Hello Steve
You post is the most sensible of any I have seen on this whole issue from
the Barrett-Jackson type earlier, the insane thing, and
including to the latest thread). You have addressed
the B-J issue on who and why; the club man's restoration where concours
judging should take place not on the profession restorer (here I mean
professional
in it's broadest sense); and your concluding paragraph be it only one
sentence has it summarized the issue.
Kind regards
Ed
Saskatoon
Steve B. Gerow wrote:
> Couple comments FWIW--
>
> Kurt Tanner told me on one of his shop tours that his buyers are not Healey
> people per se. They are people who have a lot of money and want a Healey
> which either their dad owned when they were a kid or they owned back in
> college.
>
> I believe that to these buyers the difference between $70k and $150k is
> about the difference between a burger and a double burger to the rest of us.
>
> There's a fellow in our local Healey club who has a very nice BT7 which has
> done well in concours which is absolutely original, right down to the
> painted 60-spokers and the satin patina of its paint. He says Donald Healey
> said such and such about his car, etc. Since he's in his 70s and grew up
> with the car, he's very involved with the history of the marque. I think all
> that's interesting, but in an academic sense. I find the car a bit dull.
>
> I'm convinced that to a younger set of buyers none of this matters a damn
> and they'd just as soon have a little bling without messing up the overall
> impact of the car. And if they have your actual folding money they'll pay
> for the Tanner because it's a turn key deal--like buying a new car built to
> a very high standard.
>
> There was a similar situation a few years ago where an absolutely gorgeous
> XK-140 brought $130k (if memory serves ) which was a way-high price at the
> time. Automobile Magazine's coverage referred to the car as having "a
> non-standard color and tremendous curb appeal". Seems like the same
> situation with Tanner's cars.
>
> The whole concours vs auction thing is apples to oranges.
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