rog

iTrader: (2)

Right, wandered this for a while and I'd just like some peoples opinion on it. What is the likleyhood of making a decent (different interpritations of) profit on old or classic Fords?

-For arguements sake i'll exclude examples of Joe bloggs bought an RS500 from a funeral director who "didn't know what it was worth" and sold it for 4x the price 5 mins later, once he'd paid his Gold Membership ofcourse.

What I mean is, you buy said car, for example a new RS500 focus for 35k, insure it/(tax/mot? don't want to invalidate your insurance), servicing, storage costs and hardly ever drive it,
- How long would it take to be worth more than you paid exluding running costs
-How long would it take to be worth more than you paid, including associated costs detailed above?
-Given the same cash value of £35k in a bank account or ISA, low risk investment over the same period, what do you think the difference would be?

-And finally who would think it's worth getting the car, be it financially, or just because it's something thay just for the f*ck of it.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

my cossie is an investment

rog

iTrader: (2)

Really???

DanW@FastFord

iTrader: (1)

There's a whole lot of "how long's a piece of string" going on there.

There are sooo many factors which could affect any one of those points. The way I see it it that you should buy a car because you want it, and if it makes you money, then that's a result.

S1rst

How longs a piece of string? Its impossible to say. It all depends on the car and many other things that cannot be predicted.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

With the new RS500, its possible if you buy one and then sell it as soon as you get it you may turn a profit instantly as often desirable cars sell above list price for a while due to lack of availability.

I think that if you miss that initial peak in price though, you will be waiting a LONG time before you see a profit again, and Im not convinced it will ever outstrip the same value of ISA's etc.

I just cant see some FWD marketting exercise ever commanding the same sort of premium that a touring car legend did, so I dont think the new Focus RS500 will ever be equivalent to the value of the old Sierra RS500
(dont get me wrong, I like the car, but it has utterly no racing pedigree or heritage and thats what future values are often effected by)

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, the value of your investment and the cost of maintaining your investment may go down as well as up

rog

iTrader: (2)

I can appreciate your viewpoint, but in theory i don't really think it's a viable option, just my opinion.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Yeah it wont depreciate. Always worth plenty in bits. Safer than having cash i might spend and worth more than i paid. sorted

rog

iTrader: (2)

In the words of a great man...."I'm out...."

rog

iTrader: (2)

Fine line IMO when you have to account for +tax +Mot + insurance + breakages + fuel. Don't think i'd ever buy a car with a view to make money off it, but i definately consider resale value.

timrud

There is NO chance that the new RS500 will be as desirable as the original.

It has been made purely as a marketing gimmick, rather than a pure motorsport beast.

CoupeUK

As an example:

Special edition of 500 versions of the high-performance Focus ST. Based on the top of the range Focus ST3, the ST500 comes in metallic black with a silver bonnet, roof and side stripes reminiscent of the Le Mans 24 Hours-winning GT40 of 1966.

The five-cylinder, turbocharged engine pumps out 222bhp, with 236lb ft of torque between 1,600 and 4,000rpm, powering the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The specification also includes scarlet leather Recaro sports seats and matching upholstery, ST500 badging, automatic Xenon headlamps, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and solar-reflect screen.

Price: £20,495

eBay - Focus ST500, 7800miles, 57 plate, £13950


The Fiesta ST 500 will be limited to a production run of 500 cars (hence its name) and costs from £15,000.

The Fiesta ST 500 is available in any colour you want – as long as it’s black.
The bonnet stripe is ‘U’-shaped to echo the livery of classic Escort RS2000 models of the 1970s.
And, in place of the normal ‘ST’ logo on its side stripes, there is a retro ‘Ford’ decal.
Standing out against the black and silver colour scheme are brake callipers painted in bright red.
Inside, the Fiesta ST 500 gains a carbon fibre pattern interior trim on its dashboard and the heated front seats are trimmed in leather.
Mechanically this special edition is unchanged from the standard model and has 150bhp from its rorty 2-litre petrol engine.7

eBay - Fiesta ST500, 28k, 58 plate, £8495.

R5FORD

iTrader: (1)

Depends on the car and mileage of course.

Our 8000 mile 3 door and 197 mile escort cosworth are investment.. They never get driven, motd, taxed etc

DanW@FastFord

iTrader: (1)

The ST500s were shamless 'run-out' models, so are never going to be that desireable. The Focus flavoured RS500 is more than just a run-out variant, as at least you get strong engine mods, and some unique tweaks.

As Chip said, it would be a good earner if you got one and turned it around quick, but to hang onto it expecting it to be worth thousands more is a little optimistic.

I'm pretty positive that they'll hold their value well though, regardless of it being FWD, having no Motorsport heritage, having a Volvo engine, not being a Cosworth, not being a 'proper RS, [insert generic anti Focus insult here].

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Would be a good investment as a nice low milage weekend car as opposed to spending the same sort of money on an M3.

As if it depreciates less (which it will!), and you have enjoyed it just as much, than you have won in that context, as a penny not lost is a penny earned etc.


So if someone was considering an M3 and bought this instead, I would argue its a "good investment" in that context.

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

There are some very good investment cars around, but most of them are big money to get into in the first place... The Ferrari F40 is rising fast, Averaging about 20k a year according to one auction house, and Enzo's are also a massive winnner, last year the prices have risen by over 50k on average... Mclaren F1's are also getting VERY expensive.

