Selling any type of car can be a terrible experience, and even more so when you are selling a classic muscle car. Today, old muscle cars are more toys than they are a means of transportation. That means the potential buyers’ pool is much smaller than it is for your average Kia. Moreover, classic muscle cars are now more expensive than ever which increases the chances of getting scammed, not to mention getting lowball offers daily. That's why selling a restored muscle car requires a bit more effort and research if you want to do it right. That said, you are at the right place to learn all of your options. So, join us as we explore five different methods of selling a restored muscle car, and discuss how convenient/inconvenient each of them is, what kind of fees each option carries, and how safe each option is.
With classic muscle cars gaining value year after year, we see an increasing number of dealers who exclusively sell vintage muscle cars or classic cars in general. Pretty much anyone can contact one of these dealers and get them to take care of the sale and find potential customers as long as the car is in decent condition. This method is very convenient as all you need to do is deliver the vehicle to your dealer of choice, and the rest is on them. And even transportation can be arranged in other ways. The dealer then finds potential customers and takes care of the paperwork and money transfers. The only downside to classic car dealers is the fees for their services which are in most cases between 10% and 15% of the vehicle's value. That's not a small amount and since part of that fee will be covered by the customer, selling a car can take a little longer than it would selling it privately. This method also doesn't make much sense if the car is worth less than $15,000 and some dealers might even turn you down. Still, this remains one of the safest options out there and one of the most convenient ones.
Auction houses are an extremely popular way of selling classic cars and muscle cars all over the world, and you can find cars that cost anywhere from a few thousand bucks to tens of millions. Auctions are also fairly safe as the chances of getting scammed are slim to none, however, they can be quite the gamble. Unless you set a reserve price on the car, which many auction houses will discourage you from doing, there are no guarantees how much you will sell the car for. At the same time, choosing the right auction house is extremely important because you want high-paying customers and high volume while at the same time as little competition as possible. And in the end, it all comes down to luck. That said, auction houses are fairly convenient as all you have to do is deliver the vehicle, although the auction house will arrange that too if the car is special enough. After that, it's up to the auction house to inspect the car, present it to potential customers, take orders in, and take care of the sale. Unfortunately, auction house fees are even higher than they are at the average classic car dealer often reaching 20% of the vehicle's value.
Selling your car at Cars and Coffee meets or classic car shows is the first method of selling the car privately. The reason you want to visit such meet-ups is that you will rarely find more muscle car enthusiasts at the same place at the same time. And considering that muscle car shows can draw in tens of thousands of people, it's almost certain that you will find at least a few potential customers. Unfortunately, unless you like going to car shows, this method is highly inconvenient. Namely, because you will have to spend the entire day there, plus talk and negotiate with all the potential customers. And in the end, there are no guarantees that you will manage to arrange a sale. But even if you do, you are responsible for all the paperwork and money transfers which opens the gate for potential scams. It's also important to mention that many car shows have banned car sales which lowers the number of places you can go to with the goal of making a deal. Virtually the only positive side to selling your muscle car this way is that there are no fees so what you sell the car for is what you get.
Selling cars online has become the go-to method for people across the world regardless of how much the vehicle is worth. But selling online the conventional way can be extremely tedious. A great alternative to such websites but also auctions and classic car dealers are specialized websites like Exotic Car Trader. When selling a muscle car through Exotic Car Trader, the first step is to make an account and upload your vehicle's information. After that, a professional photographer will come and visit you regardless of which city or state you live in and once we get pictures from him, your vehicle will be live on our website. Your car will also be live on our partner websites and socials such as AutoTrader, CarGurus, eBay Motors, Instagram, CarsforSale, and Facebook. Once the car is live, offers will start to come in and you can accept them or make counter offers without ever having to speak to potential buyers. Once you accept a price, the buyer's money goes into our escrow account until the customer inspects the vehicle and if the condition is satisfactory, the funds are released to the seller. This means you are 100% protected as a seller, but also as a buyer. We also arrange the delivery of the vehicle so that's one less thing for you to worry about and waste your time on. This is by far the most convenient method of selling your restored muscle car, and also among the safest ones. Moreover, Exotic Car Trader fees are lower than virtually any classic car dealership or auction.
A great thing about the Facebook marketplace is that there is a niche Facebook marketplace group for virtually anything including muscle cars. Listing your car on one such group will instantly generate thousands of valuable impressions and help you sell your car in no time. And it's not much different with big classified ads websites such as AutoTrader. These methods are also free of charge so you can expect to get the best deal. However, they are among the most inconvenient ones as you are the one who has to deal with potential buyers and anyone who has ever sold a car knows just how much of a pain that can be. At the same time, you have financial protection and are responsible for all the paperwork, meeting with potential buyers, and often arranging delivery or shipping.
Naturally, each of the methods we mentioned has its positive and negative sides. Selling your restored muscle car through Facebook groups, classified ads or car shows is the cheapest way, but also by far the most time-consuming and potentially dangerous. Classic car dealerships and auctions are among the most convenient and safest ones, but with 15% to 20% fees, they are hardly worth it. But selling your car through Exotic Car Trader gets you the best of both worlds. First of all, it's infinitely convenient as you don't really have to worry about anything other than making an account, uploading the vehicle information, and accepting an offer once it pops up. At the same time, Exotic Car Trader fees are sometimes three times lower than they are at auction houses and 50% lower than they are at classic car dealerships making it the most well-rounded option.
Exotic Car Trader is the fastest growing marketplace built specifically for automotive enthusiasts. Click below to learn how you can sell your car with us.
LEARN MORE
