From Bring a Trailer to Cars & Bids and everywhere in between, we keep seeing the same thing happen recently: Decades-old regular cars that should have been used as such will show up with low miles and prices that are often much bigger than they should be. A great example is this 1993 Dodge Dynasty at a dealer known for low-mileage cars.
We’ve covered cars from Pennsylvania’s Classic Auto Mall before. They’re usually in excellent condition with low miles. Aside from classic stuff that the white socks and New Balance–wearing crowd would love, like a Ford Galaxy and Plymouth Satellite, they stock equally clean low-mileage cars from the ‘80s,’90s and 2000s. Want a Buick Roadmaster wagon or C4 Corvette? This is your dealer.
Even obscure stuff you wouldn’t expect to find is for sale. This 1993 Dodge Dynasty is certainly clean. Its Black Cherry exterior paint is almost flawless, and the burgundy cloth interior is showroom ready as well. There’s really no wear or tear to be seen, and it’s all because this 31-year-old Dodge has just 7,171 miles on it. That’s a plus, of course, but it begs a few questions, mainly who didn’t drive this thing, and why?
Those low miles could also be an issue on the internals of the car. This Dynasty is a later model, powered by Chrysler’s 3.3-liter V6 with 150 horsepower, which is probably perfectly suited to cushy, front-wheel-drive family sedan duty. It’s also an engine that hasn’t been used much over the last 30 years, and despite the car’s pristine interior and exterior, the engine bay looks rough. I’m sure there’s more than one hose or belt that needs to be replaced.
The other, larger problem is Classic Auto Mall’s asking price. Thanks to its clean condition and low miles, the dealer apparently thinks this Dynasty is worth $15,000, which is $1,367 less than its original MSRP. More than a few people will argue in favor of this price, saying things like “The car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it,” and other sugar-coated, capitalist arguments that generally favor greed. In no way, though, should anyone feel comfortable paying that much for this sedan.
