LagondaNet

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

Ok guys I am in Arizona AND INSPECTED the s 4 Lagonda this morning.

Poor paint... lots of swirl marks on the paint. The driver's seat leather is cracked... very disapointing... I need to have an information before bidding on it, if any one can help me:

The door frames around the windows do not have rubber weather stripping. is this normal on a S4 car?

Francis
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Lagonda87 · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 315

Hello Francis,

- I'm not quite sure what you mean about the rubber around the windows, but does these pictures help ?

http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/view.html?13571,07
http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/view.html?13579,03
http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/view.html?13630,03
http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/view.html?13550,08

http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/gallery/13545.html

Unfortunately I don't know that much about S4 specific details.

Best regards,

Soren

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

Thanks Soren.

I am refering to the black frame on the door that opens with the door. it guides the window up and down. on the inside of that window frame is a rubber with felt that touches the window vertically when the window is raised or lowered. on the outside of that black frame is, on earlier cars a weather strip that stops water from seaping in the car. This car does not have it. On one of the pictures, 13550,08 you sent, we can see the corner of a rear door openned and it looks like there isn't one either. So it is not something that was left out on a possible cheap restoration job. That was the source of my worries on that point.

The car goes up for sale Saturday. I will keep you posted.

Francis
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Lagonda87 · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 315

Hello Francis,

- The interior seems okay in the pictures (except the drivers seat which looks a bit worn) But it doesn't look like a car which have been treated badly. Instruments, steering wheel, rear seats, wood, carpets etc. looks fine. The two chrome cigarette lighters in front seems to be missing in one of the pictures.

Do you think it would be possible to (machine) polish the swerl marks away from the paint ? I know how difficult it is to judge a car based on pictures, but it doesn't look that bad Smile

I hope you will be able to buy it at a low price.

Best regards,

Soren

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

Soren,

the paint is not that bad, it just shows it's age. the seat can be redyed. Alvira had it done. Not that expensive but the swirls is not something that will go away. You live with it or you repaint the car with all the risks that intails...

For me, in fact they are good points to keep the price of the car low...

I will bid up until $35 000.00

Francis
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Vincent · Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 1055 Location: Belgium

Mitrovic · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 627

I hope the Lagonda was not damaged with this storm!

Lagonda87 · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 315

Did Francis get it ? Very Happy

- I just discovered the live video feed from the auction:

http://www.goodingco.com/auction/auction.g&c

Now at lot no. 134 - unfortunately the Lagonda was lot no. 114 so I missed it.

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

I started the bidding at $20 000.00, went as high as $28 000, I was the bidder. The auctioneer called is once, twice then a misterious internet bid came up... 20 seconds later I was bidding $32 000... then Phone bids started to apear... 20 seconds later the price at $50 000 bid on the phone. It then took 3 minutes for the auctioneer to convince someone to in the crowd to bid $51 000. He solicited me 4 or 5 times before this other guy, that I did not see, he was on the other side of the room...said yes. one quarter second later the car was sold. He did not even ask the internet bidder or the phone bidder to raise the bid... Highly , Hummm, how will I say... funny...

So the car was sold at $51 000 with some issues like no tool box, no lighters, missing trunk panels and a repainted rear right side door that would not close properly.

And all that with out being able to have the car started to even see if the dashboard would light up...

So $51 000 plus 10% commission ($5100.00) plus transport to the canadian border ($2500.00) plus 20% import duty on all of that, what are we at? $70320.00 That was too high for my taste...

Francis
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Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

Two other cars, I almost bought... a Ferrari 550 Barchetta 2001 with 1000kms on it went for $142 500.00, cheap! and a jaguar XJ220 went for $155 000.00 also cheap!

Any of those two cars came with a promise from me to my wife Lise that if I got them, she would never have to endure coach class on our air travels...

What would you have chosen?

Francis
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rosbed1 · Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 10 Location: NY USA

It stands to reason that anyone who would bid on a lagonda has familiarity with the "market value" for the moment. Bagging a well maintained S4 in the US below $50K is unrealistic, unless it is a very tired, uncared for example. Missing toolbox, cigar lighters, no big deal. Paint work on the doors would greatly discourage me from proceeding with a purchase because doing a re-spray to close to factory specs and achieving a nice result on aluminum with lacquer paint is challenging. I think that this lagonda was purchased at a fair price, everything considered. About 2 yrs. ago I sold an S4 13615 to Autosport Designs with a non working dash for just over $50K. It was an otherwise very well maintained Lag. Recently I purchased S4 13630 for much more $$$, but a bespoke example. They sell for what the market is willing to bear, and I believe that outside of this forum, there is virtually little market for lagonda. When I started to look for my first lagonda, about 11 years ago, Hemmings would have ads every month for 2 to 3, now over the past 2 years, just one ad from a re-seller. The good ones rarely surface, and original owner ones are a dying breed. I am currently searching for a late S3 with low miles, original owner in concourse condition LHD.

Mitrovic · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 627

My first thought was that it was expensive. But then, when you consider how the USD has declined, it is not that expensive. But the problem with the door, could be a serious drawback.

And the other two cars? I would not buy either. The Jaguar XJ220 is a nightmare to service, and if I would go for a Ferrari it would be a Testarossa, but od course...

Lagondanet · Administrator Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 3108 Location: UK

Interesting observations. £50K is the top auction price I have seen here for a pristine example (Part of the V8 Comm. Collection) a couple of years ago.

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

Those comments you make are thru but keep in mind that car purchased at auction is a crap shoot. It's supposed to be well under market value if you can't have a spin in it or a through mechanical check out.

I agree that a well maintained and documented exemple is worth more, a lot more. I own a Lagonda, I want it's value to go up but when I am buying one or looking to buy one, knowing the price of fixing them, the hardship it is to get parts and a qualified mechanic, I expect to pay much lower.

In October I travelled to Houston to look at, and possibly buy a well documented late series 2 car with under 20 000 milles on it. Perfect original paint, perfect leather, some dash panel issues and a super leak from the water pump stemming from being in a museum for the last 10 years. The price of that car was $17 200.00. Paying tripple that for a series 4 was a bit high in my opinion. Just the paint work on the series 2 car made it a better car for me then the one that sold here yesterday.

Francis
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rosbed1 · Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 10 Location: NY USA

I agree with you Francis, that at an auction it is a crapshoot, however even if there is just one buyer bent on owning an S4 lagonda, then the value of the car and the winning bid becomes the "market value" . There is no other car, past or present which gives its owner a sense of occasion each time it is driven. This is the true value of a lagonda, its intrinsic ($) value, plus its non-material (emotional, sentimental) value. For example, I have been taking anti hypertensive medication for several years. When I parted ways with my previous Lagonda (13615), I had to increase my dosage to keep my BP in check, but since acquiring (13630), I stopped taking meds altogether.
A lagonda is a very special motorcar and people who can appreciate it (despite all the negative press which it has received through the years), are very special indeed. I am grateful to contribute my sentiments in this forum. There are few cars which owners can sell with a "heavy heart", lagonda is one of them, maybe a bugatti as well.