Auction time (Barrett Jackson)

[Jimmyvonviggle]

On the block this Thursday, but probably will not be on tv.

https://azure.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1981-DELOREAN-DMC-12-217994

[DMC-81]

From the pictures and description, it looks like a clean early VIN example with some documentation. Nice!

[Michael]

This one could go either way. A good detailing (especially the engine bay) may be the difference between 20k and 30k

[Ras12]

Apparently sold for $49,500 not including the buyers premium.

[Michael]

Apparently sold for $49,500 not including the buyers premium.

Strong money!!! More evidence that values are rising and even more owners will get upset that their car is appreciating in value against their wishes.

[dodint]

Sweet.

That means I have equity now, right? ;)

[Hill Valley PD]

I've been researching these cars on and off for a couple of years now and always watching auctions, completed eBay/Bring a Trailer listings, and daily checks of Hemmings, Autotrader, DMC, etc. for cars. I am seriously considering finally pulling the trigger this year and dumping my 1970 Mach 1, which in theory, should be worth more than an equivalent DeLorean. Realistically, that is probably not the case given some of the crazy asking prices out there. I still believe a beautiful car can be had for around 40K, and the book values bear this opinion out. There is no question they have risen in value the last few years and continue to do so as time goes on. However, it seems like the auctions are all over the place, as well as listed asking prices. I do not think this was a 50K car based on the description and photos alone. For 50K, may as well get one from DMC ready to go. The seller did well here.

[Rich]

Speaking of D's at Barret-Jackson....

This is coming in late - did not see it posted earlier this year - a report out of the April, 2018 issue of Sports Car Market magazine.

It has photos and a write-up of the DMC-12 that crossed the auction block at ~$63K at Barrett-Jackson in January in Scottsdale AZ.

Pickering says it was "well sold", indicating this was on the high side of valuation for this particular car.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=55945&d=1523733222

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=55946&d=1523733261

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Barrett Jackson prices, or bids are also fueled by egos and alcohol.

[OverlandMan]

Barrett Jackson prices, or bids are also fueled by egos and alcohol.

https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7bugM4xws6ygPRqU/giphy.gif

[Michael]

Barrett Jackson prices, or bids are also fueled by egos and alcohol.

Yeah Heaven forbid there would actually be some growing appreciation for the marquee. No way anyone in their right mind would pay more than 30k for a stupid plastic car, lets blame alcohol and pride.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Regardless of it's affect on current owners and especially new buyers the obviously increased demand, and therefore values, can only be a good thing for any collector car. Why any current owner would begrudge this makes little sense? Yes if you sell your car and then decide to buy another one later on you might pay more....other than that so what? Don't sell your car and you'll never have to pay more except for upkeep. The longterm upkeep will be much easier as a direct result of increasing value. I've noticed in our shop that current owners are much more interested and willing to pay to put their cars into the best possible condition. They know the value is there and unless the market tanks their investment is somewhat protected. Making a profit is still the American way last I heard if it can be done "the old fashioned way....they earn it"! Believe me longtime Delorean owners deserve it for keeping the dream alive. Profit is what keeps vendors supporting the marque not only in business but also reinvesting in new products and services for our beloved marque. As an owner snubbing the increasing values is basicaly cutting your nose to spite your face. Increased values is what insure that people will take care of their cars better and venders will gamble on resupplying increasingly obsolete or unavailable stocks of NOS parts. Your car will be better for it in the end. Relax and enjoy. Light a cigar if you wish because increased values is like have a free baby! Hell I would right now if I smoked.
Rob Grady

[dodint]

My understanding is that as the market price for the DMC rises the cost of parts will rise along with it. Current owners may feel that they're in danger of being priced out of their own cars as newer owners are willing to pay higher prices for parts, thus driving up the cost of maintenance and repairs. And it's not like vendors would turn down a wider margin on their parts and service.

I'm not saying I buy that reasoning, but I believe that's what has been conveyed.

As a relatively young (mid-30s) new owner whose earning potential will continue to climb for the next 20 years or so I'm not threatened by that. If I were approaching retirement it might be a scary proposition.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

My understanding is that as the market price for the DMC rises the cost of parts will rise along with it. Current owners may feel that they're in danger of being priced out of their own cars as newer owners are willing to pay higher prices for parts, thus driving up the cost of maintenance and repairs. And it's not like vendors would turn down a wider margin on their parts and service.

