How to Start an Antique Car Collection

Antique cars can be a fascinating hobby, whether you focus on a single era or just collect whichever models strike your fancy. In order to start an antique car collection, however, you must first be familiar with different types of antique cars and their values. Read on to learn how to start an antique car collection.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Evaluate your budget. Certain types of antique cars are very rare and can range in price up to the millions and even tens of millions. Know what kind of car you can afford before you start a collection.

2. Be familiar with the earliest types of cars, like Ford Model T's and Model A's.

3. Know about different types of muscle cars and what years they were made. A "muscle car" indicates a high performance vehicle, often flashy or showy. Examples include the Delorean in the early 1980s and the Dodge Challenger in the 1970s. One of the earliest muscle cars ever made was the Chrysler Imperial, dating all the way back to 1926.

4. Be familiar with different types of race cars, such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette and the Ford Mustang. Know what makes a race car different from other types of cars--it's not just speed.

5. Know types of high-end exotic cars, such as the Ferrari, Mercedes, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. These cars are usually "showier," often have very high top speeds and can be very expensive.

6. Find out about old military vehicles, such as the Jeep. Know about other models of military vehicle, such as the Dodge M37, of the 1950s. Know what makes a military vehicle different from an ordinary commercial vehicle.

7. Be familiar with cars that are no longer in production, such as the Studebaker and the Delorean. Know that just because they are no longer being produced does not necessarily increase their value. Often, production on a line of cars will decease because it is not in high demand.

8. Be familiar with custom hot rods and street machines. A hot rod refers to a car that has been rebuilt or modified for increased speed, while a street machine refers generally to a hot rod built after 1949. Decide whether you simply want to buy such a car directly, or modify and rebuild it yourself.

9. Purchase your first antique car through a reputable dealer. You can find dealers listed by state at the Hub Cap Café website. See the Resources section below for a link.

Tips & Warnings

• Having an antique car appraised by an outside party before adding it to your collection is often a good idea.
• Be aware that, even more so with cars than with other types of antiques, physical damage and imperfections can drastically bring down the value. Antique or not, inspect any car thoroughly before buying it.
• Know what time period from which you want to buy cars. Many expensive, luxury cars are labeled "classics" only three or four years after they are made. While the definition of a classic is at the discretion of the buyer, these cars cannot truly be called antiques.

Resources

• Antique Cars Available by Type, Make, Model and Year at Collector Car Trader
• Listings of Antique Car Dealers on the Hub Cap Café Website