For those who love time capsules, #82233, a one-owner 900 mile car will be auctionned by Gooding. Link sent by my good friend Bertrand (Thanks, Bertrand, who knows I do love time capsules): https://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1989-ferrari-328-gts/?sortBy=ENDING_SOONEST&pageNumber=1&fbclid=IwAR0rOCEZtqeGqqRj1GBPBUR4tQFv6I8Io9dyrUtk1XCUU1-r4Ud79Us2llM Rgds
Tragic Poor car.... it was "still born" quite literally Chedda be chedda I get that.... but the soul of this car is DEAD Jedi
Amazing example. Will be exciting to see how it does. A little surprised that a car with 850 miles on it has any nicks and scuffs, and the underside needs a little love, but easily cleaned/fixed up.
Candidly, I've seen cars with 50,000 miles in better condition. Mechanically, a car benefits from regular use and normal maintenance and, if it isn't cosmetically perfect, what's the point? "Time capsules" and "barn finds" are exciting phrases for the auctioneers and collectors. A few years ago I sold a 1959 "classic" car that was absolutely immaculate, was meticulously maintained, ran perfectly and was almost entirely original with 125,000 miles on it. The broker who handled the sale said that I might have gotten more money had the same car, with the same 125,000 miles on it, been sitting in a barn gathering dust for the previous 30 years. When I consider purchasing cars with extremely low mileage, I always wonder why the previous owners didn't want to drive them more. I really don't get it.
125,000 miles and immaculate? Anyhow, "time capsules" normally refers to cars that are in perfect original condition, whereas "barn finds" are original, discarded and neglected cars that are in horrific shape. For some peculiar reason, certain people find barn finds fascinating, with all their rust, rotten interiors and destroyed leather, etc. As far as time capsules, or ultra low mile cars that have been preserved and maintained, I couldn't disagree more. Sure, regular use is healthy for the car, but I will take a time capsule, change it's gasket, hoses, etc. any day over someone else's grime, wear and tear. People way overstate the harm done to cars with low miles. If it is stored properly in a regulated climate, changing items like rubber components is no big deal.
I personally maintain my own cars and regularly do whatever work, cleaning, maintenance etc. is necessary as time goes on to keep them looking like well-maintained cars that are about six months old, with very little grime, wear and tear. I admit that is not the norm. I do think a car just begins to hit its stride at around 25,000 miles. I guess it's a question of how much one pays for the time capsule and if it really is one. I totally admit that, as a motorcycle enthusiast, I have been fascinated by bikes from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s which are still sometimes sold brand new and literally still "in the crate."
I've seen an immaculate example with more miles than that. At a track meet. Being USED. There out there.
Why do some people get so riled up over time capsules? If there’s really an immaculate example with 125,000+ on it, it’s either a remarkably rare car or it’s restored. There’s nothing wrong with time capsules. They’re fascinating, and everyone I’ve seen run great, because they are generally owned by very serious collectors. People don’t have to cut down and attack perfect cars because they’re somehow threatened or envious of them Just enjoy your car for what it is. There’s nothing wrong with either.
The 6 months old analogy is a good one. I think my car fits into the category of being brand new but has a slight patina on some parts like on the cam covers, suspension parts, an odd repaired stone chip, etc which I really love. It shows the cars unrestored originality and true 30 year age (yet being taken immaculate care of during it's life), rather then a freshly restored car where everything is brand new and has no factory finishes or age to any components. Just like my kilometres of 18,000 km it shows it's been driven, around 500km per year, yet sparingly. Personally I think that's the best of both worlds... a well maintained car with fair usage.
That's true. What's the maximum miles/ kilometres for a "time capsule" I wonder before it is just a low mileage example.... ??
That's a good question and I have been sitting here for 5 minutes trying to come up with a number. Maybe anything under 1000 for time capsule status.