I'm not saying I buy that reasoning, but I believe that's what has been conveyed.

As a relatively young (mid-30s) new owner whose earning potential will continue to climb for the next 20 years or so I'm not threatened by that. If I were approaching retirement it might be a scary proposition.

I haven't seen any sign of that yet. Some prices could rise due to beneficial reasons however. As the car's value rises recreating some of the larger more expensive and better quality parts may become more feasable to produce. We for example sourced many of our remanufactured parts in the US back in the 90's but it became less feasable as cheaper, shall we say "offshore", parts were introduced by our competition. As demand dried up for superior quality parts we pulled back from new parts production to a large extent. Now as we see increased demand for better quality parts again we are ramping up our production of US made parts. These parts do tend to be more expensive but the fit, quality, and longevity generally far outweigh the increased cost. When time permits we will get more of them on our website instead of selling them mainly in house. We are also considering making some NLA interior parts which would make things easier when doing full restorations. The investment is substantial so we are still in the review stage for some items. The only way this investment can be recouped is if the values of Deloreans stay high enough to justify the cost of manufacturing these types of parts. This allows the owner the choice of shopping price versus quality instead of having access only to cheap but inferior quality parts. I try not to sell anything I wouldn't put on my own car and there is a lot out there that fits that description. Higher prices mean more options. The cheap stuff will likely remain cheap to be competetive as that is the only advantage over higher quality parts.
Rob

[sdg3205]

I haven't seen any sign of that yet. Some prices could rise due to beneficial reasons however. As the car's value rises recreating some of the larger more expensive and better quality parts may become more feasable to produce. We for example sourced many of our remanufactured parts in the US back in the 90's but it became less feasable as cheaper, shall we say "offshore", parts were introduced by our competition. As demand dried up for superior quality parts we pulled back from new parts production to a large extent. Now as we see increased demand for better quality parts again we are ramping up our production of US made parts. These parts do tend to be more expensive but the fit, quality, and longevity generally far outweigh the increased cost. When time permits we will get more of them on our website instead of selling them mainly in house. We are also considering making some NLA interior parts which would make things easier when doing full restorations. The investment is substantial so we are still in the review stage for some items. The only way this investment can be recouped is if the values of Deloreans stay high enough to justify the cost of manufacturing these types of parts. This allows the owner the choice of shopping price versus quality instead of having access only to cheap but inferior quality parts. I try not to sell anything I wouldn't put on my own car and there is a lot out there that fits that description. Higher prices mean more options. The cheap stuff will likely remain cheap to be competetive as that is the only advantage over higher quality parts.
Rob

Rob, I applaud your effort to develop and offer quality parts over cheap parts. I have learned the hard way that even with the DeLorean, you get what you pay for. Its very easy to get sucked into the mentality that buying cheap parts saves time and money. It does not.

[YJK]

As a brand new owner I'm glad to see prices in that range. Every owner should. That means your car/ investment is going up and not losing value. If they go up in value, there will be more vendors making parts for an out of production car. All of us that own one will be able to maintain and enjoy that investment. And if or when you want to sell yours, I'm betting you would love to get those prices.

[Michael]

Logic: My Bitcoin doubled in value! Wooo hoooo!

DeLorean Logic: A car just like mine sold for twice what I paid....DAMMIT!

[sdg3205]

Logic: My Bitcoin doubled in value! Wooo hoooo!

DeLorean Logic: A car just like mine sold for twice what I paid....DAMMIT!

I don’t understand it either.

[Col Bennett]

Regardless of it's affect on current owners and especially new buyers the obviously increased demand, and therefore values, can only be a good thing for any collector car. Why any current owner would begrudge this makes little sense? Yes if you sell your car and then decide to buy another one later on you might pay more....other than that so what? Don't sell your car and you'll never have to pay more except for upkeep. The longterm upkeep will be much easier as a direct result of increasing value. I've noticed in our shop that current owners are much more interested and willing to pay to put their cars into the best possible condition. They know the value is there and unless the market tanks their investment is somewhat protected. Making a profit is still the American way last I heard if it can be done "the old fashioned way....they earn it"! Believe me longtime Delorean owners deserve it for keeping the dream alive. Profit is what keeps vendors supporting the marque not only in business but also reinvesting in new products and services for our beloved marque. As an owner snubbing the increasing values is basicaly cutting your nose to spite your face. Increased values is what insure that people will take care of their cars better and venders will gamble on resupplying increasingly obsolete or unavailable stocks of NOS parts. Your car will be better for it in the end. Relax and enjoy. Light a cigar if you wish because increased values is like have a free baby! Hell I would right now if I smoked.
Rob Grady

Amen Rob. Beautifully said.

