Jumping into the top ten of our Price Guide Movers on the up table this month is the 3 Series Convertible, up 22% since our last update, and that’s an average of all E30 convertibles, from 318i to 325i. Buyers are prioritising condition, mileage and service history over individual spec.
That’s pulled the price point for a typical tatty car needing work to £1.25k, with tidy, usable cars more than double that. The really good stuff is now £7k and flawless gems are £11k. Given how little restoration work you could buy for the difference between the tired examples and the immaculate ones, it’s easy to see why buyers are holding out for fault-free cars.
It’s not just the convertibles that are seducing buyers, anything with that sweet-revving 2.5-litre straight six, two door- or four-door saloon has followed the convertibles, albeit more slowly with a move of 11%. That gives a price ladder of £1k, £2.2k, £5k and £7k for cars in equivalent condition.
Price Guide Movers is part of 23 pages of buying tips and advice, including Quentin Willson’s Hot Tips, Ads on Test, the Buying Guide and Price Guide Quarterly, put together in conjunction with Hagerty insurance, in the latest issue of Classic Cars.