Are we now facing a dramatic increase in MG prices?
07/04/2017
Cars were auctioned in the UK and Monaco last weekend. While most of the cars were sold at or below the estimated value, there were two interesting special cases, one at Bonhams in Goodwood and one at Artcurial in Monaco.
The British were apparently enthusiastic about a 1979 MG Midget, and instead of the expected EUR 15,000, the buyer paid EUR 32,695 (CHF 35,736) at Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. What was so special? It was a model with the unpopular rubber bumpers, which is why these cars are called rubber boats. Normally, this circumstance results in lower prices, but not here. However, the black Migdet had some advantages. It was practically brand new, had covered just 35 miles in its entire life and was from the final "Black on Black" series, as evidenced by the badge in the interior. So the black MG was a rare car, just like you could have bought from the factory 38 years ago.
The MG B, which Artcurialauctioned off in Monaco , was a different story. Although this was also a car from 1979, the blue MG (pictured above) had been completely restored and the rubber bumpers had been removed. Instead, chrome was fitted, but the MG made a good impression. The bidders were not deterred by the estimated value (EUR 12,000 to 18,000) and drove the bids up to EUR 29,000, which meant a selling price of EUR 33,814 (including commission, excluding tax) or CHF 36,857.
In two places, almost double the expected price was paid for MG sports cars. Is this a trend? Probably not, but certainly a ray of hope for all those who have been trying to sell their MG B or Midget for some time.
