friedgreentomato yes I'm sorry about that had a senior moment about the Inland Revenue. I've just had another thought, giving the dealer the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he's been caught out with bounced cheques so is cash only now? he could however get over that by accepting a cheque and waiting till it cleared before handing over the car, so i would err on the side of caution.
I think a private seller has every right to ask for cold hard cash. I know I did when I sold my classic car, but a dealer is another matter and it sounds wrong from that angle.