martin horrocks
This is how a salesperson answered when I asked why their desirable classic with a great price has been on sale since December. However, after a first visit, when we made a new appointment to finish making the decision (a very promising purchase signal), he did not show up. I thought it was probably a misunderstanding and insisted, finally getting the car a few days later. I had been looking for a classic for about two weeks, and after having tried it repeatedly, I will tell you that this has been the closest I have come to participating in a fluid buying and selling process.
There was a very rare Lombardi in Navarra. Like the other time, the price was attractive, and the photos they sent me on WhatsApp looked good. The car's history was impeccable: it had been in the same family for 27 years, had the proper documentation and had been restored and then simply parked to this day. Therefore, a trip to get to know the region and surely buy it was worth it, so my wife and I set off.
When we arrived and I met the seller he told me that Franco had chosen his father to repair the official Rolls-Royce, and that he in turn had bought the Lombardi for his mother, who did not have a driving license and could never enjoy it . And that was the reason why he had been hibernating for so many years. It sounded fantastic: an exotic and rare Italian GT with the simple mechanics of the Fiat 850; a sleeping beauty in need of a deep tune-up, but nothing more. What could go wrong?
After seeing the car I did not buy; I had no problem with the price, but It did not match the description they had made of him. It needed a full-blown restoration: the doors were down as a result of corrosion on the A-pillars. On the other hand, it had several parking bumps, so it had not been restored and parked as it says the next day; in fact, the suggestive Lombardi had been badly repaired, damaged again, and only then parked.
The interior was complete, although the headliner had collapsed and gave it a terrible appearance ... In short, I did not want to get into a restoration project, so we had all wasted our time. Some more than others, since for me, a buyer, the weekend was around 300 euros between fuel and accommodation. Anyway, at least I can say that Navarra, in general, is worth it.
The French
Let's go to the third round. This is a rare Alfa-Romeo from the XNUMXs that I tried to buy last year but initially had to give up because the seller decided that the price he had set was too low and he wanted to rethink it (!). Even if we accept the excuse, the driving feel it continued to be advertised for the same amount for months with no one ever answering the phone again. Finally, the ad disappeared and I gave up.
It has been back on the market ten days ago, advertised for 100 euros more than the last time. Price had to be considered, yes sir. And this time the ad included such a fantastic description that we have to be honest and say that the seller had no idea what he was up to: This was not the short chassis version of the saloon, and it was certainly not made. of aluminum; in fact, the description of the car was almost entirely incorrect. Regarding the photos, They were the same ones from last year, better than normal but insufficient and smaller than necessary to be able to know if my interest was completely justified.
At least this time he picked up the phone, making it possible to arrange an appointment to see him next week, as he was going on a long weekend. I contacted the seller again on Monday and Wednesday, and he finally told me that he would show me the next day ...
Then the Frenchman entered the scene. Everyone knows that one of the favorite activities of the French in the early stages of the soccer world cup is diving into Milanuncios.com just in case a rare Alfa-Romeo advertised 1.600 kilometers away appears. Obviously this Frenchman is going to leave a sign with full confidence in his new Iberian friend, and we will all agree that the only honorable thing that he can do is sell him the car, passing olympically the type that has been ten days (or a year) behind his and also, coincidences of life, lives in the same town.
Perhaps, and just perhaps, that French does not exist; and the car may not actually be for sale. Or I may be an idiot, because that is how I have felt treated in my last three attempts to buy classic cars, still presenting myself as a serious and informed person. What are we wondering about then if "nothing is sold in Spain"?
* Translation by Javier Romagosa
Read this article in Spanish →
