Beverly Hills Car Club

There was a post here about them a few weeks back if you search. Consensus was due diligence is key if I recall correctly. Similar to one of the NY stores that sells similar cars needing some love

 

Every now and then they come up with a gem, but most of their cars are very tired. And often over priced. If you live in LA and can go by their store to see a car in person, it can be a fun experience. But I wouldn't buy a car from them that I couldn't drive away in...and get to my destination. There web site does provide more than ample pictures of every car they sell. They do not hide the warts. But too many people go looking for a Ferrari in a barn when they are really looking for one in a showroom.

 

Hey Frank, no affiliation here with Mark, but he has a pretty damn good looking GTB for sale FWIW

https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6095-1978-ferrari-308-gtb-coupe/

 

That is a NICE GTB. Definitely worth a look. I expected it to be priced very close to $100,000. If everything checks out I would consider that a screaming deal!

 

Condition condition condition. The black 308 at BHCC looks too clean inside compared to the underside of the car...and that looks like it needs everything. Plus the windshield wipers look askew, the side mirrors are missing from the doors, and again...that is a redone interior (not the original) and that makes me wonder why it had to be done. The silver 308 at BHCC looks more honest. The engine bay is tidy but not spotless, the interior shows wear but agreeable to the age and miles, and the underside of the car looks like it has been taken care off over the years...which isn't the case with the black car. Bottom line, if you can't take the time to come down and drive them then I would walk away. And if you drive them and like them, I would insist on a PPI done by a class A local Ferrari wrench. However I have heard (don't know for a fact) that BHCC can be reluctant to allow PPIs. I would guess there must be nicer cars with better history nearer you. How deep are your pockets and your desire...that's for you to decide. I would never chase prices, becoming penny wise and pound foolish. Buy the best or don't buy. My first and only Ferrari was a 1980 308 GTSi...one of the last 25 in the 1980 model year and fitted with the fuel injection. I bought it with 88k miles on it...spent two hours reading a phone book thick stack of service docs going back to the pre-delivery inspection. The first owner had it about a year, the second owner had it the next 12 years and it was his only car and his daily driver. And he kept up the car with a passion. I became the third owner...and for three years or so it was my daily driver...took the animals to the vets in it, went to jury duty in it, drove it to work, went grocery shopping at Ralphs in it...was my only car and it ran flawlessly because I used it. When I sold it, it had 124k miles...ran perfectly...and I got $2k less than I paid for it. Great deal all around. While many people look at the rising vintage car prices like an index annuity, I see it as fools and their money being parted. It see the current market values and speculative and inflation driven, and not indicative of real value. If you've the price for a ticket to the party, go with god. But be a very very wise and careful buyer. Again...if you can't get in it and drive it, and then have it give a full exam, don't buy it.

 

A live horse or a dead one?

 

You might want to read through this thread...

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/1983-308-at-beverly-hills-car-club.535463/

 

In that case, BHCC should not be your shop of choice. They specialize in “rescue” vehicles, to put it nicely. I haven’t bothered to look for or compile actual numbers, but based on my impressions from their listings, I doubt more than 1 in 10 of their cars actually run.

That said, I am not slamming BHCC. Near as I can tell, every ad I have looked at has been very detailed and accurate, showing all the warts, rust, missing components... as far as I can see, they advertise all of their cars, including the basket cases, very accurately. And that is commendable.

But again, if you are looking for a finished car, BHCC might run into one now and again, but that would be a very rare thing for them.

 

This is a must read for you ...

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/newbie-barn-find-308.571599/


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I've said it before and I'll say it again. I sold them my former 308. They were great to deal with as a seller. I wouldn't trust a damn thing they say as a buyer though. I was explicit in telling them my car had OVER 100k miles on it. They advertised it as "showing 5K" on the odometer. They skirt just close enough to the truth to not be outright fraudulent but man is that a thin line. They were not the least bit interested in the documents I had for the car and couldn't have cared less about the car itself. They shipped it from WA state to CA on the back of an open car carrier.