What price originality ?

[Classicus]

Interesting....
   
   "Good original, unrestored cars are now highly sought after with the values of preserved cars escalating every year," Rupert Banner, director of Bonhams's car department at www.bonhams.com, said in a news release. "In the last two or three years, auction prices for preserved cars in their original condition have exceeded those for cars that have been restored."
   
   http://www.examiner.com/article/restore-or-preserve-that-barn-find

[aaron]

A car can only ever be original once.

[Emmanueld]

There has been a category for unrestored cars at Peeble Beach for a few years. It's nice to see cars that have been preserved and have been driven regularly. They acquire a patina that can't be duplicated. However, when a car has been sitting for years in a less than optimal storage, the deterioration is such that there is no other solution than a complete restoration. Often, the unrestored vehicles are much better drivers. Also, after spending big money for a concourse restoration, most people feel uneasy about really driving their cars. I remember watching the PB "Concoure D'elegance" and getting a kick watching these millions of Dollars restorations which could barely climb the gentle slope needed to get to the podium  with huge amounts of blue smoke and mechanical noises. Many of these fine trailer queens with all their polished bits can barely run.
   
   It's amazing how much we have progressed in technology compared to just a few generations ago. Modern cars do everything so much better than even the most exotics of the past and that's without requiring any maintenance. However, I don't see them becoming classics with all their electronics and plastics. Finding new electronic parts will be a real challenge in the future as they can't be easily duplicated.
   
   Emmanuel[:D]

[302EFI]

I suspect the actual issue is not 'preserved vs. restored' but rather 'original vs. not original'. I guess if a car has been restored with all relevant parts remaining original that car is not less sought after than it was prior to the restoration.

[Emmanueld]

Actually it depends, a very original unrestored very clean car will most often be worth more than a restored one, then you have the quality of the restoration which is very important, bolting a set of original parts does not make a fine restoration, especially when talking about a rare car like a 428. Detail are very important like suspension tuning and engine tuning. Using original fasteners whenever possible, using period accessories like filters etc.  One can always see how good and expensive a restoration was. Often at least here in America, restored car are better than originals cosmetically speaking at least. Imagine, if tomorrow we find an unregistered never driven and perfect AC428 still full of its original factory stickers Etc. That car would probably sell for close to a  million dollars at auction and it might not even run, this why an original will alway be worth more.
   
   Emmanuel[:)]

[Classicus]

Say it was possible to buy an unregistered never driven and perfect AC428 still full of its original factory stickers what would be the minimum things needed, so as to keep it as original as possible, to bring it up to date and legally driveable....?

[Emmanueld]

I think to keep it's value up, it would be to keep it as is and not put it on the Road!
   
   Emmanuel[:)]

[Classicus]

What do you think Andy....?