RONCADELLE (BRESCIA) – A vintage car as a gift. For Valentine’s Day, but also on other important occasions. This is the proposal of the Luzzago family of Brescia, well-known vintage car dealers. In the wake of Valentine’s Day, it is a good way to celebrate your other half, whether male or female. The vintage vehicle market is going through a particular phase: “They are cycles, up until 3 years ago there was certainly a surge, now the true enthusiast is worth it and buys”. These are the words of Valerio Luzzago, founder of Luzzago 1975 srl, one of the main companies in the sector in the world. With his sons Ottavio and Nicolò he manages the Brescia-based company which, among the few in the world, is specialized in the buying and selling and intermediation of vintage and collector’s cars.

THE MARKET BETWEEN DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF BUYERS AND THE COMPETITION OF ONLINE AUCTIONS

According to the pioneer of the Italian collector car trade, there are three main reasons for an uncertain market. The first: “Traditional collectors, who are now over 50-60 years old, want the best. The research to find the best, the sought-after piece, is always complex, but it is our job and we know what we are doing”. The younger generations act differently from their fathers: “They prefer a single collector’s piece, but to be used daily, and do not want to manage or worry about rarities”. The ‘strong pieces’, in this case, are the market evergreens: Porsche and Ferrari. “These two brands do not know crises and concentrate most of the attention from all over the world”.

At an international level, then, there are also evolutions in the type of clientele. Luzzago, for example, has recorded a decline in German customers. “Germany - explains Valerio, and this is the second reason for the lack of a boom - has been experiencing an economic crisis for a few years, and this is also reflected in our most loyal customers. People are buying less, they are selling like never before, but the German market is absent and Italy should take advantage of it”.

Finally, the rules of the game are being changed by auctions, which are attracting much more attention than traditional channels. And here is the third reason. “The large and historic auction houses have always had their market share. Lately, however, online auctions are becoming more popular, and they are very aggressive: there are those who prefer to buy a vintage car without being able to touch it, drive it, admire it in person. They are satisfied with photos and videos and bet on the unexpected. It is difficult to compete with the prices charged at online auctions: they are putting traditional sellers, who are always experts with a lot, a lot of experience, in difficulty”.
These are the trends, but a vintage car is worth a Valentine's Day, in memory, forever.