Is Now the Perfect Time To Sell Your S2000?
By Brett Foote

Used car prices have never been higher.

 

What else would I buy in the price range?

99% of new cars in the same price range suck and all the desirable Japanese cars have gone up just as much if not more, so unless you just want some extra cash and have no intention of replacing it with anything else then I don’t see much reason to sell now just because the market is up.

 

Only if the world has ended...

 

It certainly is in Australia. The S2000 was an expensive car in Oz, at over A$70,000 new.
They were still expensive when I bought my mint condition car with 25,000 kilometers on the clock, 10 years ago for A$30,000.

Looking at adds for the dozen or so on the market today, asking price for 2000 models with 150,000+ kilometers on the clock are up around A$42500 to A$45,000. My still mint totally stock condition 2001 model, with just 50,000 kilometers [30,000 miles], on the clock should bring a good price, if I wanted to sell it.

 

The entire market is whacked. I bought a new 2020 GL$ 450 and the dealer offered to buy it for more than what I paid for it. This was last week. They then add a $25K premium on it and it will be sold yesterday. They tack a $75K premium on M models and $150k premium on some of the AMG models. They were all gone-pre sold. No one minded the premium! Blew my mind.

 

Yes, the values are through the roof. I just can't bring myself to ditch a car I have owned for 16+ years and is still a blast to drive. She is a keeper, there is no way I can sell and I am not sure how anyone else can at this point unless you are a financial pinch - this is a classic car.

 

I've given serious thought to selling all 3 cars that I have for fun: 01 S2000, 92 NSX, and my 04 IS300. They're all essentially stock, and though not "concours" cars, they're all nice and should do ok should I actually pull the trigger. It's not that I'm in a financial bind, it's that the Chicago area sucks royally when it comes to driving a fun car. Flat and seemingly 24/7 traffic jams nearly everywhere. Consequently, I don't drive them that often. Driving them to a nearby meet has gotten boring. They're all stored for the winter. I guess I have until spring to decided if any or all go on the market. It is interesting to see how the prices of these cars seems to be rising. Maybe I'll just sit on them and watch...

 

Over the past few years I have been offered obscene amounts of money for both my 01 and 05 S2000's. Recently, at a local car show I drove the red 01 which is bone stock (except for the OZ Supperleggra's I still have the OEM 16 inch wheels) with a bit over 29,000 miles when a middle eastern gentleman kept coming back to it, walking around it and scrutinizing my car from front to back. As the event was wrapping up he offered me $50,000 for the car as it sits. I told him "thank you but its not for sale at any price". He then seemed offended and upped his offer to $55,000 I said "she isn't for sale no matter the dollar amount you may offer sir, I don't need the money and I didn't buy my S2000's as investments, the fact they have turned out to be one is merely a side benefit and when I shuffle off this mortal plain they are both to be donated to the Honda Museum/Collection Hall in Torrance or Ohio". He wasn't happy, I didn't care. As others have stated, where in this day and age are you going to find a car that ticks all the boxes in this price range (for me anyway) like the S2000? Honda couldn't build this car to the same raw specs today even if Honda wanted too due to federal safety standards, emissions and the global craze for electric vehicles. Nope I am NEVER selling mine.

 

I have an Exc+ condition, almost mint (for the mileage) MY03, 130k miles tho. Clean title, all vins, no accidents. Highly desired GPW Tan. I'd easily let it go for $30k, lol.

 

Can you drive the cash? No? Then my answer is no. As others have stated, if you need the money, do it. Otherwise what's the point? One of the benefits of having money is to enable a purchase such as an S2000 to enjoy.