The Impact of Brexit on Sports Car Prices
Words by Raj Hunjan
Regardless of where you stand on the results of the Brexit vote, it is clear that it has impacted financial markets and more importantly for the car market, exchange rates. Sterling has weakened significantly against the US Dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. Over the last year the US Dollar exchange rate has fallen from a high of $1.58 to a low of $1.29, the Euro has fallen from a high of €1.44 to a low of €1.16 and the Yen has fallen from a high of ¥194 to ¥130. What has this meant for the car market exactly? The first being the overnight stalling of the car import market. The flipside of this is the sudden demand for left hand drive cars that have previously been imported. Over the coming months we’ll see many more left hand drive cars disappearing to Europe and beyond as they are now much cheaper than their counterparts abroad.
Another indirect benefit is the increased desirability of previously imported right hand drive Japanese cars. The low sterling value versus the Yen represents a 33% increase in prices for importing a car from Japan. Demand for these cars may have decreased slightly as a result, but some may have been diverted to previously imported cars. The price of cars like the Nissan Skyline R32/R33/R34 and other high performance Japanese cars may start to go up. Rather than sit back and watch this take place, consider buying a desirable Japanese import or left hand drive European car.
Depending on how the exit from the European Union pans out, we may find that the exchange rates bounce back relatively quickly, so acting sooner rather than later will ensure you benefit the most from the recovery. Over the next pages we have highlighted some great buys, all of which we have featured in detail in previous issues of the magazine.
No matter what happens with the UK and European Union, buying one of these choice cars will lead to miles of enjoyment for years to come.
TOYOTA SUPRA
Standard Toyota Supras are incredibly rare and will always have a following. The twin turbo performance is still comparable to modern sports cars. Bold styling is instantly recognisable and led to the car to become a classic icon. We featured it back in July 2014 and currently one will cost £20,000. JDM cars have been imported since the 90’s although many are modified.
UK DEMAND
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BMW M3 E30
The original BMW M3, the one that started it all. Simple design and subtle enhancements make this an iconic car. Motorsport success right from the outset in touring car championships across Europe ensure it has a huge fan base. We featured it back in December 2014 and currently one will cost around £37,000.All were left hand drive, so perfect for export to the EU.
LHD EU DEMAND
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PORSCHE 968 CLUBSPORT
Regarded as one of the best handling cars of all time. High build quality and engineering makes it relatively trouble-free to own and very low production numbers ensure collectibility of this track special. We featured it back in February 2014 and currently one will cost £32,000. A number of left hand drive examples have been on the market over the last few years.
LHD EU DEMAND
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LOTUS CARLTON
The Lotus Carlton has huge power for the era and still very fast by todays standards. Infamous criminal links and stories about banning, received huge amount of press during it’s production. It was the fastest saloon car when released. We featured it back in September 2014 and currently one will cost around £25,000. In the past a number of Opel badged cars were imported.
LHD EU DEMAND
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SUBARU IMPREZA 22B STi
The halo model of the Subaru Impreza range. Clear motorsport link with successful WRC history that led to this celebration model. Extremely limited build numbers, collected and coveted by Subaru rally fans right from the outset. We featured it back in January 2015 currently one will cost around £65,000. This car is now very expensive to source from Japan.
UK DEMAND
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PORSCHE 911 996 TURBO
The engine is an evolution of the more robust air cooled unit and doesn’t suffer many of the issues of the regular 996 models. Reputation for incredible reliability makes it a genuine everyday proposition, the practical all weather supercar. We featured it back in November 2014 and currently one will cost around £39,000. A number of left hand drive examples are in the UK.
LHD EU DEMAND
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LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE
The Delta Integrale is a car bred purely out of rally roots with the performance to match. It has aggressive styling that is unique and instantly recognisable. The Integrale was a popular car among enthusiasts ever since it was first produced. We featured it back in June 2014 and currently one will cost around £25,000. All are left hand drive and highly sought after in Europe.
LHD EU DEMAND
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HONDA INTEGRA TYPE-R
Regarded as one of the greatest front wheel drive performance cars of all time. Hand-built performance engine sets it apart from other cars. The stripped down lightweight nature of the Type-R makes it feel like a racing car on the road. We featured it back in May 2014 and currently one will cost around £8,500. Imported JDM cars have a following in the UK and make a good buy.
UK DEMAND
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TOYOTA CELICA GT-FOUR
There was a huge amount of engineering that went into the GT-Four. This is the car that got Toyota banned from the World Rally Championship. The turbo charged engine and four wheel drive system make this an extremely capable road car. We featured it back in September 2014 and currently one will cost around £7,000 making it fantastic value.
UK DEMAND