Buying a 2nd hand £100k car from UK - Any advice from our UK members?

[Rue]

Hello UK GTPers. I have a friend who is keen on buying a Bentley Flying Spur from a very reputable dealer. The thing is he's spending a fair wack (£100K+) and wants the car checked out by someone before he puts the hefty deposit down. Being English myself, he has asked me to try and find someone to take a look, but I'm not sure what the best route to go down is. Do I get a mate in England to look at it? Obviously I trust my friends' judgment but since they're not professionals in the field it would be unfair for them to say it looks okay only for it to fall apart when it gets off the boat in Hong Kong. Do I (not me but him) pay get a professional to give it the once over? Or are there any other solutions. Does anyone have any experience of getting 2nd hand cars checked out and if so what might you recommend. All the other details such as shipping, VAT, registration, etc. are sorted it's just a matter of making sure the car's exactly what he's looking for and not a lemon. Any advice you have would be thoroughly appreciated.

I would rather discuss details such as the dealer name etc. via PM if you don't mind.

Thanks in advance you helpful bunch of petrolheads!

 

[Paulie]

I would hope any car worth that much is kept in pristine condition.

 

[TheCracker]

Being a 'reputable dealer' i should think would mean they could be trusted for the car to be pristine when they say it's pristine, otherwise that reputation could disappear overnight. The car can only be at the most 4 years old, so unlike an older classic, it can't be faultless looking in photos only to be a rust bucket underneath. A quick HPI check on the reg-plate will uncover if the car has any hidden history.

Any reputable dealer would also be able to arrange transport and shipping paperwork.

 

[homeforsummer]

^ What he said, plus if you or your friend is really worried you can always get someone from the AA or similar to give the car a once-over to check that there's nothing majorly wrong with it.

 

[Rue]

Being a 'reputable dealer' i should think would mean they could be trusted for the car to be pristine when they say it's pristine, otherwise that reputation could disappear overnight. The car can only be at the most 4 years old, so unlike an older classic, it can't be faultless looking in photos only to be a rust bucket underneath. A quick HPI check on the reg-plate will uncover if the car has any hidden history.

Any reputable dealer would also be able to arrange transport and shipping paperwork.

That's exactly what I told my friend. In fact the dealer is one of the most well renowned in England, I assume the car would be faultless. I will have a sniff on the AA website to see the rates and procedure for having someone check the car. Thanks for your help all.

 

[zed300]

If you are going to spend a large sum on a car that's abroad, then a couple of grand spent sending someone over to "Check it Out" would be money well spent.

Hell, PM me with the details, and the the go ahead for the dosh, and I'll go and have a good look at it

 

[niky]

If you are going to spend a large sum on a car that's abroad, then a couple of grand spent sending someone over to "Check it Out" would be money well spent.

That's what I was thinking as I read the original post. Contrawise... you could both personally fly in for a day and have a look for yourselves. Wouldn't cost a whole lot, and you could even get a test-drive if he gives indication to the dealer that he's serious.

100k of the Queen's currency is a lot of smackers to spend on something you haven't seen in person before buying.

 

[Famine]

PM me with the details. I have a mate who is a Bentley technician and either he'll be able to directly look at the car or get the entire history of it in 20 seconds flat.

 

[Rue]

That's what I was thinking as I read the original post. Contrawise... you could both personally fly in for a day and have a look for yourselves. Wouldn't cost a whole lot, and you could even get a test-drive if he gives indication to the dealer that he's serious.

100k of the Queen's currency is a lot of smackers to spend on something you haven't seen in person before buying.

A flight to the UK and hotel is going to cost the thick end of a grand at short notice. Although the car's 100k, a grand is a grand - not an insignificant amount of money.

Thanks Famine, pls check your PM.

 

[niky]

A flight to the UK and hotel is going to cost the thick end of a grand at short notice. Although the car's 100k, a grand is a grand - not an insignificant amount of money.

Awww... but it'd be so much fun....

Good luck with the purchase! I envy your friend...

 

[Rue]

Awww... but it'd be so much fun....

Good luck with the purchase! I envy your friend...

You're right, it would be! Famine, did you get my PM ok? I seem to be having a few issues with sending receiving messages through GTP.

 

[Northstar]

Your friend must be insane to buy an expensive car like that essentially sight unseen.

Also, you would think it would be kept in pristine condition, than again we just saw a Bugatti drive into a pond.

 

[Famine]

I did get it yes, but I'm currently in a hotel in Mojave, California and my timing's all to pot. I think it's nearly 9am UK time though, so my message to my friend should be read in short order.

 

[Rue]

Thanks for your help all. My work here is done. Thread/