With a heavy heart due to medical reasons I think it’s time to part with my beautiful mark 1. The question is how much is it worth?
My son seems to think it’s worth quite a lot of money now.
It’s a 1.8 with 34k on an N plate. Red and utterly beautiful. It even has the super light wheels with the eternal flame wheel cap covers… the only thing I have done to it is have it serviced changed the cambelt and had power steering fitted.
Any ideas of its value? Where do I sell my pride and joy?
Thanks
C
She looks like a little belter. Very sorry to hear that you must part with her.
I can’t help with an accurate value though, sorry.
If I were in your shoes I’d be scanning the various sites like Autotrader etc to gleen an idea of where the market stands. Historically soft top prices are on the rise at this time of year and going forward, the sunshine encourages buyers.
Cars like this pop up on here occasionally. A nice, low mileage one like yours is likely to be advertised typically for anywhere between £8K to £12K.
Some classic car sales will ask for significantly more than that, playing on the idea that a Mk1 NA is a fast appreciating modern classic.
Good luck in your quest. I hope you find someone worthy of her, who is prepared to pay you a sensible price and will subsequently cherish in the same way you obviously have.
All the best,
Guy
If as good as you say, and I have zero reason to doubt it, in that relatively mint and boxed nick in my opinion it’s 8.5k to 9k all day long. Barely run in, and if hidden bits are not rotting, it’s a “reference” quality Mk1 of which such examples are fast disappearing into private Carcoon style conditions.
If I had the money I’d be doing a deal with you tonight at 8.5k and hoping for a Yes.
Sell it here and take NO tyre kicking nonsense…however long it takes and tell them your price is non negotiable pending chassis & rot inspection. Period.
Hagerty price guide for a concours condition MX-5 is £10k. I think this may be achievable with a tailwind and sold via an auction with a bidding war or sit tight and see what happens via the usual selling channels.
spring to autumn best time to sell, autumn to spring best time to buy.
as for whatever a car is worth is effectively whatever people are willing to pay
the only issue with classic mx5 owners is to find the right person that is willing to pay whatever you want for the car.
start with a price you are happy, if it doesn’t sell its not the right price.
When you sale a car the best thing you can do is look at what prices the same model is up for. Then make your mind up as to the price you think you can get. People will try and knock you down. But in the end you can reduce the price but you can never put the price up…
Interesting Views, as someone who spend many years in high ticket quality machinery, yes its a nice one, a garage queen, 10k easily ,one of a few low mileage Mk1’s and with a service history, which when really investigated often is a quick oil and filter and the book stamped and a tenner in the service managers top pocket. ask me how i know, not so easy these days as most of the quality guys have everything on computer, and if you wish to check it and you can prove you’re a dealer or a trader or a interested party with owners written ‘‘say so permission’’…
I have over the last 2 years restored 2 of the breed, one 20 y/old 2.5 with 36 k needed extensive blasting underside, perfect on top, welding for a couple of days and new brakes lets say nearly 3 k spent wisely, now almost perfect and very little paint just a rear guard… and i’ll be lucky and happy if i can turn it into 4.5 k… the other a 1993 eunos auto 260+k no rust, needed a manual g’box , total repaint, no dents,no rust, rebuild engine, 1.6, all suspension, Clutch etc and brakes rebuilt, new seats ,new interior carpet, new w/screen, new s’belts new wheels and tyres ,different exhaust, window motors ,dash rebuilt. clocks and heater rebuilt, sans aircon, new mohair hood with new rain rail and perhaps only thing that hasn’t been out is the diff and its a slip… so roughly 5.7 spent on top of the cost price that leaves me getting out at 8.5ish… nice car, drives absolutely well and i know i can jump into it , drive hard for an hour and step out without worry… remember please that these engines, while hardy units have a habit of seizing the oil control rings even on ''well serviced ‘’ low miles with lots of garaged time… its a piston ring issue and the oil hardens in long periods of rest…white grey smoke issues, Of course i’m perhaps biased i rebuilt my cars to be used hard and enjoyed… horses for courses… GLWTS… WILL
This gives me some comfort. With a toddler and my wife hoping to add another to the family I’m 80% sure my NA will be going to a new home soon.
97 UK spec, BRG 1.8s, just under 50k on the clock, stock bar a cat back exhaust and fully rust proofed early in its life so totally rot free. It isn’t a show car by any stretch but it is a really honest example that still turns heads and looks perfect… As long as you step back a few meters!
If I could get around £7.5k for it it would soften the blow of having to part with it after over a decade.
I’d need to crawl under it. A rot-free UK Mk1 is a bit of a unicorn now. Years ago, I drove 100 miles to see a “rust free, always garaged” Harvard special editiom. It took me two minutes to confirm it was totally rotten. The seller claimed he’d looked at the sills from underneath but he was old and probably coudn’t even have got down there!
Probably like the one I viewed but this was being sold by a youngster.
Pulled up in the car and before I got out I could see a hole in the rear part of the sill (usual place if it’s rotten) about the size of a tennis ball. I was a bit of a novice then when it came to MX-5’s but wise enough to tell him, it needs another £3.5k spending on welding etc to make good. Yep he wanted £3.5k for it, he wasn’t that pleased that I’d wasted his time, never mind about me driving a good hour to view it and he hid the rot on the sills from the pics.
I bought a lovely MK1 later in black for £1800.
OK PERHAPS WHAT I should have included was the fact that on both of my vehicles there were pics taken before… during… and after … any rust repairs or any other work, in my experience mk2’s are the worst for rust repair requirements, anyone wishing to buy either car now has a folder with the detail and the proof that whatever was done was photographed and is part of the cars history…thats how the big guys do it on very expensive total restos…
I bought this last week. It’s a 90Bhp. I was going to buy one from MX-5 city which has been lightly restored which was around £800 less. However after speaking with Brooklands I was happy to buy it instead. It’s still a 27 year old car so I’m not expecting it to be trouble free.
