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Over the years, one of the most asked questions I got about Citroens from both customers and the general public was… “How much is it worth?”

My usual quick answer was… “Whatever someone is willing to pay.”

I know this seems like a bit of smart a** answer, but the real answer is not easy.

The Citroen D Model for example…

Take for example the Citroen DS, the car I worked on the most. If you find one for sale, on eBay for example, it might have been spending the last few years of it’s life sitting under a tree.

Hmmm…

The seller thinks he has a work of art. He discribes how it was running several years ago when parked and how it should be just fine, but later in the discription… there appears to be a hydraulic leak and the car no longer goes up and down.

The seller starts the auction off at $7,000.

Let’s get real here!

Then along comes the highly educated professional who buys the above car. His story usually goes that his uncle had one when he himself was very young and he has always wanted to get one.

He wants to know…

Can he fully restore the car and enjoy it a bit then flip it and make a profit?

NO!!!

Now here is a person who you assume has made some good investments and financial decisions during his life, yet he is bringing this car to you and asking this type of question.

His next question is… “What will it cost to fully restore the car”.

This is where you usually make the person very angry by telling them you simply work for “time and materials”, and that to fully restore the car, the owner will probably spend 7 to 10 times what the car will ever be worth.

Now this is where the guy usually walks off in a huff and calls every other Citroen mechanic he can find. But, he ends up calling you a couple of weeks later saying he has done some research and asks… “Hey, would you be interested in buying the car as is?” Don’t ya just love it?

Here’s the REAL scoop on how to buy a nice Citroen…

My usual answer to someone who wants a nicely restored car and wants to get a fair price on it is to take their time. Join all the clubs, go to club events and talk to everybody.

Find a car that someone has for sale, that was fully restored and maintained by a good reputable Citroen mechanic for several years. (And this is important, because that uncle that spent several summers in France and worked on the cars a bit is not the person you want restoring the car.) You also want to see a paper trail on all the work done on the car.

Next, try to find an owner who has finally gotten the word from his wife that… “he should sell the car because she wants that new kitchen that he had promised her before he bought and then restored that Citroen DS.”

Now here is where that person’s loss is your gain. He dosen’t want to sleep on the couch and you get that car for what it is worth… “A fair price”

Don’t forget to leave your comments below and watch for my article on… Rustproofing your Citroen to keep it’s value.

Tags: , buying a Citroen, Citroen, Citroen D Model, Citroen DS, Restoring a Citroen, Rustproofing a Citroen