From childhood dreams to driving your dream
Like many Fast Car Finance customers, company director Chris is an avid collector of classic and modern classic cars having developed a passion for cars during his childhood. As a young boy, he had posters of Lamborghinis, Porsches and Maseratis on his bedroom wall and 40 years later, he’s now the owner of his very own Maserati Granturismo S MC Shift. Chris very kindly agreed to talk us through journey to classic car ownership and has some great tips for other classic car enthusiasts.
Chris’ Journey of Classic Car Ownership
How Many Classic Cars Do You Currently Own Chris?
I’ve got five at the moment. I kept my first car was a Mark 1 Golf and although it needs a bit of work on the brakes, I still enjoy driving it. I’m so glad I kept it – and funded the extortionate insurance premiums when I was young – because it’s still a lovely car to drive and both my wife and I enjoy taking out for a spin.
In addition to the Maserati Granturismo, I’ve also got a few classic BMWs including an M3 and M5 and in the past I had a Porsche 996 Turbo.
Do You Collect Classic Cars Because of Their Investment Potential?
No, I buy them because I love to drive them. It’s just an extra bonus if the residual value goes up, but it’s not a key driver for me. I buy the cars that I love and for me, it’s all about driving them and having the enjoyment.
The Maserati Granturismo will continue to depreciate for a while longer and will bottom out and then begin to go up in value again after about five years. When new petrol diesel cars are banned in the UK after 2030, modern classics like the Maserati Granturismo will become increasingly collectable.
How Did You Own a Maserati Granturismo?
I had been looking a Maserati Granturismo for about a year. I was quite specific about the colour, price and mileage I wanted. I had looked at a few Maserati Granturismos on Auto Trader and Piston Heads, but couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for.
The perfect car became available just before Christmas and I put an offer in having not been to see it. However, I’m experienced at knowing what to look out for and Andy had previously given me advice to make sure the service history and provenance of the car was all above board, which it was.
What Advice Would You Give to Somebody Looking to Purchase a Classic Car?
Take your time! I once bought a Mark 2 Golf on a rainy night through a private sale and let’s just say that I live to regret that now as it was a terrible car and cost me a lot of money.
With classic car purchases like this, the best things you can do is use a well-respected, independent classic car dealer AND request an inspection with a specialist for that particular marque. I spent just under £300 on an inspection for the car and it’s always worth it – if this car had needed a new clutch for example, it would have cost me £3,000. So an independent inspection will make sure you don’t make an expensive mistake.
When I bought the Maserati Granturismo, I did my research and took Andy’s advice on board, so I felt safe buying a car that I hadn’t seen.
How Did You Secure Classic Car Finance For the Maserati Granturismo?
I arranged the Maserati finance through Andy Wise and his team at Fast Car Finance. I’m usually able to fund a car outright, but I wanted to retain the working capital given the current climate, so a prestige car finance deal was the best choice.
I dropped Andy an email to let him know that I’d found the car I wanted in between Christmas and New Year. He was straight onto it and knew exactly which lender to use for this modern classic car finance deal and I sent over the documents he needed. Within a day, I received the necessary paperwork and Andy talked me through what I needed to sign.
In less than 7 days from sending that first email to Andy at Fast Car Finance, the funds had cleared for the dealer and I was able to go and collect the car.
I normally hate securing finance for anything, whether it’s a mortgage or business loan as there’s so much going back and forward to get everything in place, which takes up a lot of time. This was the complete opposite. I was able to spend about an hour in total giving Andy what he needed and signing the paperwork – it was all very slick and efficient.
The worst part of the entire process was the four-hour train journey to collect the car, but the journey back through the stunning countryside in my new car was incredible!
Fast Car Finance MD Andy Wise is always delighted to help a new customer to drive their dream and supporting Chris to acquire his first Maserati after a 12-month search was no different.
“For Chris, the finances were relatively straight-forward as he had the deposit in place and knew what he wanted to pay each month, so we could advise him straight away on what his monthly outgoings would be.”
“It was then a waiting game to search for the right model, which needed low mileage, had exemplary service history and the correct colour. Whilst it took almost 12 months, we jumped into action as soon as we heard from Chris in between Christmas and New Year when the search for the perfect car was finally over. All of the Maserati finance was arranged remotely over the festive period and Chris was able to finally enjoy his new Maserati Granturismo after a socially distanced handover with Richard Grace Cars.”
Specialist Maserati dealer, Richard Grace of Cheshire-based Richard Grace Cars who supplied Chris with his Maserati Granturismo said:
“It was a pleasure to deal with Andy and the team at Fast Car Finance – a truly professional team who worked very hard to get the Maserati finance in place so that Chris could drive into 2021 in style.”
Looking to Finance a Maserati Granturismo?
Are you interested in owning a Maserati Granturismo? Would you like to get your finances in place so that you’ve got prestige car finance agreed ‘in principle’ so that you can make an offer on your dream car when it’s ready? Contact the Fast Car Finance team on 01635 785 400 or contact us for an initial conversation.
Check out the full details of the Maserati Granturismo car finance deal.
