Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - Grate

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking of buying a used car, I have been looking at private sales and went to look at a 59 plate corsa. It has a lady owner who bought the car in 2011 and 1 previous owner before her which was a local garage....

How can a garage be the first owner? Does this mean it was an ex rental car maybe?

Sorry if I sound naive, any help or advice would be appreciated!

Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - tony g
What you describe is very common ,it's likely that the car was used as a demonstrator ,or possibly as a loan car ,for customers of the garage when there own car was in for service .

It's nothing unusual and not a problem ,just make sure the car is clear on the HPI register and it has a good service history .check that the price is competitive by comparing vauxhall dealer websites and autotrader / eBay .
Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - daveyK_UK

if its a vauxhall, more likely the dealer pre-registered it to hit a sales target.

Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - Grate

Thank you for replying. She originally had it at £5,600 then lowered it after a week. It has a few scratches so I have offered her £4,800 and am not budging lol she has come down to £4,900 tho! Yes will definitely do a HPI check if she accepts my offer.

If a car has been written off then bought back and repaired, would it get a new log book?

Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - tony g
Strictly speaking theirs no such thing as a write off.

Cars that are involved in accidents ,where an insurance company makes a payment .Are given one of four classifications .A B C D .Insurance companies describe them as being beyond economical repair .

A and B are sold only for spares and cannot be repaired and used on the road .

C is a more seriously damaged car ,that can be rebuilt and used again ,but needs a VIC test at a ministry testing centre before it can be used on the road again .

D is a less seriously damaged car and may be a car that's been stolen and later recovered . It can be repaired and used ,but does not need a VIC test .

Cars that have been registered on any of the above categories ,cannot be removed from the register and are always worth at least a third less than an equivalent car after they have been repaired .
Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - I Want That Car!

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Vauxhall Corsa - Previous owner - oldtoffee

I'd also compare prices with cargiant - they have loads of Corsas, Fiestas, Clios mostly higher mileage but you can get a good feel for how much more you're paying to buy lower mileage.