308 Marketing Ideas, Help Appreciated!

Hello FerrariChat UK,
Looking for guidance from the U.K. FerrariChat community! I’m a long time private Ferrari owner in the states who got the idea to export three 308’s to the U.K. and take advantage of the (pre-Brexit) U.S. to pound exchange rate a few years ago. I sent the three to a dealership in Chester near Manchester, Spectrum Motor Centre, who have been listing them for sale for me. Long story later the three are still available for sale and I thought I’d reach out to the U.K. FChat community for interest, ideas, suggestions, help etc. marketing and selling them in the U.K. The three are as follows:
1. 1983 QV Eurospec 7,500 miles
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2. 1984 QV 58k Miles Red/Tan
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3. 1982 GTSi 43k Miles Red/Nero
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All three are fully serviced and mechanically and cosmetically excellent. The 1982 GTSi has been shared with Woldside and is located in Louth at the moment. They are all completely imported into the U.K. and the titles will show first ownership to a buyer.

Please note I am not a dealer, just a fellow Ferrari owner trying to get ideas regarding selling these in the U.K. (or EU?) market. I would deeply appreciate any suggestions you may have regarding marketing, listing, etc. to help move them. You can reply here or PM me with thoughts. I can also call you if you share your number on PM if you’re available to chat. Thank you in advance, I’ve found FerrariChat to be a lifesaver in the states and am hoping the community can help generate some creative ideas for me over there.

Cheers,
Steve B.
Detroit, Michigan

 

Good luck with the sales Steve! Anyone that has any questions about the 83 euro feel free to message me as well. It's my old car and can vouch for it and Steve

 

Well, I'm not a dealer and claim no particular expertise so please take my comments accordingly.

I don't know either of the dealers you mention. That doesn't mean anything in itself but you might have a better chance selling through one of the better known Ferrari specialists closer to London. Given all three cars are LHD your potential market includes European buyers who would be more likely and find it easier to pop over to London to look at a car than to Chester or Louth.

Secondly, I don't see a market for the low miles GTS QV in the UK. It is getting on for twice the price of any other QV currently for sale in the UK and if someone is going to pay a lot of money for a low miles car in the UK they would surely want RHD.

That leads me on to price. All three cars are over-priced. In the UK a buyer will always expect to pay less for an imported car (to make up for the perceived extra risk in verifying history etc.). Less again for a LHD car. Less again for a US car (or Japanese or Middle Eastern). Euro cars are basically UK-spec cars with the steering wheel on the other side. US cars are a different spec which, particularly in the case of the GTSi, means less power. So, for example, there are a couple of UK RHD 308 GTS QVs currently for sale that are RHD and lower miles than your 58k miler for a similar price to yours. Any potential buyer will look at those listings and expect your car to be cheaper in comparison.

Similarly, there is another US 308 GTSi listed by Slades that has 5k fewer miles than your car (not a big deal) but it is 20% cheaper.

Lastly, the final bit of bad news is that the market for the cars you're selling is pretty dead at the moment both in the UK and Europe.

Sorry that is all rather negative but there's little point in my commenting other than as I see it. It might be worth your while contacting one of the specialist dealers in the South East UK and ask for their take on your cars.

 

As alluded to by the previous poster, if you want to sell something, be it a car or a house, it must be priced right. Sometimes that means taking a lot less than your initial expectations but in the end, a major purchase priced too high will just be swiped to the left.

 

Thank you, I am not at all offended by your feedback and, in fact find it very helpful. After having the cars there for some time I’ve recognized most of the issues you’re raising. You mention ‘specialist dealers in southeast UK’...do you have a name or know one in particular? I am very happy to reach out and make a connection there.

Interesting but perhaps astute take on the low mile QV. I had thought it would be very desirable for the obvious reasons but understand your logic. BTW, regarding pricing, anyone interested can PM me to discuss possibilities.

Thanks again for your quick and detailed feedback, it is deeply appreciated and extremely helpful!

 

Thanks completely agree, I’d welcome taking PM’s and working with anyone on the prices. Appreciate the feedback!

 

(Sorry, this was in response to Jtremlett’s post above )

 

Although I know most of the specialist dealers in the South East, I'm not sure who it might be best for you to talk to about your particular cars in the first instance. I think what you need is to speak to someone with good experience of the UK market and how it is currently to give you a proper professional opinion. I will perhaps speak to one or two people tomorrow and PM you rather than give you any names now.