I firmly believe that beautiful examples of the marque are worth their high values. I know. I was one of those rare DeLorean buyers willing to spend a shit-ton of money on their dream car - no compromise. I saved for over a decade to buy the right car and I continue to pour money into it today, not as an investment - heck, I know I'll never get back what I've spent. I just adore my car and want it to be as nice as possible.

Happy to see prices go up BUT I would say from experience that most of the high priced cars out there are outrageously over-priced. Most sales include poor photos, shoddy detailing and no underside pics. As far as I'm concerned, you should be able to eat your dinner off the underside of a high value car. Then there's the cost of modern parts to replace aging components. The cost of labor (if you don't do it yourself) can be considerable (again, from experience). Definitely not for the faint of heart. Things can get very expensive but it's worth getting work done by someone who knows what they're doing - like Rob.

PS. I'm booked in with Rob again next week for some more updates to my car. It's super important to support vendors like Rob. There's not many near-40 year old cars on the road with the parts, service and support network we have and it's important to spend with them. We'd be up shit-creek without a paddle otherwise.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Amen Rob. Beautifully said.

I firmly believe that beautiful examples of the marque are worth their high values. I know. I was one of those rare DeLorean buyers willing to spend a shit-ton of money on their dream car - no compromise. I saved for over a decade to buy the right car and I continue to pour money into it today, not as an investment - heck, I know I'll never get back what I've spent. I just adore my car and want it to be as nice as possible.

Happy to see prices go up BUT I would say from experience that most of the high priced cars out there are outrageously over-priced. Most sales include poor photos, shoddy detailing and no underside pics. As far as I'm concerned, you should be able to eat your dinner off the underside of a high value car. Then there's the cost of modern parts to replace aging components. The cost of labor (if you don't do it yourself) can be considerable (again, from experience). Definitely not for the faint of heart. Things can get very expensive but it's worth getting work done by someone who knows what they're doing - like Rob.

PS. I'm booked in with Rob again next week for some more updates to my car. It's super important to support vendors like Rob. There's not many near-40 year old cars on the road with the parts, service and support network we have and it's important to spend with them. We'd be up shit-creek without a paddle otherwise.

You are spot on with your observations Colin. Only the properly preserved/restored cars deserve top dollar. Trophy cars should not apply but are rampant these days.
Rob

[Hill Valley PD]

So three years ago when I bought my 1970 Mach 1 after my wife rejected my DeLorean proposition, I can now say, " I told you so!" ???

[PJ Grady Inc.]

So three years ago when I bought my 1970 Mach 1 after my wife rejected my DeLorean proposition, I can now say, " I told you so!" ???

Won't touch this one with a 10" pole!

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Yeah Heaven forbid there would actually be some growing appreciation for the marquee. No way anyone in their right mind would pay more than 30k for a stupid plastic car, lets blame alcohol and pride.

I think you misunderstood my comment. I am baffled that these cars haven’t gone up as much as a 308. What I meant is if you look at these auctions, you will notice how people are presurred into bidding high by Steve Davis, who constantly gets on the microphone and tells people the bidding is too low.

[OverlandMan]

I think you misunderstood my comment. I am baffled that these cars haven’t gone up as much as a 308. What I meant is if you look at these auctions, you will notice how people are presurred into bidding high by Steve Davis, who constantly gets on the microphone and tells people the bidding is too low.

Having owned a 308 a couple of years back, I can probably shed some light on why the 308s are valued higher than our DeLoreans.


It's a Ferrari...
mid-engine high revving V8, sounds fantastic, ~250hp
car has great balance when pushed into a corner
never made an automatic :)
hand-built car, for better or worse...


