What defines a 'one owner car'

[Augustus]

For some odd reason I could never pull up a carfax on my 993 until last week.

When I bought the 1995 993 I was told by the seller [a reputable Porsche re-seller/ dealer....] that the car was a 'one owner car'...

Well, this is what I found on the carfax..

~original owner sold/traded in to a dealer Sept 2001 45k miles

~sold at auction Nov 2001 45,050 miles

~sold at auction Apr 2002 listed as 'dealer vehicle' 50,000k miles

~sold at auction Apr 2002 listed as 'dealer vehicle' 50,500k miles

~vehicle offered for sale...Jan 2009 57,000k miles....I bought it...

Because the car bounced around different dealers and was never licensed can the dealer legally whom I bought the car from honestly say the car was a one owner car?

Thanks..

[Scott R]

I buy and sell cars at auction every week, and I think you're going to be OK here. The high ends like P-cars and Jags, tend to sit for a while waiting for the right buyer. We don't "drive them like we stole them" while we have them, it drops our bottom line.

I understand your concern, but I wanted to assure you that most cars at auction are kept pretty good care of since they need to be sold for profit.

[red911sc]

my opinion is they can "say" it was a one owner car but someone put 12k miles on it between the original owner and the second (you)

[kaisen]

It has only had one registered owner, so technically it can be described or advertised as a one owner car. But the miles the dealer(s) put on were likely personal miles.

[speeder]

To me, "one owner" means that the car has had only one owner. (Not counting the dealer that sold it new or the bank that technically owned it). I just bought a '98 4-runner from the original owner last week. If I decide that I don't want to keep it and sell it tomorrow, guess what? It's not a fking one owner car.

[NineOhOne]

Originally Posted by Augustus

[a reputable Porsche re-seller/ dealer....]

Here, let me help: [a reputable Porsche re-seller/dealer....]= used car salesman

[onewhippedpuppy]

Really, by buying the car from a dealer the "one owner" claim is worthless. What do you gain? Can you talk to that one owner about their upkeep of the car? Size them up and determine if they took good care of it? Grill them about proper service? Short of buying from the original owner, its more a dealer buzzword than anything of use.

[herr_oberst]

What defines a one owner car? One owner.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

What defines a 'one owner car'?

Someone desperate to sell it to a sucker.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Scott R

I buy and sell cars at auction every week, and I think you're going to be OK here. The high ends like P-cars and Jags, tend to sit for a while waiting for the right buyer. We don't "drive them like we stole them" while we have them, it drops our bottom line.

I understand your concern, but I wanted to assure you that most cars at auction are kept pretty good care of since they need to be sold for profit.

Hmmm, i've known some dealers that definitely drive them like they stole them.

[nynor]

i'd call the claim that the car you purchased is a one owner car to be pure BS.

[jwhcars]

"One owner" phase is really worthless as far as value to me. I look at the over all condition of what I am purchasing and that is what determines value. "One owner" does not mean that it was taken care of IMO it is just a sales phase that both the buyer and seller use to imply value.

[kaisen]

If your dealer had said it was a two owner car, he would have been lying, and you'd have a claim. Think of it that way. Technically, legally, it was a one owner car.

I agree with jwhcars that "one owner' is a worthless sales description used to imply value when it doesn't mean squat.

A friend of mine bought a 1993 Corvette ZR1 just last year that had never been titled, it was still under the original Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO). Technically, he is/was the first owner. So when he bought it as a 17 year old car, it was a 'zero owner' used car?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jwhcars

"One owner" phase is really worthless as far as value to me. I look at the over all condition of what I am purchasing and that is what determines value. "One owner" does not mean that it was taken care of IMO it is just a sales phase that both the buyer and seller use to imply value.

This is true. Just because a vehicle is "one owner" does not mean that it was cared for. Some people just do not take care of their stuff. I'd rather buy a car that had 4 owners that at least changed the oil on time. That said, I just bought a '98 4-runner from the original owner that knew nothing about cars and just took it to the dealer for all scheduled maintenance for the last 12 years. Oil changes every ~3k miles, the whole works. Books and manuals in vinyl billfold inside of house, hardly touched. Receipts for any and all services. No dents and no paintwork, ever. Doesn't get any better.

Records and docs are nice.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Hmmm, i've known some dealers that definitely drive them like they stole them.

I've heard stories from people I knew at dealerships. The one that stands out is four salesmen racing Miatas back to Wichita from the KC auto auction at 100 MPH plus. Also a guy that did detailing while in college telling me how well an XJR and E55 can power-brake. One of the many reasons why I buy from individuals.

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Hmmm, i've known some dealers that definitely drive them like they stole them.

Well we try not to I did have one of our employees put salt and pepper from a Circle K into a radiator to try and act as stop leak once. Not sure what he was thinking since we own a flat bed and could have just picked it up.

This was an expensive repair on an M3 in the end.....

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

One of the many reasons why I buy from individuals.

Becase individuals would never race, power brake, or otherwise engage in hoonage?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Quote de onewhippedpuppy

One of the many reasons why I buy from individuals.

Becase individuals would never race, power brake, or otherwise engage in hoonage?

Because I've never met a car salesman that's not a lying douchebag. I've never gone to a dealership and found the car as nice as described. Not once! Elaborations range from blatant lies to omissions. I ask pointed questions that don't leave much room for interpretation. Car salesmen only want to get you in the door, they are indifferent if you drive 200 miles to get there.

At least you can somewhat size up a private seller and ask them specific questions in regards to the car. I've also never found a dealership that keeps service records, short of warranty reports that can be printed. I've only had one letdown buying a car from an individual.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by speeder

Doesn't get any better.

Pics!

[aigel]

I think that is technically a one owner car. Nobody lied to you, but they sure dind't disclose the long history of dealer plate miles either!

You own the car now. Do you like it? Is it nice? Did the carfax have any accident or odometer rollback issues? If not, I would move on with life and take this as a lesson in used car buying. The longer you keep and enjoy the car, the less this will matter. This is like finding out how many boyfriends your loving wife had before she met you. Are you going to worry about it?

I never buy from car dealers. They add no value. Finding a nice car for myself is part of the fun. And I do think that an owner always takes better care of their car than the average dealer that drives it around with dealer plates, lets people take test drives in it etc. That said, our cars are pretty tough, and a few rev limits and WOT runs are nothing to them.

As a final note, I would not buy a car without seeing the carfax. If it is not available, I would skip the car. The reason isn't so much the advantage the carfax has for my purchase, rather than the damage it can do to the cars value if it resurfaces later with a history that is not spotless.

Cheers,

George