The standard used car market rises and falls, but it’s a slim chance you’ll be able to sell your used vehicle for more than a new, comparably equipped model.
These rules don’t apply to the supercar market, however, as is clearly evidenced by the latest ultra-rare vehicle to be sold to its second owner. When Aston Martin built its track-only Vulcan hypercar, it announced only 24 examples would be produced, each being offered directly to individuals of the automaker’s choosing.
Of course that meant any Joe-Schmo with $2.3 million couldn’t walk up and purchase a Vulcan — a situation that I’m certain happens often. Instead, if you weren’t one of the chosen few to get first dibs on the Vulcan, you’d have to wait for this day: when one of the 800-plus horsepower, 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 monsters hit the used market.
Sadly, if you’d budgeted the original $2.3 million retail price, or perhaps less (assuming wear and tear would lower the car’s value), then here’s some bad news: the first U.S. registered Vulcan is selling at Cleveland Motorsports for a tear-jerking $3.4 million. This 48-percent premium may baffle the common man (myself included), but the truth is that wealthy individuals who really want something tend to get it…even if it costs an extra million dollars or so.
This Fiamma Red example is certainly stunning and arguably is the most dramatically styled of the latest crop of track-only supercars (including Ferrari’s LaFerrari FXX K and Mclaren’s P1 GTR). In Aston Martin’s own words, this is the brand’s, “most intense and exhilarating creation to date.”
At least the next owner will have the peace of mind that this Vulcan sold just a couple months ago, so there are likely only a handful of miles on its chassis. Still, no amount of money can wipe away the fact that this halo car is “second-hand.”
