Would you let a Stranger drive your XJS if you were Selling her?
 

I've often seen some comments on here from people who are about to buy their first XJS with some recommendations that you drive the Car for around half an hour in order to see if any problems show up

Great if you are a Buyer but if you're the person who's selling the Car, then maybe not so much

Because at least here in the UK on many Insurance Policies while I for instance may well have a Comprehensive Policy, if I let somebody else drive my Car that isn't on my Policy as a named additional Driver

Then my XJS is only Insured 3rd Party, which means that if someone Test driving my Car was involved in an Accident, whether at Fault or Not, my Insurance Company would not pay me out anything for any damage sustained

Meaning the Test driver, might just do a runner never to be seen or heard of again, or even in the Best of a 'worst case scenario' may agree to pay for the damage

Which in any event could certainly knock thousands of pounds off the Car

Maybe even just as bad would be if they accidentally 'dinged' it!

Which could bring about a response of 'don't be stupid its nothing, its only a little Scratch'

Just try getting something out of someone for something like that

I actually had this happen once on a 'daily driver' I was Selling, where someone pulled out of a line of Parked Cars with out looking and my 'Test driver' piled straight into it

But fortunately this 'Test Driver' did the decent thing and bought the Car, except I wouldn't want to bet that this is going to happen on every occaision

All my XJS's have agreed Valuations of £30,000 each and my Celebration XJS is going to be in the region of £40,000 but only on Condition that I am the only one who is driving the Car

When I bought 'Cherry Blossom' I wasn't allowed to Test drive her by the Seller for that very reason, which as I remember I fully understood the reason why, though not everybody is like that

And who's to say your Test driver may not have the experience of driving a 'Rocket on Wheels' or have even driven an Automatic before

So what's your take on this one Guys?

As for XJS Prices, I used to have a Healey 3000 Bn8 which I sold many years ago for £5000 (Big Mistake!)

It was not only a Great Car but also a bit of a 'Cult Car' much like an XJS but did have one of two things I didn't like, such as a very close ratio gearbox, which often seemed to make first gear redundant

And as for Creature Comforts, there really wasn't any, including the seats which were hard and bolt upright, which was in total contrast, to the 'Waft Mobile' I'm driving now

Which is so luxurious, that every time I get into her it just makes me want to cry (and sometimes I do!) as even just to look at She's just so achingly beautiful, that I can't help myself

But try and find a good Healey for under £60,000 and I even saw one recently advertised for £100,000! ('e' type prices now)

Which again in Total Contrast makes the XJS seem like the kind of a bargain that you might find in a Charity/Thrift Shop

Although I cannot help but wonder why?

Over the years I've come to the conclusion that UK insurance companies are a lot fussier than USA companies.

The norm in the USA is "you're covered" no matter who is behind the wheel.....so long as they're behind the wheel with your permission. At least with typical policies. Specialty/classic insurance policies may well be more restrictive, I dunno. I've never had them.

None of this helps you, sorry :)

Cheers
DD

Having grown up in the UK but now living in the US, am I mistaken in remembering that in the UK you could drive someone else's car and your own car insurance kicked in?

If I remember correctly, UK policies are 'the driver is insured'. Here in Germany the car is insured.

So if I was to drive my dad's van, I have no problem, as no matter what happens, the vehicle is covered. My insurance only covers my car, no matter who druves, unless I am the only named driver...

Hi Mashsjag

While I think that may be true, your Insurance (ie the Test drivers Insurance) would only Cover damage to 3rd Parties and your Jag would not be covered for any damage

Also the Car that you or somebody else may be Test driving, has to be Insured in its own right

Hi Daim

Not quite the same in the UK unfotunately

Doug is on point as to the USA. It is a little bit complex. If you let another person drive your car that person is an inured just as much as you are by definition. But, there is language for persons regularly using the car. To avoid sneaking in a person that the insuror would not otherwise accept. Bad risk for a reason r two.

I can not imagine me buying a car without taking it around at least a few blocks!!!
I don't think I am in the minority on that point...

With few exceptions, used cars are bought and sold as is as the default position. So Caveat emptor. Seems that would include a drive. Or even a look by an independent mechanic. Once sold no returns !!!

Carl

Carl

Hi Carl

I was hoping you would 'Chime in' as I know you're the 'go to guy' on this sort of stuff

i have been told that RHD cars are not legal in USA for private individuals , unless registered and insured for a business, postal trucks, rubbish trucks,etc. read expensive!

so i would be very cautious about letting someone drive my XJS, because they would naturaly try the hi=performance part of it, and the rear can step easily on slippery roads, even dry conditions!

ron

Hi Ron

What with what you've got under the Hood, that must be the Understatement of the Year!

