If you enjoy the world of antique cars, you may have wondered how an antique car value is determined. You may be particularly interested in your car value if you have an antique auto that you inherited or you are considering buying a collectible car. Fortunately, there are standards for determining the antique values of cars.

Antique and Collectible Car Conditions
There are four categories of car conditions: show, excellent, good and fair. Sometimes the differences between these categories might be subtle, so it might be wise to consult an antique or collectible car enthusiast or appraiser if you are serious about assigning an accurate value to your auto.

Show cars are the crème de la crème of cars. These cars are hardly ever driven and are incredibly well preserved or restored. In order to be a show car, the auto must be rated on a national level.

Excellent cars are in terrific condition, either almost newly restored or in almost perfect original condition. These cars would be rarely driven and would have won car shows at the regional level.

You may very well have a good car. A good car either has been well maintained in its original condition or was restored some time in the past. If it was restored, the auto may have some wear. A good car is functional and can be driven.

Fair cars may have some rust but can be restored. While the car can be driven, there may be problems with the brakes, engine or transmission.

Additional Antique Car Value Considerations
Knowing your car’s past can add to the value of the vehicle. If, for example, your car was owned by a celebrity or other well-known person, your car may be worth more than another car in the same condition.

You might think that mileage has an impact on the value of an antique car. Actually, mileage usually doesn’t affect the value of a car unless you can document that your car has low mileage. Since so many cars have been restored, it can be impossible to know an auto’s true mileage.

Customized cars are not very collectible. The value of a customized car would decrease by the amount of money that it would take to get your auto back into its original condition. If you have a customized car, you might want to “switch gears” and look at the value of your auto for customized car collectors.

If you have a car and it doesn’t completely run, your car will probably be valued for its workable parts.