With J. Mecacker having his car totaled for him and having to prove the cars value with a bunch of documentation, I got to looking on the web and found values on collectable cars in the NADA Guides www.nadaguides.com
Example - a 63 544 has a low retail of $3300, Average retail of $5150 and High retail of $7500.
This, along with receipts, might make it easier to get a settlement.
Dennis

I don't know what those retail values are based on, but I ran my 64 544 through the classic car auction in March of 2004 in Tulsa Oklahoma. I didn't want to sell it, so I put a $15,000 reserve on it and the bid went to $14,100. I think a really nice 544 would be worth considerably more than $7500.

$14,100! I cannot even get anyone to look at mine for $3,500. Must be in the wrong market.
-Erik

That boggles my mind too. I've seen INCREDIBLY spiffy and correct and rare (444) PV's on sale for half that.

Must have been some hysteria in that auction tent that night.
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I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.

Dennis:

My settlement was based on verified current advertised cars for sale in my region. Receipts were required in order to have my vehicle classified as "restored". Only two restored 544's were currently available within a 200 mile radius of my home. One had an asking price of $6K and one $9.5K. Bonus points were received for my stereo system and the recent overdrive installation. There was no mention of any guidebooks in the settlement papers. The at-fault insurance company was extremely cordial throughout the process.

I put a new steering arm and tie rod ends on the 122 today just to get a little Volvo dirt under my nails. It only took me 1/2 hour to figure out that the driver's side tie rod end is threaded opposite hand.

Joe M

Joe,
I wonder what would have happen if there were no restored 544's in a 200 mile or even 500 mile radius? Something like this NADA Guide might come in handy although as JohnMC points out, we hope we never find out.
You may have been fortunate to have such a cooperative at fault insurance co. It seems there was someone in the last year, here on the brickboard, that had their's wiped out and got a low figure from an insurance co. that played hard ball.
Cheers,
Dennis

Nice to know. I hope I won't ever have to remember that, but you never know.
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I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.

I'd say you got a reasonably fair settlement. Did you get the opportunity to buy the car back, too?

So, based on the 'value guidelines' above, what would a 1927 Deusenberg Model X in total original unrestored (gorgeous) condition be worth, since there are no other cars to compare it to?

Just wishing I was Jay Leno....

Steve,

Yes, it seemed a decent settlement and we kept the car. We are going to keep the engine as a back up for our 122. The rest is going to be parted out as time allows.

Joe M