These are my criteria...you might agree or not...the list totals 46 cars as for today, but there are probably a lot more. You will note that I have (arbitraly) decided to list only the cars "post Enzo Ferrari's death", so bought probably with the intent of being shelved. Revised list of known “very low mileage” or time capsules 328s in October 2020: 46 cars To qualify, cars must have: - less than 10.000 kms (or circa 6.250 miles, give or take a few miles more…) on the odometer, - a chassis number “post #77000” so as to have been delivered “about” August 1988 or after (Enzo Ferrari’s death, start of speculation). Corrections and additions welcome. 77187: Euro, 9.500 kms, for sale in Italy, April 2016 77436: Euro, 3.800 kms, Bonhams sale, Geneva 2003 77646: Sweden, 769 kms, for sale in Japan, December 2018 77722: Euro, 2.049 kms, sold new in Italy, then in a collection in the U.K, auctioned July 2020 77736: Switzerland, 7.700 kms for sale at MMC in Paris, December 2014 78971: US, 4.126 miles as for sale in Chicago July 2018 79020: UK, 2.150 miles, at HR Owen in Nov. 2015 79149: Euro, 3.000 kms as for sale in September 2018, delivered new to Denmark 79583: US, 4.815 miles, at Marshall Goldman Jan. 2016 79607: Swiss, 7.700 kms, in Germany in June 2016, 169.000€ asked 79624: US, 6.330 miles on the odo as sold in February 2015 by Michael Sheehan 79638: US, 6.116 miles on the odo as for sale in February 2011 79938: Australian, 1.660 miles, Christie’s sale, London, UK, 2004 79966: US, 64 miles, Hemmings New-York, 2012 80070: Euro, 519 kms, for sale in Germany, May 2018 (the car has never been registered) 80202: Swiss, 3.300 kms, sold in Belgium in 2008 80331: Sweden, 3.210 kms, for sale in Sweden in February 2017 80386: US, 190 miles, for sale in Canada in 2008 80446: Euro, 3.200 kms, for sale August 2018, delivered new in Denmark 80501: US, 700 miles, Bring-a-Trailer, June 2020 80552: Euro, 616 kms, for sale in Germany in Oct. 2012 (this was a car seized by justice) 80610: US, 105 miles, RM Auction July 2012 80644: Euro, 199 kms, Bonhams sale Sept 2014 80682: US, 389 kms, for sale in Italy, Feb 2014 80883: Euro, 2.500 kms, for sale out of a collection in Andorra, Jan. 2015 81058: US, 87 miles, sold in Switzerland by Bonhams in 2002 81143: Swiss, 800 kms, sold in 2005 81150: Euro, 190 kms, one of two brand new Giallo/Nero GTS put aside by French importer Ch.Pozzi, sold in 2003 81188: UK, 556 miles, appeared for sale end 2014 81267: Euro, 900 kms, for sale with certified mileage in Germany, January 2017, 229.000 euros asked 81327: Euro, 5.866 kms, Bonhams sale, Reims, France, Sept. 2008 81550: Euro, 410 kms, for sale in München, Germany, April 2015, 200.000 euros asked. 81897: Euro, 1.200 kms, For sale in USA, February 2015. 81988: Switz, 8.000 kms as for sale in Japan in August 2015; f.sale in Czech Republic in Oct. 2017 82094: Euro, 9.900 kms, the second of two brand new Giallo / Nero GTS put on a shelf by French importer Ch. Pozzi, for sale Nov. 2013 82112: Euro, 150 kms, sold at F.A Automobiles in Paris, France, 2010 (then went probably to Japan?) 82125: US, 1.400 miles, when advertised for sale in Feb. 2010 82202: UK, 299 miles, for sale Aug. 2015 82206: US, 6.258 miles as for sale July 2011 82233: US, less than 900 miles, one owner, for sale Gooding oct 2020 82489: US, 4.700 miles as for sale October 2018 82624: UK, 5.500 miles, at Bonham’s sale, June 2016 (corrected: 82624, not 82264!) 82794: Euro, 8.500 kms, for sale in Spain, Dec. 2015 83092: UK, 2.100 miles, for sale June 2016 (said to be the last GTS exported to the UK) 83116: Swiss, 99 kms, Bonham’s auction, 2007 83117: Swiss, 160 kms, On E-Bay Germany, then at Auto-Salon Singen, 2012
It was surprising to me how many things can go wrong with a car in long term storage. I am just now finishing a turbo bodied marque of sports car that can’t be mentioned here that was stored for 20 years. It took a year of steady work and FedEx deliveries to bring it back from purgatory. The storage was decent so no real moisture or weather damage but the list of problems was very long. In addition to the things you normally think about such as fuel, brakes, and battery, most nylon bushings and collars had turned to powder, the leather had gotten hard and brittle, the vacuum booster for the brakes had internally corroded, gauges needed to be sent out for cleaning and repair, the sunroof mechanism had issues, switches and relays had needs, and of course the a/c needed work. I haven’t mentioned pulling the engine for new seals. What was especially revealing is that the inner rear wheel bearings had to be replaced as they had flattened on one side from the car sitting so long in one position. I never would have thought of that but it became apparent after the inaugural test drive. Ironically, or maybe not, this baby was featured on an episode of Tom Cotter’s “Barn Find Hunters”! I love the end product, but it was a much more complex and expensive a procedure than low mileage, long term stored car would imply. I would do it again, but pay less upfront to soften the financial blow of such an undertaking.
That’s an owners choice. My point being, most who have issues with low mile cars seem to take refuge in the myth that they’re mechanically undriveable.
I don’t doubt any of this, but the car you’re describing suffered from serious neglect. That’s a far cry from the 328 listed by Goodings, and many other low mile cars owned by responsible collectors.
No, GTB and GTS all together. For instance, 82112 was a GTB; absolutely brand new, only the "delivery miles" on the odometer. I can provide the detail between the two if you are interested. Rgds