WW2 Jeep Prices set to soar! by MARK ASKEW - Editor of Jeep World Magazine Pictures and text are © Jeep Promotions Ltd In the last few months and possibly in the next few months stocks of the French made Hotchkiss M201 Jeeps are likely to dry up. Since the mid 1990’s the French government have been releasing surplus stocks of Hotchkiss Jeeps.This in effect had a knock on effect on the prices of war time Willys MB’s and Ford GPW’s, which were getting quite high in the 1990’s. During this time a good average war time Jeep was commanding around £6,000 to £7,000. But once the Hotchkiss Jeep came on the scene, at prices from around £3,000 to £5,000, this had a knock on effect of the war time models, which dropped in price quite dramatically. In fact you could pick up a good war time model for around £5,000. But in the last year things have been changing, the prices of good Hotchkiss Jeeps have been steadily climbing to around the £7,000 figure, and hence the ‘good war time models have also gone up in value. I have heard of very good examples fetching as much as £10,000 recently.
Most of the traders/dealers who have been buying the Hotchkiss M201 ‘s Jeeps to re-sell over here are now finding it hard to get hold of Hotchkiss Jeeps, in fact one or two of them have sold out. In the early years they were bringing very good examples into the UK, with very low mileage and all the bits and pieces on them. But in the last few months, they have been bringing in poorer examples and yet still getting good money for them. The rumours on the grapevine are that all stocks in France have now finished (unless the French government have got one or two more stock piles hidden away -although I doubt that) so these bargain Jeeps are no longer around. This of course means that prices are set to rocket, and in my mind by this time next year you will not be able to buy a good Willys or Ford GPW for less than £8,000, nor a good Hotchkiss for less than £7,000. Okay I know that there are lesser quality models Out there that will be fetching less money, but good ones are going to increase, Which is great news for the current owners, but not so good if you are thinking of buying. As traders/dealers run out, they are going to be buying back any Jeeps that they can find in and around the UK, and of course they have to earn a living, so they will add their bit, so prices just have to climb. Private owners of these war time and Hotchkiss Jeeps are going to realise their value and ask more for them (if they are willing to part with them).
So why am I telling you all this? Simple, if you have ever fancied owning a wartime model or even a Hotchkiss example, now’s the time to buy, before the traders/dealers run out, Why am I saying traders? Well that’s simple too, they have got some (private sellers are not selling), most are in good nick (while stocks last) so now is the time to buy one before the prices really go up. Not only is a war time Jeep fun to own they are also quite cheap to run and maintain. If you buy a good one and look after it, it is more than likely that if you sell it on in a few years time, you might even earn a few quid. Okay it may not be the biggest investment you have ever made, but it will be a good one, and you can have fun at the same time. Hey come on, how many of you out there have, or still own a Jeep and lost money on it (if not a small fortune), not so with a war time or Hotchkiss model. At the end of the day, you may have been thinking about buying one, but never got around to it. Well now is the time to do it, before they go through the roof and of course owning a piece of history is nice too. But please do not pay over the odds for one just yet, as prices have not yet hit the roof, there are a few good bargains out there too, so start hunting. If you are looking for one to restore, then this too is the time to buy, because by the time you have finished restoring one, its value could be high (which is more than you can say for any other classic cars out there).
If you are thinking of nipping over to France to see what bargains are to be had, then look sooner rather than later, as the dealers and private sales are getting thin on the ground there too. In fact I’d say there are now more over here than over there. So if you are thinking of going down the old Willys Jeep route, then do it sooner rather than later! Other Reading:
|
Disclaimer | Terms | Privacy Policy | Copyright
Discussion Forum | Classified Ads | Homepage
