經典車賣車秘笈 - A how-to guide for selling a classic or collector car
*Check out the English Version below
KENNETH WONG 黃恩揚- 經營優質高級汽車事業，對處理高檔車種，擁有豐富經驗。經常參與高端汽車相關活動，其文章定期於汽車傳媒刊登。在創辦Classic Insider之前，是香港首間經典車拍賣行的營運總監。
「有一種方法，是朋友之間的買賣。這是可行的方法，但是很花時間。萬一講錯價錢，就連友誼都賠上，我人生中也看過不少！」
今次想跟大家談談賣經典車的注意事項。香港地要放賣家裏的經典車，不外乎幾個原因：沒有泊車的位置、人生階段的轉變、轉了品味和愛好，也有其他原因如家庭和財政方面等等。要賣一部心愛的經典車不難，有很多途徑，但需要賣得好價錢，就絕對不容易。
一般來說，很少代理或經銷商會買入經典車，因為他們對這些經典車不太熟悉，也不太明白其歷史和文化，所以只能以舊車價錢去收購。我知道有些經銷商可以幫車主賣，但我認為未必是最好的途徑。相信大家也不會找一直在賣家庭車的dealer去搵買家吧！怎會有買家去那裏買古典車？因此他們很難給予好價錢，幫車主找到好買家。
第二就是朋友之間的買賣。這是可行的方法，但是很花時間。萬一講錯價錢，就連友誼都賠上，我人生中也看過不少！另外，賣家亦可自行在網上張貼廣告，收費不貴；但是賣家要處理很多來電，有時買家來睇車又會甩底，甚或來到便對車輛評頭品足，大家又是否有氣量去接受這些煩擾事呢？
最後一招，是請一位經典車專業經紀（specialist broker）去幫忙。這些經紀或其公司，可以將要賣的經典車推廣得更好，因為他們通常都有自己的公關和市場部門，也非常熟悉這些車款。經紀們也認識很多來自世界各地的收藏家，擁有很強的人際網絡，因此他們能夠帶來較高質素的買家去看經典車放盤、能找出知音，也代表着成交價有望提高。找經紀的另一好處，就是他們多數不用你把經典車放在他那裏，賣家可以一邊用一邊賣，而經紀的收費是在經典車成功賣出後才收取，沒成甚麼特別的hidden fee，例如泊車費和行政費用；我甚至聽過某些經銷商會收取marketing fee。
要將經典車賣得好價錢，我在這裏有數個貼士：
第一、整部車的狀態要準備好去賣，最基本外觀上要美觀、內櫳整齊正常。
第二、所有機械和電子系統都需要正常運作，同時不能因節省成本而胡亂配搭經典車的部件。例如把一部法拉利（Ferrari）跑車配上韓國輪胎，讓人感覺會減分。賣家需要讓對方看到，他有去花心機去保養經典車。
第三、是我經常說的——集齊所有文件（如用家手冊、維修紀錄等），然後變成一個資料夾，好好保存經典車的歷史。甚至可先做驗車（PDI），將報告一併放進資料夾內。這些都是心機，能令買家覺得你很有心去保存這部經典車、很惜車，價錢自然能賣得更好。大家須謹記：自己要保存一份文件副本，另一份就給經紀人。
第四、要幫經典車影靚相。最好找專業攝影師操刀，要清楚美觀地拍攝車輪、內櫳、外觀和引擎等各個部分。可以的話，最好到車房將經典車「升高」，影車底，讓買家能看清所有東西，讓對方了解車主是怎樣去保養。
最後的貼士，是要寫好簡介（description）。一般來說，經紀能幫忙執筆。不過賣家要先提供資料給經紀，他才懂得怎去寫，例如某部法拉利出廠時配Rosso Corsa的車身顏色、同時選配了特別座椅等等。那部經典車有甚麼options，都要一一列明。
當找到準買家來看車，看車當天，記住先把經典車抹或洗得乾乾淨淨，將剛才我提過的資料夾留在車廂，供買家查閱。有些經典車會有特別的起動方法，可能要用特定程序才能啟動引擎。賣家要一早讓經紀知道和熟習程序，因為在睇車過程中，經紀要順利地展示那部車的行走性，這會令買家印象加分，成功率也更高。此外，賣家可以一同在現場，就算不在也最好事先或事後用電話跟經紀聯絡，同時亦請賣家與經紀保持聯絡，以防買家有某些問題突然想問；三方保持緊密聯繫便可透過電話即時解答疑問。上述這些貼士，聽起來好像很簡單，但當想賣車時卻容易疏忽忘記，希望這個月的題材能幫到各位車迷，從而一同分享玩經典車的樂趣!
