Consuming: What to look for when buying a classic car
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What is a classic car? It's in the eye of the beholder. Any car out of production could be considered a classic. The more usual definition of a classic car would be that it is also more than 20 years old. Some would consider the Lotus Elan - just out of production - a classic. On the other hand, a 20-year-old Austin Allegro may not fit the conventional perception.
Is a classic car a good investment? The classic car market closely follows the housing market, so now is a cheap time to buy.
Where to repair? Every club has lists of people who will give specialist advice and very often charge no more than a normal garage. Spares can be easier to get hold of than for a five-year-old car.
What to look for in your car? Mileage isn't important, but go for a good body: condition, inside and out, is everything.
Look for: car history documentation; as few previous owners as possible; service record; original bill of sale; DoT test certificates; names and addresses of previous owners.
What about insurance? Shop around. At least 60 companies offer classic car insurance. The rule is: if you don't use the car as your main transport and keep within a specified mileage, it will be cheaper to insure than a modern car.
Top 5 popular starter classics (you should be able to pick one up for around pounds 5,000):
Austin Healey Frog-Eyed Sprite
Early mini (especially Mini Cooper)
VW Beetle
Morris Minor convertible
MGB
Top 5 naff classics
Austin Allegro
Austin Marina
Austin Maxi
Rover SD1
Vauxhall Viva
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments