I think for me and I was to buy a prototype for this sort of money, it would have to be something special. This car is interesting and I am sure has a fantastic history, but at the end of the day, it looks like any other P6. In a show you would walk right past it. Now if it were a Graber coupe, or a factory convertible, or an original slanty nose gas turbine car, then I see the value. Not for this one though I am afraid. It just isn't different enough for me to be worth so much more than a standard production model.
I agree based on the description of who's selling it.. I've send so many e-mails on it its not funny anymore.
The thing about this car is that it takes a lot of knowledge of P6Bs in order to spot the differences as they aren't so plain and obvious. Nor was it designed to be, it was designed to be as anonymous as possible because it was built in 1966 with a V8. But if you really think about it, the changes are enormous. The grille is bespoke and unlike any production item with closed off slats. The front valance is unique and matches what is on JXC822D. The kicker with this car is without a doubt it's engine. It is quite possibly the oldest Rover V8 (impossible to prove, there's no records of castings or EXP-engine numbers) but the number and cast date are well prior P5B production. John Eales did a full, no expense spared rebuild with top hatted liners. Not hot rodded but incredibly smooth and good for many years.
The original Buick engine that was fitted in 1966 survives too, albeit in a 1970 Talago badged base unit.
In any case there's a book with the car with all the pictures from BMIHT and a detailed history. Any interior and exterior choices are confirmed by those. Except for an outside temperature probe which required a nasty bracket and hole in the bootlid, so I omitted that.
It being for sale for as long as it has I personally attribute to a couple things. I swapped over continents in 2018 and chose to go with a dealership in London to market the car. I can't be hands-on, the across the pond thing being quite inhibitive. Second, and thirdly, brexit and coronavirus haven't been kind to any market in the UK. I think before all of that the market, interest and community around the P6 were heading in a good and positive direction and I think possibly the combination of Brexit and Coronavirus has nipped that in the butt.
Now what? No idea, I might have it put on a boat and keep it. It might have to sell for way less, I don't really care. From an investment point of view or making money it's a stupid endeavour anyway because there's a thing called Tesla stock. Had I put the money in that in 2014-2017 and just left the car to rot, I'd be much better off.
The asking price based on money invested comes close, actually. Painfully close.