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Looks like a clean example although it doesn't state the mileage. It's not like you can compare this to the usual UK rotten UK2000's. I'd say the price is very reasonable for a rust free classic.
So interestingly I was talking to my friend about prices last night... It feels as if impreza sales have hit a wall with all this talk about energy prices, interest rate rises etc.
E.g. sorting on ebay for sold cars shows prices that are way lower than I would have expected a couple of months ago, and some nice kit is sat around on there for a long long time.
Same with the for sale groups on facebook too - there was a comment from someone who was trying to sell a blob STI (up at 8.5k i think), and he had had no luck for some time, if i understood correctly.
Having said that, it might just be wishful thinking on my part, because I would personally love for prices to crash (including my own one), so that I could try out a classic etc etc. It does _feel_ different now, though.
It'd be interesting to graph the price of petrol+"living" vs the actual sold prices for imprezas over time, but getting the actual sold prices might be difficult...
Totally agree @Henrik . The cost of living has sky rocketed this year and the savings people had accumulated over Covid is now running out. I think the prices have remained strong but there are many less buyers which means it takes longer to sell the good ones and the bad ones don't sell at all. A newage STi at 8.5k is basically breaker money nowadays so if this isn't even selling then it just highlights the point that no one is buying.
Doesn't it say 80,000 miles. Seen a mint import sell for £5,500 zero rust. Been stored for years.
Originally Posted by adam.pah
Looks like a clean example although it doesn't state the mileage. It's not like you can compare this to the usual UK rotten UK2000's. I'd say the price is very reasonable for a rust free classic.
So interestingly I was talking to my friend about prices last night... It feels as if impreza sales have hit a wall with all this talk about energy prices, interest rate rises etc.
E.g. sorting on ebay for sold cars shows prices that are way lower than I would have expected a couple of months ago, and some nice kit is sat around on there for a long long time.
Same with the for sale groups on facebook too - there was a comment from someone who was trying to sell a blob STI (up at 8.5k i think), and he had had no luck for some time, if i understood correctly.
Having said that, it might just be wishful thinking on my part, because I would personally love for prices to crash (including my own one), so that I could try out a classic etc etc. It does _feel_ different now, though.
5.5k for a clean classic with good history and reasonable mileage is a steal nowadays! A car that's been stored for any length of time can come with a host of issues though, they like to be used regularly. Most of the cars available in Japan now are very tired grade R's so anything half decent is selling for good money. There's actually not much price difference between a WRX and STi in Japan from what I can see on the auction sold prices, it's all about condition.
Totally agree @Henrik . The cost of living has sky rocketed this year and the savings people had accumulated over Covid is now running out. I think the prices have remained strong but there are many less buyers which means it takes longer to sell the good ones and the bad ones don't sell at all. A newage STi at 8.5k is basically breaker money nowadays so if this isn't even selling then it just highlights the point that no one is buying.
Agreed - interesting times ahead! Around 2011-2012 (i might be mis-remembering the year) prices absolutely tanked for many cars... I had a chat with someone who had picked up a forged 500hp classic for about 6k.. Doubt we'll see those kind of prices again given the pace of inflation etc, but maybe in real terms we will?
I'm probably out of touch, but the only way I can explain why "classic" car prices shot up the way they have is because people were outbidding each other because prices were increasing. I.e. a self-reinforcing, self-fulfilling kind of price-rise.
Objectively (or should that be "highly subjectively"?), if you were to compare an Impreza to a lot of modern stuff, they are rubbish. Terrible on fuel, terrible on range, not particularly comfortable, not fancy, not even that quick. The positives to owning one would be that they are "nice and fun" to drive even with their shortcomings, the rally-heritage, and maybe that they are/were appreciating in value.
These qualities/issues were always there, however, so I don't think they would have affected the prices in and of themselves in the last couple of years, so something else must have been afoot.
Personally, I think that the negative interest rates (even for actual personal bank loans, when compared to inflation) and then the Covid stimulus caused an environment where it was desirable to buy "anything" that appreciated in value, be that wine, art, cars etc etc. The interesting bit will happen now that we come into a high-inflation environment, with increasing living costs
Who's knows what will happen to prices. I think the prices rises coincided with the American import market opening, particularly for the 2 doors. I will sell one of the RA's this year or next to fund other ventures but will keep the low mileage one for at least another 5-6 years, at that point is will be available to export to the US and I can see another price hike for the newage JDM specials. At that point I'll be looking down the barrel at the big 5 0 so probably time to put on my slippers and buy a Tesla!
I don't know from what i've seen, the older import wrx models don't seem to fetch alot, STI models go for silly money now, but from what I've seen the UK Classic's seem to be going higher than the WRX imports. And as we know there most likely in worse condition. maybe that's buyers buying who don't know enough about the cars.
Originally Posted by adam.pah
5.5k for a clean classic with good history and reasonable mileage is a steal nowadays! A car that's been stored for any length of time can come with a host of issues though, they like to be used regularly. Most of the cars available in Japan now are very tired grade R's so anything half decent is selling for good money. There's actually not much price difference between a WRX and STi in Japan from what I can see on the auction sold prices, it's all about condition.
