Essential advice for curating a classic car collection

In this article, Mark Barclay from My Motor World shares his tips for investing in classic cars, including how to build and maintain your collection. 

 
Whether you’re in it for the money or have always dreamt of owning a classic car, turning your hobby into a serious collection can be very rewarding. But like any investment, there’s a lot more to consider than you may initially think. To help you take the first step towards becoming a successful classic car collector, here are a few expert tips for curating and maintaining your collection.  
 

Decide on your collection style 

The first decision you will have to make is what kind of collection you will curate. Collections are much more valuable if they have a clear theme, so you’ll see a greater return on investment once you decide to sell your collection if they all come from the same manufacturer, are from the same time period, or are the same type of car. If you have a dream car or have had your eye on one model in particular, you could use this initial vehicle as inspiration and build the rest of your collection around it. Otherwise, try and see what kind of cars are the most popular among classic car collectors in your area to ensure your collection will have significant resale value.  
 

Find good cars to collect 

Finding good cars to collect is simple if you know what you’re looking for, but even if you don’t, classic car shopping can be a lot of fun! You’ll likely source most of your vehicles from car shows and auctions designed for the purpose. Many great deals can be found from private sellers, so it pays to be involved in classic car collecting communities both in your local area and online. Just be cautious while shopping for vehicles and always keep scammers in mind when making a deal. 

You also need to consider how you will finance your purchases. Classic car collecting is generally considered a worthwhile hobby, even for beginners, because rare cars are consistently valuable (Confused.com). For this reason, it’s relatively easy to make your money back compared to other forms of collecting like gold or property, particularly if you need to make a quick sale. Having said that, you should think carefully before taking out any bank loans or borrowing money from other sources unless you know for sure you can pay it back — otherwise you could lose your collection almost as soon as you start it. 
 

Store your cars properly 

A private, secure, and climate-controlled garage is a must, whether that’s one you own or one you rent from a specialist car storage facility. You should also use car covers to keep dust and debris from falling on your cars when they are being stored — many of these covers are also waterproof. Not only will using a car cover keep the exterior of the vehicle in good condition, but it will prevent build-ups  of debris from clogging the inner workings too. So, when you want to drive your cars or show them, they will be ready to go after a simple wipe-down. 

As well as protecting your vehicles from damage, you will also want to consider which cameras and alarms to use to deter the theft of your classic cars. Some alarms are loud to scare off and draw attention to robbers, while others are silent and send an alert directly to your phone to notify you of a theft in progress. Some cameras provide a 24-hour live feed of your vehicle, and others are activated only by movement. Shop around and find the best solutions for your circumstances.  
 

Classic car maintenance 

Another key element of collecting classic cars is the maintenance of the vehicles. Even when stored correctly classic cars tend to require much more maintenance than modern vehicles, and once you’ve built up a collection, you’ll have several cars to care for. You might want to do this part yourself, as this is part of the appeal of a classic car collection for many people. However, you should bear in mind that it can be very time consuming and expensive if you’re not sure what you’re doing. For this reason, it’s not uncommon to outsource your maintenance to a specialist who will come out and take care of your classic cars for you. In either case, you should always keep a supply of service parts to hand for quick and easy repairs.  
 
Whether you’re a petrolhead or simply after the lucrative benefits, car collecting can be a very worthwhile hobby. The tips in this guide can help you plan and build your classic car collection, including protecting your investment.