I’ve always wondered what it might be like to buy and actually own one of the cars that we’ve thrashed to within an inch of its life during a road test. What happens, for instance, if you buy a car via the dealer network in good faith, then click on YouTube and see a video of it basically going sideways for five minutes?
Do you recoil in horror then reach for the phone and demand your money back? Or do you sit back and think; wow, that’s my car, then feel a strange sense of wellbeing about owning a mildly famous ex-press demonstrator?
Although I’m not 100 per cent sure I’d like to spend my money on a car that’s done the rounds of the various magazines, the truth is that these particular cars are more likely to have been looked after than most. They are inspected and prepared for the next thrashing between each and every road test, and when their time as a press car is over (usually within 10k miles) they are often rebuilt and readied for their first genuine customer like no other cars would ever be.
So although they work hard during their brief but exhaustive lives as press demonstrators, these are not necessarily cars to shy away away from secondhand. Which is why it was nice to get an email from a proud Cornishman recently who just so happens to have bought the BMW 1M in which I did 11,000 miles last year.
He’s “66 years young and still enjoys the buzz of driving well, getting the corners right and making progress.” And despite watching numerous videos of YH11 GOX going sideways through various corners, on various roads, and on all sorts of different test tracks, he seems to be delighted with his new car. But then that’s not surprising considering he’s also owned 911s, several Capris, a Lotus Esprit, a Lotus Sunbeam, three Audi quattros, an E36 M3 and numerous rather terrifyingly named motorbikes.
We’ll keep in touch to see how life progresses with GOX, but in the meantime, has anyone else ever knowingly bought an ex-press demonstrator? And if so, how did it go?
Join the debate
Add your comment
My HSV
I bought the ex press demonstrator HSV GTS, when they first started coming in to the country in the late 90's.
It was at a time when Vauxhall hadn't re-badged them as VXR's and they were imported by an Auzzie called Mark Clausden who set up a company called HSV UK.
When I purchased the car he did inform me that it had done the press circuit but had been checked thoroughly before it went back on sale. Certainly after checking it over and driving the car I had no reason to not believe him.
Cleverly (on his behalf) though, he had originally registered the car with a personalised plate, so when I took delivery, it had a different plate. The only identifier was a numbered plate on the dash.
It was a couple of weeks later when a customer came bounding in to my office wealding a copy of CAR magazine which showed a shot of my car (with numbered interior plate) going sideways!
The following week, the same guy came in suggesting I should watch one of the Clarkson video's (I can't remember which one but I still have it), where again my car was being used.
I certainly never had any mechanical issues with it, so for me, I was in the camp of feeling proud to own the ex-press car.
I know of an ex-press car for sale
There's an Impreza Cosworth press car (no. 0 of 75!) that I saw for sale last time I took my Cossie in for a service at Mangoletsi Subaru in Cheshire, I believe it's the only one left as the other was a prototype and the other press car was stacked (no names mentioned).
It's got a mileage somewhere in the mid 20s and to my knowledge has been absolutely lavished with services and parts. As it was a limited edition model it could be quite a canny purchase to anyone wanting a blisteringly quick car.
Mark Higgins lapped it quicker than a Lexus LFA and a Nissan GT-R at a competition event a couple of years ago and it finished second overall to one of the full-fat Lambos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL-Caem3MC8 (video of it in competition).
I used to own a Land Rover
I used to own a Land Rover Discovery V8 (reg. M228KAC), which had been a press car, to the best of my knowledge. I saw a picture of a RR (M226KAC) in a magazine, so I figured my car had been a press car as well.
I rang LR to try to find out what it had been used for, because the automatic transmission disintegrated at 33,000 miles. They wouldn't tell me.
Mind you, with a new transmission, it was fine and is still going strong in South Croydon with 110,000 miles up with only its second owner after me. I owned it from 1997-2000. The V8 is still its wonderful burbly self after all this time.