Do wanted adverts really work?

Commission sale - how does it work?
A commission sale arrangement with a reputable MGV8 specialist provides a number of useful benefits: first the trader will service and professionally prepare the car for sale, advise on the sale price and description of the car, give the car visibility in their showroom and in their trade adverts, handle all responses from possible buyers and their inspection and test drive, then negotiations over price, payment and handover. The specialist trader will be selling the car as your agent and before sealing a deal with a buyer check it is acceptable to you. The trader's remuneration will be their commission. For further details see our guide.
More & sample agreement

Join the MG Car Club via the "join now" webpage or by telephone to Liz Allsworth on 01235 555552.

Register your MGV8 with the V8 Register's V8 Database. More

See our Pricewatch webpages monitoring MGV8s seen advertised for sale or listed for auction. MGV8 & RV8

See our MGV8 Buying Guide. Our next update is due in May 2017. More

See our buying and selling information and advice webpages. More

Preparing an advert for the sale of an MGV8. More

On our two "cars for sale" webpages - one for MGBGTV8s and V8 conversions and the other for RV8s - we also offer "cars wanted adverts". Over the last couple of years we have seen more wanted adverts. From contacts with fellow members thinking of selling It has become clear that many members, some of whom have owned an MGV8 from the mid 1970s and 80s, are now reaching a stage in life when they feel the time is approaching when they should sell the car they have enjoyed for many years. Some cannot face the prospect of stream of potential buyers calling and visiting their home to see the car. They would like the car to go to a good enthusiast they feel will continue to value and look after the car as they have done, so what are the alternative ways of selling their car? Well essentially there are two: respond to an "MGV8 wanted advert" or sell through a reputable specialist trader on a commission sale basis.
MGV8 wanted advert
With a carefully prepared advert you can set out in personal terms what you are looking for in terms of model, condition and originality (whether Factory spec original, tasteful upgrades or more serious modifications). Mentioning why you want to get an MGV8 and indicating your fondness for the qualities and feel of an understated classic car like an MGBGTV8 plus your interest in maintaining the car will provide various levels of interest from existing MGV8 owners reaching a stage when accepting the time to sell their car is nearing. For those owners not wanting a mix of tyre kickers and traders pretending to be personal buyers rolling up on their doorstep, the idea of responding to a fellow enthusiast prepared to wait for a good car to come up in response to a wanted advert can seem a way of dealing with a real enthusiast who will continue to look after their car and enjoy it too. Once a cordial relationship has developed, negotiating the purchase price is often very straightforward. Scanning the wanted adverts on the V8 Website shows those wanted adverts have brought results. See our MGV8 & RV8 for sale and wanted adverts

Recent successful outcome for a wanted advert
Peter Cutting, an enthusiast in Cornwall who had an "RV8 wanted" advert on the V8 website for just 6 weeks, recently reported "this is to let you know that I have purchased an RV8, at last! Interestingly I received nine responses to the advert placed on the V8 Register' website. I was contacted by people as far afield as Cyprus and East Anglia but in the end I purchased a car from Swansea. I was offered five cars in Woodcote Green, one in BRG, one in Le Mans Green and two in Oxford Blue. Each one was different in one way or another and asking prices ranged from £15,000 to £23,500. In all cases I was offered the car ahead of it being advertised. So this was a worthwhile exercise but the level of contact and activity certainly increased as the Spring went on. I am picking the car up this coming weekend so perhaps you could mark it as ‘car purchased’ to draw matters to a close. So how do I now register the car on the V8 Register and /or join the MG Car Club?"

The reply was simple - first you are very welcome as a V8 member. You can register the car online using our registration form and you can join the MG Car Club either via the Club's website or by telephoning our membership secretary Liz Allsworth at Club Office in Abingdon on 01235 555552.
Posted: 170407

See details of the MGBGTV8 alongside on our series MGBGTV8 Pricewatch reports. More
Another successul outcome for an MGV8 wanted advert


Angus Munro had been keen to get a chrome bumper MGBGTV8 and had placed a wanted advert on the V8 website saying "a long term V8 Member seeks to purchase a Factory V8, Condition 1, from a fellow member which is close to the original specification but with a sunroof". It was an attractive advert. A V8 which fitted his requirements came up when Brown & Gammons contacted him to say they had an early chrome bumper MGBGTV8 in Glacier White which they were offering on behalf of its private owner on a commission sale basis. Both the owner and B&G felt it was a very good V8 which should go to a good home.

Angus inspected the car and soon realised it was almost exactly what he was seeking. On inspecting the car he could see from the very comprehensive history file that came with the car, that the car was completely rebuilt by B&G some few years ago and then had stood with little or no use. As part of their services for the private seller it was recommissioned by B&G. Angus was pleased to find the V8 remains completely 'in Period' with no modifications at all. So an example of both a wanted advert and a commission sale both working well!