Where can you find a classic car to buy in Sydney?
As a car photographer in Sydney who loves classic cars I often get asked my opinion on the best places to try and find a vehicle to buy. Most car dealerships in Sydney only sell modern new and used cars so finding a location that only sells classic, rare, vintage or unique cars can be a bit harder.
The reason most car dealers won’t stock these types of vehicles is they are typically very expensive to buy (and therefore hold as stock), don’t appeal to as many buyers in the market and can carry a lot of risk as well due to their age, especially when it comes to providing a 3 month statutory second hand car warranty (although this doesn’t apply to a second hand vehicle depending on its age)
The photos you can see on the galleries on this page were made using my mobile phone instead of my digital SLR. I took them during a visit to one of the best classic car dealers in Sydney where you can see a wide variety of vehicles for sale which is Classic Throttle Shop in Milson’s Point.
Established by Rory and Karin Johnston in 2003 and now part of the Dutton Group of Companies, Classic Throttle Shop is considered by many as the best and most trusted classic car showroom for people to buy, consign or sell their classic car in Sydney.
They have arguably the finest selection of cars for sale in the southern hemisphere with a showroom located in the famous Sydney Harbour heritage listed building that has incredible light to take photos and admire the vehicles too. They sell European marques including Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz alongside rare and collectible Australian, American & Japanese classics.
Buy a classic car from a dealer, private seller or auction in Sydney?
These days there are a few choices for finding and buying a classic car in Sydney and these include;
This is probably the first place anyone would visit if they were thinking of buying a classic car. It is the most dominant platform for all car sale listings in Australia, including a significant classic car section.
You can easily filter by make, model, year range, price, and use the keyword search for specifics (e.g., “project,” “restored”) to then find what is available nearly anywhere in Australia, not just Sydney.
Although it is a pretty tedious process and requires you to then visit the dealer or private seller to see each vehicle to negotiate a price, organise an inspection etc.
The Just Cars website just specialises in classic, vintage, and unique cars so it is more focused and therefore more likely to suit people looking to buy from an enthusiast. It has less inventory than maybe the Car Sales website but with a better focus.
- My105.com
The My105 website is probably more well known for selling race cars, open wheelers or touring cars, but it does have a section for classic and vintage vehicles. Similar to Just Cars it is a smaller site that is more focussed on a specific niche but isn’t as easy to use as other websites.
- Facebook Marketplace & Groups:
Facebook Marketplace can be a bit of a can of worms with a plethora of fake listings and scams that catch people out, but you will find classic cars for sale within this social media platform if you spend the time to vet the sellers correctly.
You can also try enthusiast Facebook groups which are set up for the specific purpose of selling a particular brand or even model like the Australian Mustang buy & sell group
It means you can see what is for sale but also connect with the owner as well as get advice from others who own a similar type of vehicle. It is probably the best way to research everything you need to know before buying an older car.
- Shannons Auctions
Shannons Auctions used to be a reputable place to buy a classic car with their detailed vehicle descriptions, condition reports and ability to do bidding online. Although due to the competition from other places buying and selling cars they have closed down this division of their business.
Collecting Cars is a relatively new business and is also global, so you can buy a classic car from anywhere in the world. They sell a wide variety of vehicles and their listing process is exhaustive with over eighty photos of each vehicle made available with every conceivable detail shown.
- The Best Car Company
The ‘Best Car Company’ is a car dealer located in Artarmon which is a renaming from Cummins Classic Cars. So apart from the simple name that has its roots in London, their range of vehicles for sale seem quite impressive, their showroom looks like a museum.
According to their website they were established in 1966 with a focus on the restoration, repair, servicing and sales of classic motor vehicles.
- Classic Throttle Shop
I mentioned this car dealer in Sydney earlier in this article but they would be one of the first places to visit with a meticulous vehicle selection, often with a warranty and typically their higher prices reflect the quality and service provided.
- Australian Muscle Car Sales
Specialises in, you guessed it, Australian muscle cars so if you are after this type of classic car they are one of the best dealers to visit. They are experts in this particular niche so it means you are likely to find great examples of Aussie classics.
Another example of a dealer with a muscle car focus is Prestige Motor Gallery who seem to have a bit more variety than most dealers but tend to sell cars made prior to 2000.
Visiting a classic car dealer in Sydney
The best thing about finding a classic car dealer in Sydney is the ability to literally go and see the cars for sale. Sounds really silly, but looking at photos on websites is nothing compared to getting up close to see, smell and even touch some of these amazing vehicles.
The visit to Classic Throttle Shop was a great example where they had a Ferrari Dino for sale worth over one million dollars, how many times in your life could you say you stood next to such an expensive vehicle.
The other great thing is you can obviously take a few photos or videos of your own. While it isn’t the same as owning one, it is the next best thing.
Classic Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 sports car for sale
The classic car for sale that drew my attention was this beautiful Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 that was in the corner of the showroom. Such a beautiful shape, classic tan leather interior and lots of chrome as well.
I didn’t have my SLR digital camera with me so these iPhone photos will have to suffice but as you can see there are so many little design details from the period and the car was in immaculate condition too.
In summary
If you are thinking about buying a classic car in Sydney then you have 3 options to find one;
1. Visit a classic car dealer like Classic Throttle Shop
2. Use online car for sale listing sites like Car Sales or Facebook groups and marketplace
3. Bid online on an auction site like Collecting Cars
your choice might be limited based on the brand & model of vehicle you are trying to buy, if it is extremely rare and maybe only two or three for sale in Australia then you’ll have no choice but to use the locations on offer.
More recent classic cars like an old Porsche 911 or Ferrari 308 might give you a wider selection and more places to buy from but not all will be dedicated to selling classic cars & there are inherent risks to consider.