Now there are a few similarities (production numbers, Hollywood notoriety, sleek design, and so on), but at the end of the day "F-cars" are always going to command a premium and while the 308 may not command the $ that say a 288 GTO or even a Testarossa may bring today, they will continue to appreciate over the long haul. I would say the biggest downside to owning a Ferrari is the maintenance and repairs cost. I purchased my 308 for $42k with 24k miles and in very-good to excellent condition. I had the car 2 years and spent over $7k in maintenance and repairs, some expected, some not expected. In that time I maybe put 1500 miles on the car. I sold the car for $64k when the market was hot. It's leveled-out a bit since then. I'm glad I had the experience and things worked out but I'm probably done with Ferrari ownership.

At least owning a DeLorean is one of those things where you can do DIY work, not having to worry about losing value. And the parts are a LOT less expensive.

[SamHill]

Does anyone ever go on a Ferrari page/forum and say, "I'm lookin' to buy a Ferrari, show me what you got and don't ask too much for it'?"

[Michael]

Does anyone ever go on a Ferrari page/forum and say, "I'm lookin' to buy a Ferrari, show me what you got and don't ask too much for it'?"

I want the one Thomas Magnum drove around Hawaii in and I'm prepared to spend no more than 25k because I saw one sell on ebay last year for that amount. It has to be nice and all sorted out, I don't want a show car but it does need to be free of scratches and paint chips and it has to be very glossy. The interior can be used but no cracks or wear spots on the seats and no visible flaws. It doesn't have to be in perfect running condition but it does need to be in perfect running condition.

I know all about 308's and 328's I watched Magnum PI a lot so don't try to fool me. I know what they are worth.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

I want the one Thomas Magnum drove around Hawaii in and I'm prepared to spend no more than 25k because I saw one sell on ebay last year for that amount. It has to be nice and all sorted out, I don't want a show car but it does need to be free of scratches and paint chips and it has to be very glossy. The interior can be used but no cracks or wear spots on the seats and no visible flaws. It doesn't have to be in perfect running condition but it does need to be in perfect running condition.

I know all about 308's and 328's I watched Magnum PI a lot so don't try to fool me. I know what they are worth.
You are such a funny man but I know where you're going and that is very funny! You have closure issues right? Lol!
Rob

[sdg3205]

I want the one Thomas Magnum drove around Hawaii in and I'm prepared to spend no more than 25k because I saw one sell on ebay last year for that amount. It has to be nice and all sorted out, I don't want a show car but it does need to be free of scratches and paint chips and it has to be very glossy. The interior can be used but no cracks or wear spots on the seats and no visible flaws. It doesn't have to be in perfect running condition but it does need to be in perfect running condition.

I know all about 308's and 328's I watched Magnum PI a lot so don't try to fool me. I know what they are worth.

There’s a guy on the FB fanatics group doing this recently.

Essentially:

“I don’t want to do the looking myself so come to me and meet my terms. I know your car better than you do.”

[ssdelorean]

I haven't seen any sign of that yet. Some prices could rise due to beneficial reasons however. As the car's value rises recreating some of the larger more expensive and better quality parts may become more feasable to produce. We for example sourced many of our remanufactured parts in the US back in the 90's but it became less feasable as cheaper, shall we say "offshore", parts were introduced by our competition. As demand dried up for superior quality parts we pulled back from new parts production to a large extent. Now as we see increased demand for better quality parts again we are ramping up our production of US made parts. These parts do tend to be more expensive but the fit, quality, and longevity generally far outweigh the increased cost. When time permits we will get more of them on our website instead of selling them mainly in house. We are also considering making some NLA interior parts which would make things easier when doing full restorations. The investment is substantial so we are still in the review stage for some items. The only way this investment can be recouped is if the values of Deloreans stay high enough to justify the cost of manufacturing these types of parts. This allows the owner the choice of shopping price versus quality instead of having access only to cheap but inferior quality parts. I try not to sell anything I wouldn't put on my own car and there is a lot out there that fits that description. Higher prices mean more options. The cheap stuff will likely remain cheap to be competetive as that is the only advantage over higher quality parts.
Rob

BOOM


Rob, I applaud your effort to develop and offer quality parts over cheap parts. I have learned the hard way that even with the DeLorean, you get what you pay for. Its very easy to get sucked into the mentality that buying cheap parts saves time and money. It does not.

and BOOM


Broken record time as I said this a few times before - I am one that loves to drive the snot out of my car, I prefer top quality parts and don't mind the higher cost as apposed to inferior parts at cheaper price points.