914 market update, in this months excellence mag Options

[lotus_65]

fyi
a fairly comprehensive report & looks good for us (and those who restore them).

[lapuwali]

I've wondered for quite some time where Bruce Anderson's (for it's he who generates those articles) gets the pricing data. Some of it, I suspect, is simply data he gets directly from sellers and buyers. Perhaps that's ALL of it. His prices for 912s are also substantially higher than I see in the market.

Part of the problem is simply getting enough data. 914s don't sell in large numbers, and the prices vary quite a bit from deal to deal. A couple of people paying too much for a car can substantially skew the results. Non-project cars sell even more rarely than cars that need a fair amount of work.

There are 10 914s on the SF Bay section of Craigslist right now. I wonder what percentage of all 914s for sale in the US that represents? 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%? There are only two in the LA section. There are three in Sacramento.

Based on these listings, you can buy a drivable 2.0 for no more than $3500 (based on three listings for what read like cars that are in "average" condition, based on 914s I've actually seen) in California. These likely have little rust, and no doubt require SOMETHING in the way of major service to be drivable regularly. Figure transport at $1000 coast to coast, so for $4500-5000, you should be able to get a usable 2.0 anywhere in the continential US. "Nice" cars are more, "projects" are less.

Once you get into "nice" cars, some things besides just the car itself start to matter. History becomes a concern. Niggly little details can make a huge difference in price. Rationality is NOT what sets the price, either. At the highest levels, only one or two cars might change hands every year, so statistical analysis of the prices is almost impossible. The $15K 914s posted here sometimes are way into this range. These cars have to be super-exceptional, and the buyer has to really want that particular car.

All on fours only, btw. I don't look at Six pricing enough to be able to tell, except that $10K is the floor, and most cars will be more than that.