49Km/30 mile '89 328 GTS : £200K +

Had a large boat once with 13 litre diesels . In the winter lay up the engines were often not run for months .
One yr it was coming up for it valve lash adjustment. Each cylinder had individual valve covers such was the scale of the motors .
About 3-4 month s since it last ran I removed a valve cover ( two bolts easy ) to eye ball the future up and coming job , you know check I would have tools etc when it came round to doing all 12 .

To my amazement the rocker valve gear was bone dry . Bone dry totally . It looked as if it had never seen oil , that dry .
Oil being a liquid had moved down over the 3-4 months back into the sump leaving nothing up top .

A week after shut down …Yeh there’s oil evidence enough to lubricate etc .

Back on topic can’t see how a 30 mile in 3-4 decades considered the amount of down time car can be any good .
And then there’s the rubber hose deterioration……..
Having said all this there’s a significant number of numpty mechanical minded car collectors out there who are oblivious to the difference between a crank shaft and cam shaft , so narrow minded that they only recognise milage as the yardstick to a good purchase.

They pass cars amongst themselves .
I am not in there circle . It’s a large circle btw .

 

That car was stillborn. A pity.

 

Such low mileage but I still see signs of aging, wear & tear, and lots of fine scratches in the paint. I certain aspects, it looks worse than cars I've seen with far higher mileage. Not surprised it was leaking oil, as Ferrari's aluminum castings have some porosity and their gasket designs are extremely optimistic. Gravity alone is the enemy when it comes to engine and gear oil leaks.

It reminds me, years ago when shopping cars, the only 328 I came across with significant rust was a super low mileage car and the owner washed it frequently. He spent more time babying it than driving it, and that actually was worse for the car!

 

That is entirely dependent on one's definition of worth. "Worth" it as an investment? "Worth" it as a functional automobile? "Worth" it for bragging rights to having an expensive novelty?
Where I see the car's true worth is in having a future reference for how a 328 was delivered from the factory....and I'm OK with that for a limited number of exceptional cars like this. In the end though, this car is just like any other: it will be used as its owner sees fit, the rest of us be damned.
- Dave

 

Museum car only. This car will never be driven, which is sad to me, but that's me.

 

Why would anyone want this?

Its like marrying a super model and never taking her to bed.

Its like buying a prized race horse and locking it up in the stable.

Mine has 80K on the clock. I drive it every week. I park it where I want. I fix whatever breaks when it breaks.

I'll keep mine, thank you.

 

My question is how do you know it wasn't rolled back? Sure, it may not be a 50k mile car, but it could be a 10k mile car, which, while still low, is very different than a 30 mile car. They're asking a 100%+ premium for something that can't really be proven.

 

That was a rough 40 miles! An incorrect oil filter replacement. The tires are not the originals. The air filter intake was of the foam insulated type unique to the Swiss models, and has been replaced by a incorrect silicone type hose. The stainless muffler looks slightly corroded, as does the cad plate on the fuel lines.

For a true unmolested museum piece, the price might make sense. But as it is, this is sloppy preparation, which raises questions.

It will be a no sale, or a fake sale that doesn't actually close. Probably a $125k car for the right buyer who can do the proper detailing and further recommissioning work to make it a usuable collectible car.

 

Great point. I would buy neither. I'm sure it has value to someone but a car was meant to be driven. The best cars are survivors where real people used and enjoyed them, then someone restored them for others to enjoy.

There is more joy in saving something than hording it.

 

I suppose, but then again the factory doesn't ask me to pay 2x sticker for a low mile car, either.