Is it possible to buy an Atom in decent condition for around the £20k mark ?

[carspath]

As per the title -- or am I completely in the wrong universe ?

Thank you

Carspath

[phil4]

Possible... sure:

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds ... om/8590630 for example, though that is 5K over what you mentioned.

That said, I think it's unlikely, at that price point I'd expect only to find older cars (the one above is 13 years old), or damaged/very tatty ones.

The reason I suspect you'll struggle with the former is that production started out with very small numbers, so there aren't that many out there, left and in good condition.

Newer cars cost a lot more when new, and they don't do the miles, nor depreciate like normal Renault/VW/Honda econo boxes. Hence you'll find a number of newer cars but at nearly new prices.

On the plus side, if you're looking, you've picked a really good time. Ariel have just started taking orders on the Atom 4, and as such there's probably no better time to find people trading in to upgrade to a later model.

Honestly though, I'd budget a bit more if you want one.

[Peter255]

Its possible but your going to be lucky and an old car with low spec and no history.

That might be OK with some tidying and restorative work. But you might have some issues with performance, reliability or even safety.

If you want a reliable quality experience then you are looking at £25k minimum for an old NA car. Supercharged cars are going to be £30k.

Due to existing owners upgrading to Atom 4, cars will be coming up for sale soon. My car will be for sale as soon as i get some idea of timeline for the new car.

Finance is your friend! Remember depreciation is nothing on a well chosen 2nd hand Atom.

Good luck with your search.

[smokin]

Carspath, you may be in luck!

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds ... 07/9065517

Nowt to do with me but thought I'd post in case you hadn't seen

[John Scherrer]

50K miles !

Is it road legal? - Can't see any front side or indicator lights ..

Liking the 'constant viscosity joint' ..

[phil4]

It has rear indicators, but one of the red reflectors has fallen off. No fog or reversing light though. I'd want to take a look at the back of the drivers seat too, the photo shows some interesting marks. It doesn't exactly look "loved" to me, but then perhaps I'm interpreting it wrong. As such I'd think the engine and gearbox rebuild may have been a requirement.

I reckon that's an old "experience day" car.

[smokin]

Some front nose damage, bubble screens look broken and missing a fuel filler cap too. Well, at 20k it was never going to be mint.

[carspath]

Thank you all for your prompt replies--- you certainly are a polite , informed and helpful group on this forum …….I would love to have membership from the inside rather than the outside.


I have already spoken to Lawton Brook about the red car ----- it has had 8 owners (I don't know what this means in Atom terms ?), and has been serviced , but only during its earlier years by the factory , and we did not get as far as finding out the details about its service history in the more recent past .

The black 20k car is new to me , but over the decades I have learnt (or at least I hope that I have learnt ) not to pick up trouble based on price . Recommissioning is often more expensive .

I am fortunate in having a few fairly pristine toys , most of which are frankly unsuitable for any use on public roads except for very early morning drives in the summer.

The only car that currently appeals is the Atom , but this would need to do daily duties , to justify its presence.
This is one of the reasons why i did not want to spend too much , as it will need to suffer the abuse that iinevitably comes from regular use , and while it always hurts me to see any car deteriorate , this is amplified when a pristine car visibly deteriorates .


I would not use the extra performance that comes with the supercharged version , so a N/A version would be fine .


I do hear what you say about the forthcoming Mk 4 , impatience is not one of my many vices .


Do enjoy your lovely Molecules


Carspath

[Peter255]

I reckon Phil is right.

That's mega miles for an Atom and its missing all number plates and the mountings.

Looks well used, and not really cared for like someone's weekend toy. An experience or track day hire car IMO.

A risky buy, but it is cheap!

[phil4]

I have already spoken to Lawton Brook about the red car ----- it has had 8 owners (I don't know what this means in Atom terms ?), and has been serviced , but only during its earlier years by the factory , and we did not get as far as finding out the details about its service history in the more recent past .

8 owners is a lot... but then the atom is a pretty unique car in terms of fitting into people's lives. It's not a Ferrari 355 that'll appreciate in price, it's not a stripped out Clio, that can be used for trackdays, and driven to from work regardless of the weather. For most people it's really only good for a weekend blast in good weather on good roads... and if you don't have the space or time, justifying the cost is hard. That being said... it'd be worth tracking down at least one of those previous owners so you can be sure there's not something amiss, causing it to be a hot potato.

Servicing away from the factory isn't as uncommon as you'd think. Bear in mind that it's a Honda engine and gearbox, so oil and filters are easy to come by and reasonably straight forward to change.

There's also only one factory and as it's in Somerset it's reasonably far away for a good chunk of the country. As such the further you get from the factory and the older the car is the more likely someone will just find a good garage familiar with Honda's and get it serviced there. It might not quite the attention it gets at the factory (they amaze me with the care they lavish on them), but even that's not the end of the world.

If you're half serious, I'd check the details with Ariel if you haven't already, as they can then confirm details. I'd also try and get it there to let them inspect it, that'll give you an idea of any problems. I'd also try and speak to a previous owner. They don't have to tell you the truth, but if they're owner 1-7 they'll have nothing to lose by telling you.

[Anon]

There is an Atom for sale on Pistonheads right now for £20k. This is the lowest price I have ever seen an Atom. It does have 50k miles but the engine appears to have just been rebuilt.

[John Scherrer]

.. as posted above by smokin !

[Anon]

Didnt see that!

[Nick C]

Hi... new here, but been around Atoms for years.

My best advice is speak to Ariel first before buying any Atom "cheap".
They know most , if not all of the cars and their respective "history" and what they have been used for...

Some of the current crop of advertised cars descriptions are almost believable... until you find out most of them are ex experience day or commercial use track cars, that have been battered, abused and even crashed.

Good luck with you hunt....