Buyer's guide: What to pay and Conclusion chapter

What to pay

Naturally it is difficult to give a guideline for the marketplaces in different areas of the world. Maybe the following is of help for you to judge the situation in your country.

Germany:

You have to calculate a bandwidth between DM 5.000,- to DM 10.000,- (approx. 2.500 € to 5.000 €) for cars with a basis to restore.

A car in very good condition with MOT, ready to go, would cost you here between DM 30.000,- to 35.000,- (approx. 15.000 € to 17.500 €)

The majority of the ads in the classic car magazines is in the range of DM 25.000,- to DM 30.000,- (approx. 12.500 € to 15.000 €)

Great Britain:

In Britain's classic car magazines the price guide is published as follows:

Cars in good to very good around condition are worth £ 10.000,-, sound cars in need for minor repairs are traded in the area of £ 6.500, while restoration projects are sold in the neighborhood of £ 4.000,-

Italy:

From Italy I received the following data:

It is possible to buy a complete car in very good condition (conserved or professionally restored ) at less then Lit. 25.000.000 (approx. 13.000 €).

The common price for a good car is Lit. 18-20.000.000 (approx. 9.300-10.300 €).

Although the 1600 model is rarer (402 units built) compared to the 1300 model (1108 units built) prices for the two models don't differ.

Whatever your budget is make sure that the car is complete and be ready to pay astronomically high prices for bodywork and interior spares.

Conclusion

The Zagato has always been an exotic car. That was the case when it was introduced to the market and it is still true nowadays. There are only a few outstanding examples existing. Although relatively rare the car is still not really a collectors item.

Normally cars were owned by quite some owners and everyone left traces of use behind. Most probably due to the poor rust protection the owners were not willing to invest money in their cars with the result that you can easily find completely rotten wrecks which are very hard to restore.

Bodywork parts and interior spares are so expensive that a good restoration cannot be justified on a cost basis alone. It takes a lot of enthusiasm to restore a Zagato - believe me.

On the other hand the car is still a modern looking vehicle with a nice shape and tons of fun to drive. It is very individual and you can be sure to attract a lot of attention with a good looking Zagato.

Be careful not to rush things up when you think of buying one - take all the time you need compare and talk to owners or clubs and think of the following: It's usually the most impulsive buyer who falls into the deepest trap.