I'm probably out of touch, but the only way I can explain why "classic" car prices shot up the way they have is because people were outbidding each other because prices were increasing. I.e. a self-reinforcing, self-fulfilling kind of price-rise.
My theory is that the huge rises in price of any kind of "interesting" car during covid were largely driven by middle-aged people in high-paying jobs finding that their relatively spendy lifestyles being drastically reduced in cost (no holidays, regular eating and drinking out etc. and no commute anymore) meant that they actually had a lot of disposable income. That coupled with having a lot less to do working from home and not being able to really go anywhere made them want hobby vehicles and they had a lot of time to look for them.
As they were typically mature buyers they wanted the better examples, and lots of people with lots of income chasing the better examples pushed values up.
This is of course all conjecture on my part, but my experience of selling a relatively interesting car in 2020 attracted only these types of buyer, and it seems that that was around the time that the market moved more towards valuing originality as well.
I don't know from what i've seen, the older import wrx models don't seem to fetch alot, STI models go for silly money now, but from what I've seen the UK Classic's seem to be going higher than the WRX imports. And as we know there most likely in worse condition. maybe that's buyers buying who don't know enough about the cars.
That's interesting. I have to admit that I don't pay any attention to the classic market over here, I do see what's going through in Japan though and a 'good' STi will cost at least 12k landed and significantly more for an RA. I wonder if people are just worried about buying an import? I guess that comes down to buyers not knowing their onions, like you've said.
My theory is that the huge rises in price of any kind of "interesting" car during covid were largely driven by middle-aged people in high-paying jobs finding that their relatively spendy lifestyles being drastically reduced in cost (no holidays, regular eating and drinking out etc. and no commute anymore) meant that they actually had a lot of disposable income. That coupled with having a lot less to do working from home and not being able to really go anywhere made them want hobby vehicles and they had a lot of time to look for them.
As they were typically mature buyers they wanted the better examples, and lots of people with lots of income chasing the better examples pushed values up.
This is of course all conjecture on my part, but my experience of selling a relatively interesting car in 2020 attracted only these types of buyer, and it seems that that was around the time that the market moved more towards valuing originality as well.
Again, just a theory!
I don't think you're far off the mark here. I think there is one other variable that we also need to consider, the age group that are now buying these cars are the Gran Turismo generation, that's why its the 90-00's JDM cars that have shot up so rapidly.
I don't think you're far off the mark here. I think there is one other variable that we also need to consider, the age group that are now buying these cars are the Gran Turismo generation, that's why its the 90-00's JDM cars that have shot up so rapidly.
Yes, I agree. I didn't really say it but I think a lot of the interest is driven by people who were teenagers/early 20s in the 1990s or early 2000s and are nostalgic for them and are doing well enough to buy good examples of them.
On paper imprezas currently look like very poor value vs say a 10k M135i, but there's no nostalgia for them yet.
I don't know, there doesn't seem any theme, apart from the high end models like P1, Type R's RA, STI, all going for £7,000+£50,000 for the P1's. WRX wagons go cheap, there's someone near me wanting £6,000 for fresh WRX import, looks nice.
I've looked at loads of adverts, and classic prices for a WRX or 2000 Turbo go from £2,500 to £8,000 where as Newage Impreza's go from £4,000 to £10,000, none of them super special, would have thought the classic models would be worth more, as loads of people say to me they prefer that shape.
Cheapest place has to be facebook now, its the new Ebay, ebay use to be a cheap place to buy cars, but its popularity has increased prices.
Originally Posted by adam.pah
That's interesting. I have to admit that I don't pay any attention to the classic market over here, I do see what's going through in Japan though and a 'good' STi will cost at least 12k landed and significantly more for an RA. I wonder if people are just worried about buying an import? I guess that comes down to buyers not knowing their onions, like you've said.
The blobeye STI didn’t sell (assume it didn’t meet its reserve but the guide price seemed way too high - see the photo). Both the P1 and Series McRae sold for c.£50k and c.£20k respectively
The blobeye STI didn’t sell (assume it didn’t meet its reserve but the guide price seemed way too high - see the photo). Both the P1 and Series McRae sold for c.£50k and c.£20k respectively
Thanks Rich. That price is ridiculous tbh. Do you know what the bidding got to?
Yea for that price you'd want lower miles. But sure he would get that in a few years. Just put back in storage.
Originally Posted by RichDobie
The blobeye STI didn’t sell (assume it didn’t meet its reserve but the guide price seemed way too high - see the photo). Both the P1 and Series McRae sold for c.£50k and c.£20k respectively
I seem to remember the 25 year old mark being an important milestone in car values ?
Golf GTI mk2 and Pug 205 GTi's both shot up about 5 years ago (for 1990/1 late models), and I'm guessing that 99/00 MY classics will go the same way in 2-3 years, at the lower end (rather than P1 and RB5) for UK turbos in good, genuine condition. They won't go to Delta Integrale levels, but GT Fours aren't exactly cheap these days, as rust killed a load off.
I reckon anything with 4wd, turbo, no rust, UK spec, full history (20+ services) will find a home easily enough from now on.
Last edited by Flat4x4-again; 31 May 2022 at 12:09 AM.
26 May 2022, 11:21 AM
