Why do some sellers encourage buyers to destroy a good car?

[Tony Griffiths]

A properly sorted Ruby is an absolute joy - one which is not so, an utter disaster.

Proper Ruby restorations are amongst the most expensive and end up being, the least valuable - I doff my hat to those who rise to the challenge and put their money where their mouth is.

If you don't know this garage - and I'm sure everyone does - here's a treat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIxlql0Ebnc

He refers to the Pursang car as a 'replica Type 35 Bugatti'. No it's not. I've lost count of the number of times Barry Clarke would correct us when such cars were referred to as as 'replicas'. He would insist that 'replicas' can only be made by the original manufacturer and what we should say is 'copy'. If you read Jenks' definition of the various terms he used for describing the provenance or otherwise of cars (Original, Genuine, Authentic, Resurrection, Re-construction, Facsimile, Special, Duplication, Destroyed, Scrapped, Broken Up, and Converted) he makes the same point. 

Steve

Exactly as original, except for that god awful looking distributor poking through the dash, the plain bearings and a different firing order.
Nothing major, because they left file marks on the inside of the bonnet.


c

A proper working magneto is extra - was it $10,000? - and an altered firing order is optional. As the sales chap said, you can have an exact copy (replica) as sold from the factory, or modified as you wish. You pays your money - and takes your choice. Personally, I'd go for two-stage supercharging, extra file marks on the inside of bonnet and a string-bound steering wheel (the original two-part steel and wood can flex and open slightly under high cornering loads and, if you're not wearing gloves, can trap you skin with interesting and painful consequences. Some time ago I came across chap making a copy of a straight eight Ballot racing engine. He told me that the customer's instruction was simple - if a little difficult to realise: "I want my original engine and the copy side by side - and I don't want to be able to tell which is which." The engine I saw nearly finished was a work of engineering art, even the sand-moulded crankcases looked identical as did all the small fittings, each "distressed" to look old. The cost? Rather a lot I would imagine - but what a wonderful job to have completed successfully.