How far do/would you travel to view a car?

[Will]

Just a question.

I've just sold one of my cars. After advertising it before Christmas (bad time, I know) it didn't have a single viewing - and I was in no hurry to sell, hence I decided to take it off the market.

Taxed it for another year and used it a bit more recently - and decided to put it back up for sale, mainly due to lack of use, lack of parking (too many cars...) and a possible itch for another car sometime in the near future.

Anyway - I had not a single viewing of the car whatsoever. Loads and loads of interest (lengthy phonecalls - some from the buyers that saw it for sale before Christmas etc, emails etc). Even the bidder who won the last eBay auction didn't view it before he backed out of the deal.

First person who came to see the car yesterday morning made an offer and a deal was done. Think they must have travelled ~ 150 miles or so each way, twice.

I've never been worried about travelling to see cars - especially rare ones. Eg, I drove about 400 miles to see a car that wasn't right, no worries.

Bearing in mind my less than remote location (within the M25), openess for viewing etc this seems strange.

I think I'd draw the line at say 100ish miles for a fairly run-of-the-mill car, something rare/exotic I'd probably travel the whole of the UK.

What about others? What's the furthest you've been to see a car? Where would you draw the line at how far to come?

Will

 

[JumboBeef]

I once drove from South Devon to Kent, with a trailer, to bring an old Land Rover back. Don't know how many miles it was, but it took a long time!

 

[kusanku]

When I was looking for a car whilst living in Aberdeen I used to go down to Glasgow and Edinburgh to look at cars, or up to Inverness on one occasion (3 hour drive). Found there was much less on offer in the Grampian region, and the stock was always overpriced. I now live in Bristol, and went over to Essex to buy my current car.

 

[gina2201]

Furthest I've gone is Leicester from Plymouth to buy a £4k car unseen.
Been hundreds of miles, Dartford, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Bristol for cars that are not rare but get better choice elsewhere!
Closest I've been is next door!

 

[A210AMG]

I've bought my ML from Maidstone and drove down from Chester.

Wifes A class was from Folkstone almost at the tunnel entrance, I went to view this with her. Then went down with my brother and car trailer to bring in back.

A new Z3 I ordered from a garage in Bonn Germany we drove with a car trailer to collect.

OOh then before that I did an easy jet flight to Dublin to look at MX5's and ended up buying one, bringing it back on seacat via holyhead.

so guess for us no real distance is an issue

 

[seenthelight]

I know its not a car, but once travelled from east sussex where i live to wales to view and pick up a bike it was a harley.

 

[Adam230K]

I drove to plymouth to buy mine. But when i saw the pics and the mileage at the time, i was driving there with the intent of buying anyway (which isn't good i know), but at the time it was the lowest mileage W202 c230k i could find.

 

[st4]

I'd travel nationwide for the right car.

Its something (well not Gina) that we usually have for 2 yrs +. Whats a day or 2 out you're life to travel 500miles to get the one you really want as for the remaining 728 days (2yrs) you're going to be driving it, and enjoying it.

I had to go to Rochdale for my 4.4i X5, it was the best one (spec + condition), if it had been southampton, Penzance I'd have gone there...

 

[Ade B]

London to Glasgow to buy current CE thanks to a lead on here..

Had the car professionally inspected prior to the trip though.


Ade

 

[gina2201]

I drove to plymouth to buy mine. But when i saw the pics and the mileage at the time, i was driving there with the intent of buying anyway (which isn't good i know), but at the time it was the lowest mileage W202 c230k i could find.

Wasn't mine was it? Lol.

 

[Howard]

Have to say i'm quite lazy , all the cars i've ever bought have been off friends or from within a 10 mile radius of my house ..

 

[flango]

Drove from Doncaster in Yorkshire to st Austell in Cornwall to buy one of my Vauxhall Senators and it was mint and worth the drive, distance no object if the car is right, I'm a firm believer in the old addage " Good cars come from good areas"

 

[gina2201]

Have to say i'm quite lazy , all the cars i've ever bought have been off friends or from within a 10 mile radius of my house ..

You should get out more! Lol. I treat it as an excuse to go somewhere different for a day, and the drive home is always fun! Usually quicker than the journey there....

 

[Howard]

Never had the need to ...

I've had some nice cars , and they've all been near me ...

 

[BIG J]

Depends on what type of car it is i'm into my American Muscle would travel all over the UK to look at them but the two i have have not been to far, lucky i guess. But for a daily driver depends on the spec condition price etc if it's worth it would travel the UK for it.

Cheers

 

[C240Sport97]

I flew to Stockholm to pick up my CLK 320 Convertible and drove it home in June 99 ...

at that point, the UK waiting list was 18 months. I got my UK spec car in 3 months

 

[AMGeed]

I wouldn't rule out travelling to anywhere in the UK ( except N.I) for a car I really wanted. Travelled over 150miles each way on a couple of occasions, the last being Northampton for the E280.
Nowadays with the internet being pretty freely used, as many pics as possible can be sent before viewing if you get a reasonable seller keen to deal.

 

[fuzzer]

I traveled from glasgow to harrogate for my last and new car

 

[bigstuff]

when sold my 300te on ebay the chap flew up from london to glasgow to pick it up unseen

 

[Mudster]

I sold my 560 SEC to a guy in Holland..He bought unseen and had it shipped.

Sold my New turnkey 560 Engine and shipped it Louisiana last month. Bought unseen (£740 shipping which I thought was actually quite reasonable for 300kg...airfreight)