Hi,

I was just browsing through ebay, pistonheads and autotrader, i cant believe how cheap coupes are at the moment, i know these cars are cheap to buy but ive not seen the prices this low before, perfect time to buy one of these amazing motors It's just unbelievable how cheap these cars are given the looks/performance/kit you get as standard, surely these cars are the biggest motoring bargain ever??? What are your views?

Tommy

Like listening out for the first cuckoo of Spring, there are various FCCUK calls to listen out for at different times of the year:

a) Prices seem to be going up now;
b) It will become a classic in a few years time then prices will go up;
c) The coupé can't possibly depreciate any further in value.

Sadly, none of them is true - your post is, though.

I felt the car was cheap when I bought mine (early 2003), and it has not got any more expensive since then!

to be fair this is true of any older perfomance car which doesn't have a cult following.
look at rover coupe turbo's many on here don't like them but lets face it they are a coop rival and they can be had for hardly anything now!
most jap cars have taken a massive fall and anything that drinks fuel or has a unreliable or expensive to maintain image and the coop has all of them will continue to fall in money but lets face it for the most it doesn't matter as we have the car we spend the money on because we love them and if you spend money on any car then you need your head seeing to.

i agree tommy, in fact for a few moments last week i was going to buy sean's £1800 le!! and keep my plus too - but i decided to wait and he sold it.

They Certainly are a Lot Of 'Bang' for your Buck!

Being a part time car trader (the nice, honest, genuine kind!)...I have my finger on the pulse of many car values, But I must say, when i came across the Coupe (only a few weeks ago) I was suprised at the Used prices they were fetching .....After some intense research on the Model, including FCCUK, I had my first drive in a '99 20VT....WOW ...........

...I went out last week a bought myself one! A '98 20VT with 105K mls, with leather,all very nice & original..In super condition/everything working !!!

....I won't tell you what i paid for it! ... But it wasn't a 4 figure sum!.......Sale of the Century & what a great car !

I've noticed that the highest priced, top end cars sell quickly and the modded dogs hang around. There is a highly modified porto on Pistonheads that's been there for months but as soon as a nice, original, low mileage, unmodded car comes up, it sells quickly. Welcome to the future.

Oooh, a low blow, Alan... true though!

A common thread in classic car discussion is removing previous owners' excesses and restoring the car to standard condition.

I bought mine towards the end the June this year.
It's a 20v turbo 1997 ink black, tan leather, aircon, totally in it's original form with 30k on the clock & full service history.
I paid £1600 for it imported it from the Isle of Man needs the cambelt doing though, but still for this price I was very pleased with it.
It gives me a smile everytime I drive it.

Some of you probably know I bought my LE and probably paid what they consider (but not I!) top whack for it in the current climate. However I don't buy cars like these as an investment or to get a return. I see MC Mikes car most days as we work together and longed to return to Coupe ownership as I had a 16v n/a years ago. I bought it 'cause I love the way they look/sound/go. Thats all you need to care about really. Yes they are ridiculously cheap now but take that to heart next time you are overtaking a Brera/3-series etc etc. My neighbour didn't know the car but seriously thought I'd paid £25-30K for it

Second hand prices will all soon go up due to the lack of available cars of any age and make. Its the old supply and demand. Supply of nearly new any model/ age cars with low miles is very thin on the ground.
This pushes prices up, as in 94/5/6 after the recession then. No new car sales means higher second hand prices after a period of time.
Sorry but coupes are now garage cars. Taken out every day is a rare car and expensive compared to a cheap Festa.
You have to remember that when these cars were around Fiat and Alfa had a very poor reputation for build and reliability which is very difficult to shake off.
I remember looking at a coupe at Motorpoint in Derby when they were imported and pitched a lot lower than dealers.
I loved the car , but took one look at the engine bay, which at the time would give an aero engineer a heart attack and thought about the reliability and rust.
Sorry but we on here maybe converts and love it but lots of folks must of thought the same as me

Weird, i too bought a 20vt ink black with tan leather, ac, electric sunroof etc in june? Got it for £1500 and he even drove it to me Just needs doors sorting and slight ding behind drivers door, maybe a new clutch in the near future but apart from that i cant fault it, i love the damn thing each time i sit inside, that tan leather is well classy and really lifts the interior, love it!

good, long may they stay away....

Taken out every day is a rare car and expensive compared to a cheap Festa.

Not so true, since owning my first coupe right up til my third (current one) i have used it on a daily basis and i find it very reasonable indeed espec considering the performance on offer, fuel economy is pretty good, insurance is the expensive thing

I too use my Coupe as a daily driver, especially as i only have one car!!, and find it perfectly usable for that!

