You only dream of having a classic car among the different makes and models that keep appearing on the car market. But how can a car become a collection? How old should it be? What are the most popular types and models?

The Characteristics of a Classic Car

Of course, a car is a collector’s item when it is more than 30 years old, but that is not enough. It is also necessary to add that it is no longer produced and maintains its original condition. If we refer to time, it is the models released in the 80s, 70s, 60s …

Collector cars are generally vehicles kept for various interests: aesthetic, sporting, heritage, technical, elitist, historical, and others. In other words, they are not used as a means of transportation or for daily shopping. Their owners rather drive them for exceptional occasions: inaugurations, business parties, etc. Some collectors, however, prefer to use their vehicles for racing and even for competing in a rally championship (national, international, or world).

Registering your car as a collector’s car gives you many advantages, especially regarding registration. The “registration certificate” or the “collection registration card” is specific to all old vehicles. This certification gives them an absolute privilege by exempting them from technical control. It also offers access to cheaper insurance contracts.

Please note:

The technical inspection of classic cars must be performed every 5 years and according to specific regulations.
To obtain a collector’s registration card, the owner must take the necessary steps.
All the criteria mentioned above are grouped in article R311-1 of the Highway Code.
Due to low production, collector vehicles are scarce and have a certain popularity and prestige in their time. In addition, their bodywork is handcrafted and made by bodybuilders of their time.

The car insurance allows to:
-regulate the driving of the vehicle;
-comply with the law;
-guarantee the car’s repair in case of an accident and other incidents that may occur.
Compared to the cost of insurance for normal cars (8-10%), insurance for classic cars is less expensive, up to 2-3%.

The Different Types and Models of Popular Collector Cars

Classic cars are classified into 6 categories according to their year of production:

• from 1885 to 1990: the Ancestors and the Veterans ;
• from 1901 to 1917 : the Edwardians ;
• from 1918 to 1929 : the Vintages ;
• from 1930 to 1942 : the Pre-War, Post Vintages or Thoroughbred Post Vintages, or Thoroughbred ;
• from 1945 to 1974 : the Post-War;
• from 1975 onwards: the Youngtimers.

Over time, the names attributed to these cars have changed into classic, antique, historical, and collector cars (until now).

As for the models, the most sought after are essentially those from Europe, Japan, and Great Britain. Here is a non-exhaustive list, most of which only exist in a few examples:

• The Citroën 2CV sold between 6,000 and 17,000 euros.
• The Citroën Mehari is estimated at 29,300 euros, with the Courrèges finish alone. Excluding the battery, the price is between 22,000 and 25,000 euros.
• The Austin Mini: depending on the finish and the model you are looking for, you need to budget between 4 000 and 40 000 euros.
• The Mercedes SL 300 Gullwing sold at nearly 700,000 euros.
• The Porsche 911, can be sold for up to 300,000 euros on the collector car market.
• The Shelby 427 Cobra: is sold at more than 110,000 euros.
• The Volkswagen Beetle and Combi: The famous “Cox” price is 40,000 euros, while the Combi is between 50,778 and 59,298 euros.

• The Jaguar E-Type: its price is between 60,000 and 150,000 euros.
• The Ford Mustang I: the price of the oldest models is 60,000 euros…