Gorgeous low mileage example with my favorite interior option, the W51 interior, I personaly like the colors and wheels much better on this example, also no Vinyl roof is a plus for me, but it has a hefty dealer price to go along with its condition. But if I was looking for a show room condition, loaded 85 Riviera, that just needed to be driven and enjoyed, I would have to consider this example. Even at the $23,500 asking price. But being at a deal I am sure there is at least $3000 that could be worked with price wise. https://www.classiccarsofsarasota.com/vehicles/430/1985-buick-Riviera
Wow, that really is clean. But is it even $20K clean? I can't see any dealer obtaining any car for any price other than waaaay low, to sell high. I'd insist to see their invoice and all receipts on it, then go from there. It's one thing to make good profit, but not obscene profit.
This makes me laugh. You walk into a dealer and demand to see what he paid for a car he's selling, and he'll laugh you out of the room. The dealer's thinking is "here's the car, here's the price, if you don't like it, don't buy it." If I were selling a car as a private seller, I'd have the same attitude. What I paid for the car whenever I bought it, whether that was last week or 10 years ago, is no one's business but mine. As a buyer, you can do your own research and come up with a reasonable offer on the car. The worst the dealer (or any seller) can do is say no.
It’s interesting, I’ll have people ask me from time to time what a car is worth, and what I’d sell it for. Then the follow up is, “what did you pay for it”? Like they’re entitled to know. I see absolutely no correlation between those two numbers. I always tell them what I paid for it is irrelevant. I tell them I have a really nice 1938 Buick that was $1,750 new. If I double the cost is that a fair return for me, or a better deal for you? Either price ain’t gonna happen. The market tells us what these cars are worth.
That is true, a salesman can tell me to pack sand, but it's not unheard of to tell a dealer "X dollars over your invoice" and back it with cash. It's then up to the salesman to pitch me on why the car is worth more, or ask me to leave. Remember that most lots nowadays will buy at auction well below NADA wholesale, and double that wholesale figure to retail...sometimes even doubling the NADA retail. So, yeah, I'll offer above invoice, but I won't purchase, at their price, a vehicle I know zero about it.
This is true, but this is not what you said above. You said you would "insist to see their invoice," which is something totally different, and which is what I wish you luck at. You walk into a dealer and say "I insist on seeing your invoice," and he'll "insist" you right out the door. I understand that offering "X dollars over invoice" is a back-door way of getting the dealer to tell you his invoice price, and if he falls for it, you get the information you were after. Let us know when it happens. But all this is moot in the used-car market, especially something as old as this '85 Buick. "X dollars above invoice" or words like that is what you hear in dealer advertising all the time for NEW cars. With new cars, it's easy to find out what the dealer invoice price is. Consumer Reports, for one, has been giving information on how to calculate this for decades, and with the internet available, it's even easier. But with used cars, it's a black hole. Yes, you can look up what a typical trade-in value is for a particular late model used car and go from there for an offer to buy it, but I would be very surprised if the dealer will tell you what he gave for the car as a trade-in. What determines a used-car's price is what 60Mercman said---the marketplace. If you think his price for the used car is too high and he won't accept your offer, move on. If enough people do that, he'll lower his price. What the dealer of this '85 Buick paid for the car should not matter a whit as to what a fair offer for it is. As I said, do the research. Find out what cars like this have sold for, add or subtract based on the particular car and its condition and options, and come up with an offer. For all you know, the dealer was too optimistic and paid too much for it, and you wouldn't want to pay "X-dollars over invoice" at all even if you knew what the invoice price was. On the other hand, he may have gotten lucky and got it cheap, and he stands to make a good profit if he sells it for the current market price. That's a credit to him and no reason why he should accept less for the car than its fair market value, even if selling it at the fair market value means he makes an "obscene" profit.
That's why I posted it, I realize the car is grossly over priced, but I really like the options & colors on this one. The Low Mileage & Condition also make it attractive. If I were seriously looking at the car I would offer a ridiculously low price of around $12,000 and we could start, or not start the haggling.
Ok. Wait. What exactly is this supposed to be? This looks like the 1983 20th Anniversary interior option. Did such a variant exist for 1985? News to me. Also, for the asking price, I would want perfection. Not a broken bumper filler.
Yeah a weird shadow. I really like this car, but would want to do a full Vin de-code to insure correctness all the way around.