It's nice to drive around in something different rather than a modern clone car

My daily too to work and back though familys days means its the wifes Sedici........

Couldnt have put it better myself, i pity those that buy the prerequisite audi/bmw/vw/vauxhall other than having to have it as a company car. My favourite are the new audis with their 'cool led line sidelights', awesome! Not...... yawn bloody yawn

Isnt it similar for most cars at the moment, the price being pretty low?

I bought my current coupe just before the recent price drop, a bit gutted at how much I've lost on it, then again worth every penny!

It seems to vary with the coupes, up and down like a yo-yo. But i agree, insane value for money, nothing out there like it

Decent ones with good history will always fetch reasonable money, you will never make a profit due to running costs however if well maintained and not used toi commute to lands end every day you will see most of your intial outlay back which is more than can be said for ANY new car.

I use my LE as a daily driver as I work 5 miles from home and sometimes cycle, at the end of the day its a car and its not there to be looked at, yes of late I have had some bad luck with someone hitting the front bumper and my bike rack damaging the laquer on the boot, but its only paint and can be fixed!

Its the same with anything you sell if someone wants it you can ask what you want and you will get it.

I've put mine up for sale twice now and both times had nearly full price offers but I cant find a decent replacement that want either depreciate like mad and isnt completely mundane so ended up not selling, and if I put it up again and people make stupid offers i'll just tell them to off and keep it im not bothered even when they are worth £50 scrap value they are still better cars than a 1.6 a3 or blooby 320i.

I've always said aswell I would rather have a top spec fiat, ford, vauxhall than a poverty spec BMW/Ausi etc howvever most people now just want to keep up with the jonses and have a newish BM badge!

Couldnt agree more

as per my previous post, nothing new costing 20k plus has given me more of a smile, so despite the fact i am living 3000 miles away in the middle east, i have decided i am going to buy the best one i can find, put it in storage under a cover and enjoy when i come back to the UK.

I have always wanted a car in one of those garages (bit like the italian job, although its not quite an Aston DB5 or the like) but there is a certain kid-like appeal about having a nice car under a cover in a secure garage waiting for you when you come back..

lets face it paying even 4 or 5k for a top notch late model it wont lose much cash now...

I even managed to find a decent storage place charges around 10 quid a week in dehumidified storage and they run it up every couple of months..

Agree with a lot of what has been Said, but it's not to Clever Criticizing other Manufacturers, (unless you have good cause to do so!!).Especially the likes of BMW !,
The reason they are so popular Nowadays is because they are probably the most technically advanced and Best engineered cars on the planet ..
..Lexus & Audi have had to push the envelope of Vehicle design in recent years just to keep on top of their game as one of the worlds Best Manufacturers!..(M3, M5,Z4,RS4, Quattro,R8,LexusISF,Efficient Dynamics,Hybrid Tecnology, Plus all the motorsport Success and highly efficient, high performing & Amazingly reliable Products...Etc Etc)

Yes, the Italians have Passion and have made some mighty fine SuperCars!...The Coupe being one of them IMO ..
..I Like the Coupe because of what it does Best, Makes me feel Good when i drive it ..
..But i am not ashamed to admit that being a family man who needs Dependable Transport!, I have a Quality German Car on the Drive as well!


Yes!...It's a BMW

Bmw are great cars, what im saying is the "I wouldn't be seen dead in a Fiat" brigade that act all snooty and all the drive is the lowest spec premium car available


If I had 10 grand I would rather have a high spec less prestigoeus model than vice versa, whereas many people nowadays are badge snobs (and yeah the the year of manufacture snobs)


Now when the 135 m sport becomes affordable then you are talking

you would not see me dead in a 120! rather a mk2 focus ST for the same money

Have been browsing the posts on here and some good and interesting points have been raised, I have just bought my first coupe. I remember fiat mailing me when they were first launched and have loved them ever since. I agree they are not fetching huge prices at the moment but as with any car good low mileage ones will always attract a premium.

I have for a lot of years owned classic cars and the coupe in my opinion is a classic all be it a modern classic, they are rare, have pedigree, style and the individuallity that only pininfarina can give. and yes I think good well cared for oe spec ones especially the 16 valve will increase in value but at the end of the day I am not bothered its not for sale, my astra is my car, my coupe is my passion. god I do hope my wife never reads this

I think I may know which car you bought ooher. You got a very nice car at a very nice price!

I don't really care what my coop is worth in monetory terms its worth far more to me as a keeper.