We keep a keen eye on the classic car market - there are so many outlets and platforms that this takes up a lot of our time (admittedly it might be reading the latest Classic Car Weekly or Classic and Sports Car over a pint somewhere...) that we have recently launched a new idea.

When we list our cars for sale we take at least 2 hours putting them up on Ebay, Facebook, Gumtree, Classic and Sports Car, Classic Car Weekly, Instagram and our website (amongst other outlets). Whilst we have all the user names and advertising both in print and online set up it occurred to us that many people looking to sell their car may not have. It also occurred to us that the rise of online 'specialist' auction houses are looking for at least 5% of the final sale either from the buyer or seller.

When we considered selling a car through a recently launched online auction site we were dismayed to read that we needed to provide over 100 photos (or pay their photographer to visit), write our own description and basically do all the work for them to put the car on their one platform. When we looked at the listings they were open for public auction but of course such a selling technique does not always return what one might think the car is worth. 

Taking this into account we decided to offer our 'List With Us' service. This means that when selling your car it will get the maximum exposure across all the many platforms we use including our website which gets around 1000 hits a week. We also have more than 4000 Facebook followers and we run a 'Classic Cars For Sale UK' Facebook page (with around 700 members and growing) aimed specifically at Classic Car buyers.  We advertise in Classic and Sports Car every month and we have the Barnes Classic Car Instagram page,

All our client needs to do is pop their chosen photos to us and give us a call to describe the car. We will (if required) write the advert for your car and get it live within a few working days. We will provide all this for a £150 fixed fee with no time limits on the advert. It represents great value for money and means that sellers can be sure they get somewhere near their asking price. It also saves sellers time and money - an Ebay advert costs around £25 and there is the final value percentage to pay, Facebook advertising costs around 50p a click and print media is very expensive indeed, By consolidating all of these channels we can pass the savings on to our clients so why not give it a go if you are looking to sell?

Let us know what you think in the comments!

Business here at BCC is brisk. We have a brace of MG Midgets available along with a VW Type 2 and a Mercedes SL280.

Our recent new offering of 'list your car with us' is proving very popular. As we already advertise in Classic and Sports Car, along with many other online sites including Facebook, we have a wide audience reach and your car also get its very own photo shoot all for a fixed fee. This enables your vehicle to reach the widest audience possible and takes all the hassle out of the selling process - see if we can help you today by dropping us a line at sales@barnesclassiccars.co.uk

Please have a look around our website - enjoy the pics of the summer shows this year as we fear they may be all there is as winter sets in once again.

We hope to meet more fellow Classic Car enthusiasts out and about soon. Happy motoring and remember - use your car through the winter or at least start it up every week to keep the cobwebs away!

Recently the Classic Car market has been in flux. Cars we could have sold in a week a few years ago seem hard to sell. This has led to a new focus for us and our buying strategy. We intent to purchase excellent examples of great Classic Cars that still allows them to be used and taken to shows without breaking the bank. At the moment with we have a 2 previous owner Riley Elf Mk3 (see above) - a very rare little car indeed and three MG Midgets. The late 1976 Midget and the 68 Midget are as good as they come. What we really like about all these cars is their history. All of their owners are passionate about their cars and have had a long affair with them. They have decided to sell because they are not being used so our job is to find the next custodian who will continue to cherish and invest in the vehicles. Classic Cars are not like modern cars - if you listen really well they talk to you and that is the joy of ownership - the connection and the passion. We will endeavour to continue this tradition and we hope to see you out and about at the numerous excellent shows we attend every weekend. If we have a car you would like to see we are happy to bring it to a show for you to view - just let us know.  Happy motoring!

Here at Barnes HQ we have had some extended building work taking place - this has rather interrupted normal service of finding Classic Cars and getting them ready for resale with confidence that they are what they say they are. The good news is that we are now back online with a Morris 1000 up for sale which is soon to be followed  by a nice example of a late MG Midget.

Take a browse around the site - if you have a car for sale or would like to see our cars then please drop us a line.

We hope to meet you soon in the rebuilt house!

