Microcars in local elections.

[Rob Dobie]

My local Independant Councillors have the following piece in their latest Feedback news sheet.
Wonder where they got the picture from. The car's reg. isn't listed on DVLA. (LNH 593)

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

Its the one that came up in a recent popular american auction.

[Bob Purton]

And here it is again outside my house!

[Big Al]

Which party were you supporting, Bob? Red, that will be Labour or some sort of communist. The Popular Movement back to Front? Better known as 'Bob's dodgy trailer service' to the Politburo.

Of course if they really used a Scootacar then you would not be allowed to smoke inside it. Suddenly voting for anyone looks rather silly.

[Rob Dobie]

Cricky! How many cars did you send over the pond to Bruce the Bubble then Bob?

[Bob Purton]

I think it was six cars.
Inter
Hazelcar
Hienkel
Frisky FF3
Scootacar Mk1
Bond Bug.

Your ex Minicar Rob,  contrary to popular belief was not sold to BW by me, I sold it to an Englishman of this forum who in turn sold it to Bruce. Just making that clear in case Stan is watching! 
I'm really quite ashamed of it all now but back then cars seemed to be plentiful and each of those cars were for sale on the open market there for anyone to buy with apparently no takers. With the exception of the $161.000 Inter of course. The Hazelcar in particular had been for sale for some time, I think it was even in RCN advertisement page. I ended up with it after it was bought in auction at Beaulieu by an agent for another well known American collector and small museum owner, he didnt want it and thus it was offered to me. I mentioned it to bubblegum features and the rest is history as they say. I thought I did quite well out of the cars at the time but compared to how well old money bags did I may just as well had given them away!

[Big Al]

The margin is the % extra on something sold. The more expensive something is the more difficult to keep the margin up. My bud bought a peel for £26 or some such and sold it for £200 odd. Now that is probably more margin than anyone else made on the car as it changed hands a few times since on the ever upward quest to who knows what or the blank astonishment of going out of fashion. Also the buying power of money reduces over time. When I started work I thought I was on to something at £25. Now your poor under £250 apparently. So that £100 schmitt I bought then actually cost me £1,000 in real terms. Here we can see the cars have gone up as the same car now would be £5/6,000. Apply the factors to some other 'investments' though and it does not make such good reading. Especially if real storage costs are added, there are always some. Then the costs of logistics and restoration in real terms.

[Rob Dobie]

I know you didn't sell the Bond to Bruce, Bob.  I'm sure we have all sold cars ages ago at a price we were then pleased to get. It seems ridiculous with the prices being fetched now. Take the two Peels I had in '76, bought the red one (was blue) for £10, sold it for £260, don't know how much it went for in Coy's sale. The blue one I got for nothing and sold for £40
un-restored. Now its the most seen on youtube, Top Gear etc and sporned a new generation of clones.    I made a small profit when I sold my collection so that I could buy other vehicles to do up as a hobby, never really thought of the money side of it all then. Still don't, that's why I'm broke all the time now I suppose.  

[Bob Purton]

I would imagine the frustrating thing about parting with Peels when they were not worth much is that to have hung on to them they would not have taken up very much room where as like Al said, storing big cars cost money which may cancel ouit any financial gain.

[messerschmitt]

I remember those days, Isettas for £50, Nobels for £200, Messerschmitts for £200 (with a spare engine, manuals and set of factory tools). You could go to car shows and speak to people who would have engines and other bits in their sheds and would just give them to you, like I had with a four wheel Nobel once ...

My first T&T'd Isetta only cost £500.

Nowadays, it's all, how much is it worth and what's the fuel consumption - how times have changed!

Bruce W turned down my dad's Powerdrive - too big, he said!

[Barry]

My first Isetta - about 1979  £100 with MOT (knocked him down from £110)

My everyday transport for over a year.

419 MKN was used on racing days around the farm.

[Big Al]

We used to live in a shoe box in the middle of the road.

Sorry joke done last year and actually it is interesting to remember that these cars were not expensive or even wanted at one time.