Selling your classic car

The key to successfully selling a classic car like a Mercedes convertible lies in making it look like the sort of vehicle you’d like to buy yourself. So first off it has to be thoroughly cleaned because one that’s gleaming and sprightly will catch the eye better than one that’s tarnished and faded. You can do the cleaning yourself or take it to a dealer. The exterior should be washed and degreased and the interior cleaned with products designed for the job, and don’t be tempted to use perfumes or paints which merely disguise its deficiencies. If the car has not been actually restored but only freshened up, don’t put new upholstery or carpets in because these will seem out of place and inauthentic.

Paperwork

Gather together all the paperwork like ID documents, instruction booklets and manuals, along with historical contacts such as mechanics and prior owners. Classic car buyers will be especially interested to delve into the vehicle’s complete history, and they’ll feel less risk the more they know about it.

Value

Next, determine the market value rather than simply pitching the asking price at the value you’d prefer. Bear in mind that the parts you bought for it do not necessarily increase the value by that amount.

It’s useful to get hold of a few copies of the Old Car Buyer’s Guide and similar specialist publications which rate a classic car’s value according to six categories ranging from rubbish to pristine. Take a look at a few auction house websites, as they publish the results of their sales online, and you can see what your type of car is going for. Armed with this information you can set a realistic starting price for potential buyers and have a secret bargaining tool as well.

List online

Most classic cars are sold through trade publications, at auctions and through internet sites that specialise in these types of sales. Websites are the least expensive and a good place to start if you want to reach a global audience. Many people prefer to avoid the often long waiting and disappointments of placing advertisements by handing their vehicle over to an auction company to do the whole thing for them.

You can also get in touch with local clubs, which are good for getting the word out as well, and cruise nights in many towns attract spectators interested in older and classic models. Try a combination of these methods of offloading your classic car for quicker results.

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