes by so not expecting much return. I will drive it until I can't get in it, or they take my license away. After that the kids can dispose of it...

BRAVO

I could have written that, after many years of trying all sorts of different "Classic" cars, I am back with the sweetest little Moggie I have owned, that is a 4/4, it has enough grunt to get me along the roads I like to drive, it's narrow enough to miss the occasional tractor or combined harvester that I may meet along the way, the Ford engine is "Hopefully" as reliable as most fords are and it's cheap the insure, run and above all else it's great fun and after trying 3 previous moggies I think this one will do me until I can't get in or out of it, I don't think about deprecation any more that I think about my ISA's.

This is an enormous advantage for me too, given that country B roads are my preferred playground.

Great that some in the forum care not a jot relative to the value which the market might place on their Morgan.

I bought my Morgan in my fifties and even at that age it`s market value should I have to turn it back into cash was part of the man maths involved in it`s purchase.. Add another few years and deep into a self build home extension programme doubling the size of this place, and the Morgan`s possible market value was still looked upon as a potential fund raiser, should any of life`s little emergencies crop up.

Add another few years and I was having knee trouble, also has some heart stents fitted, thinking of going back to tin top sports car driving, thus once again the market value of the Mog was a consideration in terms of tin top acquisition..... Acquired the tin top and part of me thought I really should get round to selling the Mog.....

Today I too find myself in the very fortunate position of caring not a jot as to the way the market might value my Morgan, not only the growth in the importance of the memories created while touring in it with my good lady but that I can still drive and enjoy it I have to think how lucky am I.

It seems as the decades passed, I have arrived at the comfortable position similar to other posters above.... What`s more to want... ? (-:

This was my 4/4 that I sold in July 2023. It’s now for sale for £5,000 less than I sold it for 😳

What a bargain !

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503110014808?sort=relevance&searchId=89fbc5a6-d707-40b8-a8bd-bee2c1b3a113&advertising-location=at_cars&aggregatedTrim=&body-type=&colour=&fuel-type=&make=Morgan&model=4%2F4&page=1&postcode=Ox119nt&transmission=&year-to=2025&fromsra



Don’t think the link is working for me ?

You could always buy it back Craig

They might even take a really cheeky offer at the moment