Check this out--a 97 XK8 coupe for $38k (AUS), or just under $28k USD. Not even super low miles/kms!

https://louguthry.com.au/cars-for-sa...ssic-4l-coupe/

Admittedly, it's aesthetically perfect. But still. Wow.

Check out the others for sale as well. A similar convertible is selling for even more. A few other jags tossed in there as well.

 

Everything in Australia is incredibly expensive. Back in 2001 and 2002 one of my corporate program managers lived in Perth and would fly here to Research Triangle Park every six months or so for a variety of high-level meetings. He would usually stay for two to three weeks at a time and his wife always instructed him to bring back 6 or 8 cheap suitcases filled with everything from athletic shoes to clothes to CDs to personal hygiene items to school supplies. With four kids under the age of ten, it was far cheaper for him to load up those suitcases with everything but the kitchen sink and pay the excess airline baggage fees on the flight home than to purchase those items in Australia. Never saw him again after that particular program terminated in July 2002 and I retired from the corporate world in November 2002. The airline rules and regulations are much stricter today so that plan may no longer be economically feasible....

 

Yeah! Australian prices differ widely and to me it’s because of “place to place”. In my job, as a bridge builder (road and rail bridges) I travel a lot and am always curious as to local car prices. Hong Kong prices are sky high as cars are taxed heavily, and rarity/numbers also plays a part.

Hear in Bahrain, people come from Saudi to buy cars as Bahrain cars (which is a small island) have a lot less mileage than Saudi equivalents.

USA is a huge country with interstate travel common, so there’s a lot better selection when you buy a car (again the numbers game).

I actually think my 1999 XK8 is a Dubai import as the Bahrain Jag dealer had no record of my car.

 

Interesting! I had no idea. Although maybe I should've put 2 and 2 together. I know that strict regulations in the UK mean that used car prices are quite low over there. Didn't occur to me that the high prices on the website might be reflective of the general market in Australia (or at least heterogeneity therein).

If prices differ widely in Australia, wouldn't this make for some really easy arbitrage? I should do some research

 

I've been watching an automotive Youtube show from Australia called "Mighty Car Mods". They are a bit younger then most of the crowd around here, and there tastes in cars usually don't go towards British rides, or even many European ones, but they are car guys. The one thing I've learned from them, is importing older cars into Australia is not an easy thing, and chances are some of the bits are going to be rejected. Apparently asbestos is the new thing that trips up most imports. You have to prove that no item in the car has any in it, before they will allow it into the country. May be part of the reason for the high prices on used cars that are over there.

 

I enjoy going on eBay Australia sometimes and looking around! I love the old Utes and being a Mad Max fan I like looking at the old XB's and such. Prices are amazing. I saw a 1979 El Camino going for 29000! Wow!

 

One of the reasons I bought my XK8 Coupe was because I know it will be worth something in the future. They are too beautiful not to be. I probably have less that $6,500 in mine so they don't have to go up much.

 

From reading the forum, I don't think our UK MoT (annual inspection for vehicles starting three years from registration) is that much stricter than State inspections in the US and it appears to be considerably less thorough than the inspection for import to Australia. We certainly don't have to jump though the hoops many US members find necessary to pass emissions testing as OnBoard monitoring doesn't (yet!) need to be completed.

I think the main reason for the price differences has to be distance from the manufacturer and market share. Although the US was taking around half Jaguar production, the marque is still regarded as prestige and, I expect, not too common a sight on the roads. In Australia they must be even rarer. Jaguars are a luxury vehicle here in the UK but not uncommon.

The other reason for the low used luxury car values here is repairs and maintenance. It has been that way with Jaguar since I started running them more than forty five years ago. Running costs increase with vehicle age and, whilst many aspire to own such a vehicle, it isn't a practical proposition unless they can do repairs and maintenance themselves. Consequently used values fall off the cliff. My XK cost the original owner 60,000 UKP (78,500 USD/110,000 AUD). After four years it was only worth 25,000 UKP (32,700 USD/45,750 AUD) as a trade-in. When I was looking for a 2014 coupe in December 2017, I quickly found 18 and was able to make my preferred choice of specification.