Happy motoring

This is a great higher end product that serves as one of the ultimate storage solutions for your classic car (or any other car....)

When you factor the cost of monthly off site storage then the cost of one of these great units, sited at your home so you can take the car out on a lovely day, pays for itself within a year or so. It can be fully automated, back lit, sized to suit and does not need planning permission in most cases.  These units look great and perform very well - we were very impressed as well by the marketing manager who has a real passion for Classic Cars. 

You can find all the details here - well worth a call and a friendly chat on 01371 877720 or take a browse/'gaze' at www..gazeboxuk.com

Let Peter know you heard it hear first and secure a great deal with a free no pressure site survey.

So now, you can get that Classic because you have storage for it :)

​Happy motoring!

We are very excited about the lighter nights and classic car shows getting up and running - the winter is a miserable time for classic cars! We have a few little gems available at the moment - from a 1989 Maestro (remember them? Less than 30 left of our model!) to a very good condition Moggie and a few project cars - we find there is a market for everything...

We plan to take the Maestro to the classic car shows and we plan to enter for concourse - it is that good., It has 44k and 3 owners with a full history from new - drives really well and for our director Chris is a time machine - back in the late 80's it was a family car that went as far as France on holiday and when we spotted it for sale it had to be bought! 

We continue to search for every man classics at reasonable prices so keep any eye for what we find next.

​Happy spring time and happy motoring!

Merry Christmas! It is an exciting time here at Barnes Classic Cars - the new year will see a return to full time operation at our HQ in Great Dunmow, Essex. We will be stocking up over the next few months in preparation for a busy spring and summer season. We are always looking for good examples of classic cars - especially Morris and MG models. If you would like a valuation please get in touch - you may be surprised how much we offer with same day payment and prompt collection. May your days all be merry and bright.... See you in the New Year - happy motoring.

Currently we have two Morris Minors for sale and a Porsche Boxster - very different ends of the spectrum!

However, one of the Morris' is an early model which has had a lot of work done - it is now running a 1275cc engine through the standard 4 speed box. It is a fast little car - it keeps up with everyday traffic whilst looking like an early 948cc model. It is not often you can use one of these cars everyday but we are having lots of fun popping to the shops and back and even raising a few eyebrows when overtaking!

With many more vehicles coming up this year and a new premises on the horizon keep an eye on our progress - you might just be surprised! Happy motoring... even in these bleak winter days. It is only now we are missing the evenings still being 20 degrees,,.. 

One of the best bits about running a Classic Car business is finding those hidden treasures. We have recently purchased a lovely 1961 Morris 1000 who has been with the last owner since 1983. This owner bought the car from the first owner. This little gem was fully rebuilt between 2008 and 2010 and the attention to detail is outstanding. It has never been in the rain since its rebuild and repaint and it is immaculate. The underneath is also like a showroom car and everything was replaced when it was restored. Finished in gleaming black with a red leather interior this little Moggie is a real find and we hope to find it a good home - it is a show stopper! Keep following us for more details and pics later this week. Happy motoring!

Following the birth of two little Barnes' we have had a quiet few months here at hq. However, from January we will be back full time buying and providing our clients with excellent examples of everyday classic and modern sports cars.

The market has seen some bumpy times over the last year but we think it is starting to level out and return to form. Classic cars are still a great investment - what else can you put money in to, enjoy and then maybe see a rise in value? With banks and building societies only giving around one percent on savings a diversified portfolio could well be the way forward. Having something solid to look at and enjoy has never made more sense...

The 'modern classic' market is growing well. The demand for those 80s and 90s classics continues to rise as those of a certain age look to relive those heady days... indeed if we could find a 1985 XR2 it would be hard to part with. We will be looking for future classics as well - we feel that a head turning, low mileage well presented car is always a sound proposition. 

Using our contacts and attending as many events as possible we will continue to bring interesting finds and links to the website so please give us a like or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/barnesclassiccars) to see what we have found!

If you are selling a vehicle then give us a try - you may be surprised as we value repeat custom and fairness in all our deals. 

Stay tuned for progress folks...