A how-to guide for selling a classic or collector car
BY KENNETH WONG - Classic Insider
Be it a parking space issue or a change of taste. Maybe a change of circumstance in life such as finance, family, career or even old age. You have been thinking about selling your collectible car and you have come to a conclusion that the time is now.
Of course, there are various ways to sell your car, but selling a classic or collector car at a favourable price in Hong Kong is no easy task.
First, very few, if any dealer would buy-in or take a classic car as a trade-in, simply because most car dealers in Hong Kong do not specialise in classic & collectible cars. They are ill-informed to make you a reasonable offer.
Some dealer may say they are happy to consign your vehicle for sale but again they might not be the best people to represent classic cars for sale. You would not take your car to a dealer that sells family cars and minivans and expect them to be able sell your classic at a good price. By the same token, buyer would not look for a classic car at a dealer that don’t have the knowledge or experience in dealing with such vehicles. It is impossible to achieve a good sale price if they cannot reach the right audience.
Selling person-to-person, through your network of friends in your circle is of course another way. But it is both time consuming and many times, negotiation could take a wrong turn and inadvertibly affect friendship.
Selling your classic online thought classified or groups may seem cost effective, but dealing with numerous phone calls and serving tire-kickers is not for everyone.
There’s another option. You can engaging a Specialist Broker
A specialist broker can often do a better job of marketing your car than you can yourself. These companies have marketing and PR that promote the vehicle via their network of collectors, as well as international clients and partners. Through their marketing, they can brings qualified buyers to see your car, increasing the chance of selling your car at a favourable price.
A specialist broker do not require you to give up custody of your car, so you can still enjoy driving it while selling it. Brokerage fee is based on success and usually due when your car is sold, there is no hidden fees such as parking cost, administration cost or even marketing cost often associated with consignment dealers.
Here are a few tips to follow that help your car sell for a better price
Be sure your car is truly ready to sell. Details matter. Be sure that the car looks great, with all cosmetic issues dealt with and done properly. In addition to the cosmetic issues, be sure that all mechanical and electrical systems work as they should. Do not forget to be sure that your car has decent and correct tires. In other words, do not put Korean tires on your Ferrari; this tells sellers you are a cheapskate and they then start looking for what else was done on a low budget.
Gather any and all service records, receipts, and other documentation for the car and create a pair of binders that cover the history of the car. Also if you are really keen to sell, have a pre-purchase inspection done and include it in the folders. All of this communicates to buyers that you are the kind of fastidious owner that they want to buy from. Send one to the Broker and keep the other one for your records.
Have professional pictures taken of the car. When photographing the car, include everything such as the wheels, engine compartment, interior from both sides, and the rear of the car and headliner. As a bonus, if you can put the car on a lift and fully photograph the underside, that would be perfect. Finally, get pictures of the owner’s manual, service and history documentation and of the toolkit and any other accessories you have.
When the description is written, provide the broker with every detail about the car, citing the factory-specific names for the paint and interior colors (Rosso Corsa paint with Daytona leather Seats), the options on your car including the factory option codes, and all the ownership history you can gather for the cars life.
When the car is shown to prospects, be sure that the car looks great and throughly cleaned. Leave your second binder that documents the car inside the car so that it can be shown to prospective buyers on site. This is also a message to buyers that you care about your car.
Be sure to provide broker with a set of clear instructions on how the car likes to be started and driven. If the broker know how to properly operate the car, he can properly show the prospective client. Be available by phone or in person to answer any questions about the car before, during and after the viewing.
All of this might seem obvious to you, but you would be surprised at how often sellers neglect such things. Follow these rules and your car is likely to sell for a good price.
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