And you could almost certainly drive that away for £300 or so.
But - it's an end of life car. The Panda is designed to last 10-12 years or so; beyond that, if you're dependent on garages for everything, it'll likely cost your more to keep it on the road than the monthly payment on a new one, with all the hassle of an unreliable car. So it's possible for this to turn into a moneypit if someone buys it and then pays a third party to fix the faults as they occur. As SB1500 knows, the running cost of a 12yr old car is largely determined by what goes wrong with it, not what is good about it. Most of why the current owner is selling it is probably in this paragraph.
As a rule of thumb, once it's >10yrs old, a small family car with a year's MOT and all the major bits working will fetch about 10% of its cost when new if sold privately, and will hold that value as long as it stays working and roadworthy. Once you're spending more that that each year to keep it roadworthy (about £700pa for a Panda), then it's time to think about letting it go.
Another rule of thumb when valuing an old car with a short MOT is £100 + £50 for each month's MOT remaining. Most private owners in this situation are more concerned with getting the thing off the drive and being shot of the ownership responsibility than getting the best possible price for it.
It could be a good opportunity for the DIY motorist, especially if you have the space to buy two similar cars and use one as a parts pack.
Pandas make great cheap cars, providing you avoid the trap of paying dealer prices, both when buying and when fixing them when they break. A few years back I saw what was at the time a one owner 3yr old 1.2 dynamic eco with less than 6k on the clock go through a general house clearance auction for under £1900. You just have to be in the right place at the right time, and have the cash in your pocket.
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