Taking a (calculated) chance
► I’ve just taken a pretty big gamble and bought a car in a BCA online auction with no mechanical report. Yes, really! The car in question is a 2013 Citroën C5, and now that it’s arrived, I’m pleased – and not a little relieved – that my gut-instinct has been proved right. It’s an absolute beauty!
The car is ex-police – or more accurately, ex-National Crime Agency – and I’ve bought a few of these in the past. They seem to fall into one of two categories. Some are scruffy and have clearly had hard use, and these are probably best avoided. However, because a lot of the NCA’s work these days involves ‘white collar crime such as fraud, internet scams and so on, many of their cars are used by office-based staff. They’re also, of course, well-maintained; often by main dealers because many NCA staff members work remotely rather than from a central base. Additionally, I’ve seen secondary evidence that a lot of cars used by other
