Some people just about lost their minds when a 2014 McLaren 12C Spider sold for $85,000 recently on Bring A Trailer. For those who haven’t been paying attention to the supercar market, we can see how spotting that auction result might be jarring, especially considering the response. However, it’s not exactly the deal they believe it to be.
Mecum is bringing 2,000 collector cars to its Glendale auction.
Granted, the auctioned vehicle has a mere 14,000 miles on the clock, which is incredibly low for a car that’s about a decade old. But with such little use, we’d expect something in cherry condition. Instead, the listing photos show quite a few imperfections on the exterior and interior, something which would give us pause before submitting a bid.
But some are arguing that for $85,000 you can’t be too picky about your McLaren. Only, that’s not exactly true. Just a casual glance at Facebook Marketplace revealed multiple 12Cs around that price, a few even lower.
Sure, they have higher mileage, but low mileage examples sometimes can be an indication of chronic problems or an owner who couldn’t afford to keep the vehicle running for long stretches of time. We’re not saying that’s the case with this specific McLaren, but we are saying we would proceed with caution were we to consider bidding on such a lot listing.
For the unacquainted, this auction result seems almost too good to be true. This is why we would council anyone looking to scoop up a supercar or any other performance machine, classic, etc. for a supposed deal to do their homework, even in an auction scenario where time is limited. After all, the illusion of urgency is how many poor car acquisition decisions are made.
Take for example this McLaren 12C we found after a quick search on Facebook Marketplace in Santa Clara, California. While it has over 47,000 miles, that’s not high for a 2012. And it looks like it’s in great condition, presenting better than the one that auctioned.
The owner has listed it for $74,996. We would obviously proceed with caution, analyzing details and asking many questions, before finalizing any transaction. The point is buying a supercar or any collectable vehicle on a whim can cost you dearly. Doing your homework and making an educated decision to buy is the only way to go.
Images via Bring A Trailer, Facebook
Shawn Henry
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