Lagondaforum

Subject: Unrestored V12 Drophead on Ebay

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There is an unrestored V12 drophead on Ebay (http://www.ebay.com) if anyone is interested. The car is in Canada.
Item number: 330300776807
Expensive, US$180,000 "Buy it now" price.

David Eldred

Subject: Re: Unrestored V12 Drophead on Ebay

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Hi Folks,

Nice original car, though I reckon you should add another $100,000 for a decent restoration. Very expensive!

Colin M34

Subject: Re: Unrestored V12 Drophead on Ebay

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There might be something fishy about this car - it has been offered on Ebay several times; the first time about a year ago.

Subject: Re: Unrestored V12 Drophead on Ebay

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Folks,

I have no opinion whether this particular car is fishy or not. I would like to reflect that when cars with the best provenance are for sale, they are often barely advertised before being sold privately.

I thoroughly enjoy communicating with Arnold Davey and the Lagonda Club secretary. Together they keep meticulous records on cars known to the Club. This allows us to compare notes on particular cars and to apply a non-commercial interest in its provenance (though not condition). For valuable cars, provenance can sometimes get fabricated and possibly then permeate through trade sales.

Of course I am not suggesting this has happened to the car advertised here - or in fact any other car recently for sale, but I would like to reflect on an example: I wonder whether Clark Gable ever did own an LG 45 Rapide - there is no documentary evidence that he did.

This should then be regarded in the same light as signature 'coming to light' when a hitherto unattributed oil painting is restored.

I wish the purchaser of this V12 'good luck' - it looks like a nice old thing - but keep loadsofmoney back for restoration OR ignore the sales 'patter' and pay the same price for a better one 'through the grapevine'.

By the way I know what to do with old V12 dural con rods once they have been replaced (you get lots of them...), but this will have to be the subject of another thread...

Cheers

Colin M34

Subject: Re: Unrestored V12 Drophead on Ebay

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I know this car well. It was ofered to me a few years ago for a very low price but I turned it down because I didnt want to commit to a $300,000 to $400,000 restoration. My friend sold it to another friend who was going to restore it himself, then fell into the arms of a vintage Bentley. It became surplus so was sold last fall for a bit more than it was offered to me, purportedly to a enthusiast who was going to make his life work restoring the car. The rest is history.
The car does have some provenance. It was formerly in Hollywood and was owned by David Nelson eventually being left in the California desert. It has remained in its as recovered state ever since. The previous owner but one, had it in a lock up for 20 years or so as a parts car. Some of the trim components shown in the ebay photos are from his other and now restored car. Some of the bright work was also restored along with the similar components for the restored drop head.
Regards
Colin Gurnsey (G27)