I will be selling my Jag and will do it the same way I sell motorcycles,
No test drives without CASH in my hand and unlike motorcycles I will ride with buyer and my Derringer will ride hidden in my pocket.
If buyer does not want me holding CASH,I have buyer follow me to Bank and Bank manager hold the CASH, if any damage he just bought the car or bike.

I have sold a lot of vehicles this way with no problems.

i cant speak to the uk but in the us as long as the car is insured and there not a regular driver that is not listed your ok, someone that is only driving the car one time does not need to be listed. i buy and sell a lot of cars. normally i just take a picture of there drivers licence with my phone and throw them the keys and say come back when your done higher end vehicles i normally ride along. a car like the jag id certainly be riding along for the test drive. unless i was really comfortable with the person id probably even tell them you can drive it but don't drive it hard, if you want to see what it can do ill drive. my jag could get away from someone inexperienced pretty easily. luckily i have no plans of ever selling it but i would never expect anyone to buy a car without a test drive. only time i ever buy cars without first test driving them is auction cars and you normally build a good bit into your max price for unexpected issues on those.

Hi Mac

That sounds Good to me Mac and I would do the same, although I can imagine that a lot of potential buyers would not want to do that even if the Bank Manager was holding the Cash

As like many other people in life, the only time they feel happy, is when somebody else is taking the Risk

Hi Ezrider

Not the same as the UK as if someone else was driving my Car (with my permission, which ain't never going to happen!) but were not named on the Policy, as an additional driver

Then in the event of an accident, how so ever caused my Agreed Valuation of £30K would go right out of the window, where in the event of a 'write off' all I would get is Trade Price and I think that we can all hazard a guess as to how much that would be

Years and years ago, when I could afford musclecars, I was selling an Olds 442. A young fellow, maybe 20, looked at and drove the car a couple different times and came back for a third. He liked it enough to keep coming back but couldn't quite bring himself to say 'yes'.

After he drive it the third time I said "Let me drive" and we swapped seats.

I drive to a good location, stopped, and then planted my foot to the floor. The car put two black marks on the road for 100 feet, tires smoking, car slewing slightly sideways....and burned rubber again going into second gear.

He immediately grinned from ear-to-ear and said "I'll buy it, I'll buy it!" :)


Cheers
DD

haha, yeah i did a burnout in my jag non stop from 0-70mph where i topped out 2nd gear went back and measured the stripes on the road after and it was just over 1/8th of a mile long. i think if you hit 3rd while you still had a lot of wheel speed compared to road speed you could go even further but i don't have the ***** to try it....lol but iv chirped the tires on the 2-3 shift before hot rubber and lots of wheel speed i don't doubt it would do it. iv measured a best 0-60 of 4.9 seconds so far but seriously traction limited to get good time cant go wide open till about 45mph. i could probably scare any performance orientated buyer out of there money also hints my reservation to let some random person mash the throttle...lol

orange blossom, if i was in your shoes i would call the insurance company and ask what the protocol would be for test drives when selling a car. seems they would have to have something in place for that as most buyers are going to want to drive a car before they part with there money. maybe a rider on the insurance policy that you could put in place while the car was for sale that covers additional drivers or something.

Hi Ezrider

I've been into that a long time ago and there is absolutely Zero Chance of any Concessions like that, as in the UK they are ultra Strict on that kind of thing

Anyone driving who is not down as being a Names driver, would effectively mean that they are Insured for 3rd Party only

I guess I was thinking more of the motorcycle as to Cash in my hand , reason being a 1,000 pound M\C is easy to be laid down.
On the Jag I would only do test drive if buyer has cash in his hand and I also would ride along. Cash in hand weeds out the ones that just want to play with a V12.

I remember years ago (71) my father was selling his 65" Harley XLCH Sportster. The guy named Dave wanted to ride it. Dad told him no! The bike was seriously Hopped Up, and there was no way he's was going to let him ride it by himself. So Dave (6'4") gets on behind my Dad, and down the hill they went, and turned around about a mile down the road. The guy who came with Dave, was standing next to me looking down the hill, and I said "watch this". All of a sudden the headlight on the Sportster went straight up! and stayed there,-------------- dropped down, and went right back up, (2nd)---------------- dropped down again and went right back up. (3rd)-------------dropped down again, and went right back up,(4th). I'm grinning like the Chesier cat, and Dave's buddy looked at me, and said you knew what was going to happen, didn't you. Yep, I said sure did! Dad put it back down on the ground, turned around came back, and pulled into the drive. Dave got off the Sportster, pale as a ghost, and say's in a very shaky voice. I gotta have that motorcycle!!!

So no I wouldn't let someone drive it alone.

as i remember those XLCH were notoriuos for doing wheelies with two on board, that taught many guys to lean over the headlight when launching!
ron