Not all Hertz rental cars are completely undesireable. Some are worth more because they were a Hertz rental.
Just a little insight into how I used to get vehicles valued when I was working for a main dealer in Swedish motor vehicles back in the eighties, which might help you better understand some of the variations in valuations.
The company policy was we would take in any car and that each car would be valued according to the best offer we could secure from anyone of our half a dozen approved traders. Before entering into any negotiations we, salesman, would do a quick appraisal noting mileage general condition rust, tyres all the basics and then phone three of our approved traders we usually had a fair idea of who would be most likely interested in what. Each trader would then give us his or her best price and we would offer the customer the best of the three prices a trader had offered.
Usually these were closely related to Parkers guide but if a trader was keen to bag a particular vehicle for any number of reasons he or she might offer us a bit more, or if they were not interested at all they would offer a bit less. The understanding was that if the car was more than three years old the winning trader would be told as soon as and that he or she would come and pay for the p/x with in 48 working hours.
To the outsider the whole process might seem a bit misterious but we always told our customers the process and by and large they were happy they understood that we were simply getting our offers for px vehicles firmly underwritten.
Hope that helps I cannot imagine the process is wildly different today.
As an aside I had a school friend who travelled all over southern England delivering toys to his wifes chain of toy shops. He would often phone me up with the prices of 2CV’s which often went unbelivably cheap from forecorts in the country. We would often snap them up and make a modest profit selling them in central London.
Having the right product in the right place is key.
Apart from the Hertz Shelby Mustang (my neighbour has one…) I’m struggling to think of any car which would be desirable because it was ex-Hertz rental.
Sorry - it wasn’t obvious to me that it was meant to be a joke.
And the Hertz Shelby Mustang is highly prized in Mustang circles.
When I sold cars in the 80s and 90s people used to offer there car in PX and I used to give them a price and then to there astonishment I used to say they can keep the car if they want, basically it was how much profit in the car I had, so really just knocking money off the car i was selling .cant do that with new cars cos the margins are smaller. Back then if you didn’t have a £1000 profit in a car it wasn’t worth selling by the time it sat on the forecourt losing book price money and costing rent and the the customer bringing it back with any faults you could quickly lose money on said car ,so with that in mind If they offered you more money for your PX it just means you probable get their sale car a lot cheaper without a PX
This is nothing new 
Dealers will always offer the least they can get away with 
You understand how business works?
Whenever I’ve gone into a sales office thinking I could get a car for a few quid cheaper as I was paying cash I’ve been given a flat “no”.
I value cars on how many miles I will get out of them and what they will be worth after depreciation. That’s why I like sports cars. They are not defined so much by the registration plate. The ones I’ve had haven’t depreciated much at all.
The cars that have griped me most were company cars. For a start I was taxed at list price, even though the company had purchased a whole fleet at 25-33% discount. Then they started doing 5 year terms. In year 5 I was paying tax on this “taxable benefit” at list price, say £25k. A month or two later it gets sent to auction for under £1000.
Bought my 2010 PRHT from a Mazda dealer 5 years ago and the sales guy was clueless when it came to the spec and features (he didn’t know how Bluetooth worked so decided my particular car didn’t have it fitted). At the time I thought it was overpriced at £9.5k but I recently PX’d it for a Kia at a main dealer. They gave me £5.5k which I didn’t think was too shabby but then put it through another branch in Yorkshire for £8.5k - it’s now taxed and presumably back on the road.
There’s always been some arbitrage money to be made from buying older cars in London and the SE and reselling them in places like Devon or Cornwall, where incomes are lower and fewer people buy new. ULEZ has probably been a gravy train for traders.
That is because there is money to be made by the dealer if you choose a finance option.
ULEZ hasn’t caused my 2004 V8 Jag to increase in value. Yes, its ULEZ compliant.
I’m thinking more of the sudden supply of very cheap unwanted Euro V diesels which are very saleable down in the SW where they don’t gave ULEZ (or even motorways!).
If the car is genuine in really good shape as you say then sell it privately or ask around people you know. That kind of money is impulse buy territory and anyone who’s always liked mx5’s would probably happily buy it on face value for more than you were offered part ex.
We’re living in a world now where a tidy, sound car (categorised or not) for around a grand is becoming a rare thing indeed…
Probs worth £500 in true trade value so they’ve given you a £300 over-allowance even though they’ve reduced the price by £1,000.
As always, you’ll get more for your car selling it privately. But not so much this time of year, or with it being a 1.8 (which rules it out as a track car), or with it being a cat S (which makes it more expensive for your target market to insure).
Once it’s sold, then you can negotiate pricing with the seller of the 34,000 miler or any other car.
Please be careful saying totally rust free.
Old car prices are now falling , a good p/x price for an accident repaired 2006 , not sure you would get much privately selling there’s loads for sale cheaply and not repaired ones . Trying to p/x a car you believe to be of a certain value is often a reality check when you find it’s true trade in price
I understand your pain, I really do, but you are being very naive.
Over and above the Cat C it’s a non-Mazda dealer and your car is FAR too old for a main dealer to re-sell (generally they will only retail a car up to 3 years old and with modest mileage, ideally from their own brand). They will look for a margin of c£2k min, which would be impossible on yours. The only way they’ll offer more is if the car they are selling you is more expensive - the cost to change is the important bit, not what your are paying or getting for PX). Frankly, I’m surprised they are re-selling a 13 year old car anyway (presumably taken in PX). They won’t keep it over winter - it’ll go to auction if not sold very soon. As a business they won’t keep whatever they paid for it tied up in stock which doesn’t move.
You’ve been offered what they can get at auction or underwrite with a used trader.
Are you sure it’s a Ford main dealer? Sounds more like a non-franchised trader.
A lot of cars are ‘written off’ for very minor damage due to parts availability and labour costs. They CAN be excellent value but you should buy wisely and will never get full resale value when sold.
Over the years I’ve sold plenty, bought them back and re sold with many happy customers.
1 example I currently have is a 2019 ND that has done 12,000 miles came to me with an engine fault and needed a short motor which wasn’t available in Europe without a long wait…… the insurance paid out to save paying for a loan car indefinitely.
I bought it and fitted a new engine 2 months later. Free labour and I was in no rush to repair…… the car was NEVER damaged
That car to buy today would normally be £15k I will be selling for £10k
So I believe that is excellent value and would happily buy back when the customer gets fed up a few years down the line.
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Went to see the dealer today, the offer of £1500 was kept, sales guy told me he had a buyer for it already lined up & would buy it on the description & photos sent.
I have 48 hrs to make a decision on whether to accept & buy their car.