Milestone Classics

[Phil T]

Does anyone know anything about this company and does it have a reputation - either good or bad!

[johnnydog]

I have had no personal dealings with them, but I know some who has and he had no particular criticisms of the company. They appear to have cars that are of decent quality, which from their photos on their adverts, look to be in good order, although they don't seem to be shy on their prices in my opinion.
I presume there is a possibly a Triumph that you or someone you know is interested in? If indeed a Triumph, as good examples are getting harder to find these days, it all boils to the basics of whether the car itself fits the bill in all respects including price; I would argue the car itself being the main consideration above the reputation of the company selling it. I would never take any sellers word on the condition or history of any classic car; that is something you have to establish for yourself, so the reputation of the company selling the car I would say is secondary.

[david_lall]

They've been going for quite a while...

You'll always pay more from a dealer than through a private sale but then you'll also get a decent warranty by law

We had an ado16.info club member who ended up with a warranty gearbox rebuild which meant engine out job when he bought a 1300 GT through a dealer around 4-years ago. Well worth the extra cost for him of buying from a dealer!

[Charles H]

Toby on hear bought his car from them and is very pleased with it. TobyC is him!

[johnnydog]

In my experience, the only vehicle warranties that are worth more than the paper they are written on are the original manufacturers 3 / 5 / 7 year warranties with new vehicles, and certain main dealer used car warranties which are usually for 12 months from the date of purchase if the original manufacturers warranty has expired. Independent garages warranties are usually only major driveline components, and when you whittle them down to what is actually covered, to get repairs done to items that you and I would have normally considered should be covered, invariably they will not be covered in the small print. Consequencial damage to other components as a result of the failure of one particular component is usually not covered either.
If I was considering buying a classic from a dealer, if any repairs were deemed necessary AND covered by any warranty, then how many places would you actually trust with the knowledge and expertise to actually do the repairs with quality components to your satisfaction?
As I said, my experience of used car warranties out of the original manufacturers warranty from new is anything but favourable, and I wouldn't think the majority of classic owners would consider it purely a reason to buy from a dealer.
All cars, irrespective of where bought have to be free from any known major mechanical defect or any safety issues that would deem the car to be unroadworthy, but if a person is considering buying a classic car without either having the knowledge of that particular model or having a friend / 3rd party with this knowledge, buying one maybe isn't a wise move. A 12 month MOT is certainly no guarantee either, as most dealers know a 'friendly' MOT man that may regularly MOT's their vehicles, who may inclined to overlook issues in order to retain their business. There are good MOT testers out there as well, but...
There may well be reputable warranties out there, but generally I would argue that that doing your own homework / research is the best solution rather than relying on the so called 'security' of any type of warranty. A warranty is worth having rather than not, but don't expect it to be as comprehensive when push comes to shove as you would have hoped and 'free warranties' are generally factored into the purchase price anyway.
I'm not saying Milestone Classics fall into this category by any stretch of the imagination, but these are just my thoughts and no doubt not those of everyone!

[Phil T]

Thanks for the replies, chaps.

I was interested in a 2000 in 'good original condition' that they have. I did view the car but there were a few small issues/niggles that need sorting out, I'm sure these must have been there when the previous owner bought it from them. Additionally the tyres were 14 years old.......

More seriously there was evidence of rust by the bonnet hinge, and the doors looked like they were about to start to go. With these issues I felt the car was seriously overpriced, and it was made perfectly clear that there was no room for moving on the figure. I would have been allowed to have a test drive, but had to show serious interest in buying the car. (Why was I there?)

They didn't think the price was high and his observation was that a 2000 had sold for £23k recently.

I have decided not to go with the car.

[johnnydog]

That in many respects concurs with my view about the suggestion of a warranty giving some reassurance....any warranty would not cover corrosion issues you have outlined. Had you not had the knowledge to examine the vehicle satisfactorily, then you may have landed yourself with more than you had bargained for!
Is the Triumph you are referring to the Saffron Mk2 2000 saloon currently advertised by them?
The Triumph the seller was referring to is undoubtedly the Ice Blue Mk2 2.5PI that was sold at Manor Park Classics Auction in Cheshire on 27th April this year along with a number of vehicles from the Vauxhall Heritage Collection. It was a bit of a one off from a sales point of view relative to its history and the reported work that had been done to it, and whilst the hammer price surprised many, it can't really be compared with the 2000 at Milestone Classics.
Sounds like the sellers attitude to prospective purchasers was not quite as you would expect from a car sales business.

[Phil T]

It is the aforementioned Saffron car.

I think the photos are from their previous custodianship of the vehicle, the corrosion is more obvious now than in the photos.

[johnnydog]

Yes, that Saffron 2000 was purchased by Milestone Classics following its appearance in SIXappeal and bought by a gentleman from Garstang in Lancashire last year, who kept it for only a relatively short time due to subsequent health issues. He sold it back to them early this year, so it appears that they have not had much success in moving it on since.

[Triumphtastic]

The Saffron 2000 has had another owner since the gentleman from Lancashire, a regular customer it seems. The company seems to get a lot of repeat business and someone who sold a car to them was happy with the service from them. However the attitude that because a car sold for £23k (actually it was more and a pi rather than a 2000 automatic) makes their offering worth the asking price would not go down well with many people I would imagine.