Basically anything prestige and rare will be a winner, the 996 911 turbo and 996 GT2 are both approaching the bottom of thier depreciation cycle as well, there is a lot of talk on the Porche forums of values rising in the next few years?

jammerrs

the only way to get money from a car that sort of way would be to trailer it back from the showroom, have a professional machine polish so its got amazing paintwork then put it in a cacoon for years, even then i cant imagine people wanting one of these in 20/30 years like they do now a days with the old fords

if you were looking to make money this way, buy already old ones, never drive or tax them etc and cacoon them for another 10+ years then sell them on

.Ross.

iTrader: (2)

Aye well you have to take Present time in to Consideration ..

Up and coming car enthusiasts probably haven't even heard of an Old Sierra 500 ..

But there eyes might light up at a New 500 Focus ... 20 year down the line they might pay the premium to own the car they had on there bedroom walls. Who knows?

mk3_escort

I read some Classic Ford mags from around year 2000 the other day, 2 door MK2 Escorts were in the classifieds for around £350 needing sod all other than a patch on the sill.

Same car would be 6K+ now, these would have been a good investment

Ryan_3

A car is there to enjoy it, not hiding it in a car garage!

kosman

slightly off topic but you got any pics of your collection me owd?

ScORTED

Ross makes a good point, you all like mk1s and cossies because you remember them from your youth and now you have cash hence the massive rise in the cost of mk1s and the fact decent cossies still command silly money, so whilst it would be a very real gamble... theres nothing to stop ford selling a standard RS with the unique bits as extras or making an even hotter rs relegating this one, however if this is the lariest rarest focus then it may demand good money one day, who knows heritage / pedigree or not

jammerrs

ScORTED - i have to disagree with you about the youth part....i was born in '93 (when was the last cossie made?) and absolutly love old fords, as well as a few other makes, i have mates my age that also love cars as old or older than these.....

ScORTED

when your 30 odd you'll probably hanker after the cars you couldn't afford but can

steviecossie

if a cars a collectors item which is highly desirable then yes it will be a future investment

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

Sprog!! get back to skool

Mr RS500

iTrader: (6)

agree totaly

the sierra rs500 has held its value due to being a race car legend

the new focus will hold a decent value but doubt will ever do as well as the sierra

Problem with cars bought as investments are you need to have them for 20 years plus ( usually ) so if you count insurance , maintanance etc you will never return a proffit

jammerrs

easter holidays, so kiss my baby smooth arse ya wrinkly git

foreigneRS

what will happen to all of these 'investments' in the future when there are no more petrol stations, just hydrogen and electric charging stations? they may well be very expensive garage ornaments

Ryan_3

After this saying, I would close ALL windows and doors at night mate

you dont know the fucker

nice_head

iTrader: (2)

I think pretty much every classic ford is going up in value so i would say there investments

scoooby slayer

iTrader: (4)

is this a joke you will never get fuel, mot, tax, tyres etc money back ????????????????

you can only take into account buying cost and cost of main components ie engine rebuild, gearbox etc.

cossies are one of the best imo i made £2.5k clear profit on my last cos breaking it for parts. all upgrades included but obviously not insurance, tax, mot, tyres and fuel.

yellowsierra

I think the only investment to be make on the new rs500 is on the deposit
Get in quick and make the minimum deposit and wait till they are on back order then sell the deposit for a quick buck so someone can jump the que
Tis what went on when the rs focus mk1 was first out

Ade

Cars are for fun.... Treating them as an investment just takes out any possible enjoyment.

Life's too short!

saff_cossie

This is exactly right, especially the bold bit. We have car auctions here for rare and classic cars and cars from the 70's are now cropping up and making a nice amount that are in original condition. In some cases substantially more and are the RS500 equivilant (low volume, motorsport orientated and enthusiast sought after).

rstoughy

iTrader: (5)

Mine too

AGAR-COSWORTH

I've pondered this myself before. There are some cars which will increase in value; some very rare vintage models, but I don't think the likes of a Cossie will EVER really increase in value enough to pay for the running of it over the years you keep it.

I think the only way you could make money on a new car in the same bracket as a cossie, would be to buy one that was a rare model, never run it, tax it, MOT it or insure it. Even after that you'd probably have to wait many years for it to appreciate in value far enough to merit doing it in the first place.

I consider a car's ability to hold its value a different issue - I do think its possible, after careful consideration, to buy a car for 'X' pounds, run it, service it, and maintain it, then sell it on many years after for 'X' pounds, or even more. I think i'd be happy in the knowledge I ran a car for a couple of years and only had to pay for the running costs.

If I were to buy a mint EsCos at £18K and spend £1K a year, for three years, running it, and then sell it on for £18K i'd be really pleased. Compare that to buying a brand new car at £18K, and you'll loose far more than £3K on it after 3 years.

cossiegreg1

Here's a question.......

If i bought a 500 when they were brand new in the 80's and kept in a carcoon, would it be worth more or less than if i invested the same money into a "isa/saving acount"?

kermitt

Not really, in the majority of cases cars can make a rich man poor unless it is something very rare but that can take 30 years+ for a car to become rare.

However I bought my E30 M3 for £6800 3 years ago and drove it for 2 years & 20k miles and sold it for £8k which bearing in mind the money I spent on fixing small problems and a couple of services I actually broke even near enough.