 

As noted above don't take this the wrong way but...

There is no way a US QV is worth more than a UK or EU (or even US) fibreglass car whatever the mileage

You might not be a dealer but how would you describe someone sending several cars to a distant market - you're certainly not doing it to lose money (even if the prices sought by Spectrum currently seem about double market)

I don't see many US cars moving in the UK currently apart from a few typically at recent auctions at very low money (your third car in fact exemplifies this apparently sold at under £ 50)

And as noted above ludicrous pricing = swipe left - no chance of a call even to take a flier with an offer

 

Market here is flat if not falling; and definitely having dropped from 2 -3 years ago.

As to price etc, as stated above.

I’ve also not heard of the dealer you have them with, with respect to a “known and respected” Ferrari specialist. (That’s not to say they aren’t a good dealer!)

Hopefully you are now in contact with some good dealers. (There are some rotten apples about; but google is your friend). And do ask on here about specific ones.

Good luck.

 

This all day long.

 

I should be inclined to cut your losses and return the US spec cars to the US where there should be more buyers for them, and maybe list them on BAT. The Euro spec car would be best placed with a dealer on the Continent, where they drive on the wrong side of the road.

 

Thank you, that would be very helpful and appreciated!

 

Appreciate your comments. The dealer was my choosing via an older relationship and have been very good to work with on all fronts including the importing, service work and marketing. As you suggest, I’m definitely trolling for some recommended specialist Ferrari dealers who can be vouched for who we can possibly reach out to.

 

Agreed on both fronts, definitely considering both options. I’m hoping one or two might stay in the U.K. if we make the right connection but Plan B is the Continent and Plan C would be back to the US. Thanks

 

Thanks and understand your comments. To explain more, I shipped the low mile Euro Spec over right before Brexit when a Ferrari ‘specialist’ acquaintance in the U.K. suggested it would command a better price and the pound was $1.55 US. We didn’t anticipate the fallout from Brexit and I followed by shipping the other two later. My mistake obviously in hindsight. I appreciate your comments regarding the pricing and will address via a PM if anyone’s interested while I solicit possible interest from a dealer who will set their own market price. I’m definitely not offended by your comments and completely understand and appreciate your logic. And thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt, I’m definitely a private owner-seller who got on the wrong track a few years ago and followed a bad logic stream in the impending Brexit world.

 

Sorry should note that the SMC website shows the 1982 GTSi as sold but it was actually transferred to Woldside Classics in Louth so it’s still alive and active.

 

As nobody has bitten...

In no order and I have no contacts or connections, no idea what they are actually like to do business with etc etc
Nick Cartwright
Rardley
Foskers
The Ferrari Center (also known as Kent High Performance Cars). Probably the best liked!
Wild card local to me The Classic Car Hub (have a steady stream of interesting cars through their doors including Ferrari’s)

Probably some others I’m sure.

Good luck!

 

You could also maybe try Slades & Forza288 - some may not be interested in US imports

PS Woldside put the price up ! Seriously....

 

Thank you, huge help! Does anyone have a direct connection at any of these? Much more likely to get a response than coming in cold...a great start though, thanks.

 

Ditto to my last post, thanks much for the suggestion greyboxer, I’ll reach out to these two.

As for the pricing, there’s market logic behind it going back but I want to let any dealers I connect with establish their own market prices so I’m not going to make any last second adjustments at the moment. Thanks again for your suggestions!

 

Jtremlett is someone I would consider to be an expert. So please take his advice. The alternative might be to also advertise them on one of the big EU sites like mobile.de

 

Thanks Magic, yes Jonathan has been in touch and we’ve been conversing, very helpful. The EU is definitely an alternative option if I don’t get traction in the U.K. I spoke with one dealer in Düsseldorf through a connection there who was interested but wanted to see the cars first. It became too complicated so I thought I’d stay focused in the U.K.

 

https://www.spectrummotorcentre.co.uk/

The website looks good. They do sound quite a high end dealer. That said I have never heard of them until today.
Quite local to me, I was near Chester a couple of weeks ago.
Viewing strictly by appointment. I'm sure there are many like that but Amari in Preston are similar.

 

Thanks Malc, yes SMC has been very professional and great to work with. Just trying to expand our market exposure now, especially into the Ferrari space.