Graham

 

actually from personally witnessing your MoT inspections for years 90 through 2009 when with friends the mechanical fitness and safety inspection were always impressive and quite thorough as well as useful. no inspection program in the USA ever came close. the USA along with Japan were always emissions reduction leaders. the USA forced it on our American manufacturers when it was implemented and the Japanese cars exceeded the standards so much that they could always pass.

for the vast majority of USA inspections, the emissions testing via OBDII is no big issue. we only hear about the horror stories and this is mostly due to USA technical ability not at universally high standards.

the inspections programs in the USA never really focused on safety to the same extent other than the individual testing stations being able to charge for repairs. not always an honest system.

we actually need something like what i observed with the UK MoT in terms of mechanical and safety certification.

in the transitional phase to OBDII testing, we had about two decades of dyno testing in many markets where the vehicle was driven on a simulated road course which varied quite a lot over the test. many cars with no emissions error codes that could easily pass a plug in test failed gloriously, even when very new. it was a rather entertaining. one could also get to hear cars being run at speed and easily determine which sounded like they were made well. things like missed oil changes could cause a car to fail. needless to say the transition to ODBII plug in lowered the standard and the opportunities for gaming that system were and are endless.

sometimes progress is not an improvement.

 

I feel like I read an article on Jalopnik about used car prices in the UK that mentioned more than just MoT, but I can't recall it.

I will say that (knock on wood) I've never had a significant emission or inspection issue in my state. But it does vary by state. I think CA is generally known as the strictest, but I talked to Andrew from Jaguar Specialties once, and he mentioned that MA is actually thought of as strict. In MA, though, if it's been 15 years since the model year of the car, you can pass with a check engine light etc. I've benefited from that on our 2003 Audi A4 which has a non-fatal torque converter issue that means the CEL is constantly on.

That all being said, I haven't seen super huge variations in car prices across states. But that's anecdotal.

I wonder if some economist has done a study on this. If not, maybe I should do it!

 

Another consideration in the UK is insurance categorisation for accident repairs.

Category A
Scrap only. For cars so badly damaged they should be crushed and never re-appear on the road. Even salvageable parts must be destroyed.

Category B
Body shell should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road but reclaimed parts can be used in other road-going vehicles.

Category S (formerly Category C)
The vehicle has suffered structural damage. This could include a bent or twisted chassis, or a crumple zone that has collapsed in a crash. Category S damage is more than just cosmetic and the vehicle will require professional repair.

Category N (formerly Category D)
Vehicles graded accordingly haven’t sustained structural damage so the issue may be cosmetic or a problem with the electrics that isn’t economical to repair.

A Cat S or Cat N vehicle will be considerably lower than the market value for an equivalent year and specification undamaged example.

Graham

 

Ah, I think I may have found it--could it be that you guys across the pond might be subject to more taxes (both in number of taxes and amount owed) for used cars? At least where I am, the only tax I pay is a yearly excise tax for my town (which is about $165 for the Jag because of the low value of the car). At a constant price, and outside of the usual culprits (i.e. gas/petrol usage) there's really no disincentive to buying a big, lumbering, powerful car--is that not true in the UK?

 

Ouch. That is high. Second hand prices here tend to be pretty optimistic, or maybe I look in the wrong places. There was an ad for a 97 coupe recently at £15K, which is a fair way above my agreed value. Seller did claim 'there is nothing at all wrong with this car' - in his dreams, I suspect.

The blue Pontiac looks pretty.

That sounds just plain daft. Is it an emission from the Ministry of Silly Ideas, or is there really some logic behind it?

 

YES - it's to protect the increasing numbers of naive and gullible who believe any drivel or spurious claim if it's delivered through social media or an app.

Graham

 

I look out from Australia at what you guys in the US and UK pay and imagine a shed full of vehicles for small outlay but in the end it's all relative. We pay more but then it's worth more if and when moved on (that NEVER happens incedently)
My XKR "with R features" was sold new here for $220k AUD. 19 years ago, thankfully there are new car buyers prepared to take massive hits so l can own these cars a few years later.

 

Hello from Australia. I use to own this XK8 that is for sale at Lou Guthry Motors in Melbourne ,Victoria,Australia.I traded the car with Lou 5 years ago for a 2008 XF.
The naturally aspirated XK8 and the supercharged XKR models are holding their values quite well in this part of the world. My current motor is a 2007 Mercedes Benz CLS550.I am sure I will return to the house of Jaguar one day.