When does a car become classic, vintage or antique? It has to be at least 20 years old, but it may need to be over 90 years old. Why is there such a wide date range? The answer varies depending on who you ask. Collectors, insurance companies, government agencies and car clubs define classics in different ways.

When Do Classic Car Clubs Consider a Vehicle to Be Vintage?

The Antique Automobile Club of America, one of the largest and oldest clubs of its type in the world, defines an antique as anything over 25 years old. Most clubs have followed their lead, making this the cutoff for antiques. However, once you get into car classes, the terms can get confusing. If you’re at a car show or a museum, you may see terms like “veteran” and “antique” used. Here’s what these terms mean when referring to historical vehicles:

• Veteran cars were built at the dawn of the automobile, sometime before the end of the 19th century. These are mostly hand-built vehicles made in very small numbers.
• Brass era cars were built at the dawn of the automobile industry. This period is usually defined as running between the late 1800s to the late 1910s. This category gets its name from the use of brass fittings.
• Vintage cars are generally classified as being built between 1919 and 1930. Most of the basics of car design was established in this era. This includes body styles, standard pedal layouts, and the introduction of octane ratings for gasoline.
• Antique cars were built before civilian vehicle production ended in the wake of WWII. In America, this period ended in 1939.
• Classic cars were built between the end of WWII and 25 years ago, although this term can be applied to all older vehicles.

When is it Time to Get Classic Car Insurance?

At what point should you talk to an insurance provider about getting classic car insurance? When you need a policy for a vehicle that is driven as a hobby. Under these policies, you can take the vehicle to car meets, tours and the occasional fun drive, but they can’t be daily drivers. For example, Grundy Insurance, an insurance carrier that specializes in classic cars, doesn’t limit mileage on their policies. However, they require every licensed adult in the household to have a modern car as a daily driver.

When can older vehicles be covered by these policies? Hagerty, another prominent classic car insurer, defines classic cars as being 1979 model year or older. However, they offer coverage for collectible trucks and SUVs that are model year 1996 and older, as well as newer cars of particular interest. For example, they might insure a 1990s Ferrari, but you’ll be hard pressed to get a policy for a minivan from that era.

How much do you get paid if there is an accident? While standard auto insurance can use sales data to determine the value of a modern vehicle, classic vehicles have to be professionally appraised. These agreed values determine what the insurance policies pay out if an antique vehicle is a total loss.

When Does the State Think My Car is a Classic?

Do you want to get an antique license plate? Most states consider a car to be an antique once it’s 25 years old. However, some states allow licenses on vehicles that are only 20 years old, while Florida requires vehicles to be at least 30 years old.

The one exception is Oregon. The state issues antique licenses to cars that have a manufacturing date closer to 1900 than the current year. If you want to register in 2021, the car can’t be newer than a 1960 model. You can get a license for a car that’s over 25 years old, as long as a club certifies that the vehicle is of “special interest.”

Like classic car insurance policies, antique licenses have limits on how you drive. Again, this varies by state. Some states limit the number of miles per day you can drive, but they may have exemptions for events or weekends.

What Makes Vintage Cars Become Collectible Cars?

For old cars to become valuable, they must be memorable. Classic car owners often get in the hobby because they want a car they remember from their youth, whether it was on a bedroom poster or in their driveway. These cars could be hand-built exotics or run-of-the-mill family cars.

The popularity of cars comes in waves as people who reach their peak lifetime income want to recapture their youth. A decade ago, these buyers were children of the 60s, so they sent the value of muscle cars skyward. Today, we’re starting to see the same effect on classic Japanese sports cars, as buyers want to relive the tuner era that ran from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

The agreed value of common collectible vehicles waxes and wains according to the interest of the public. This makes them an unpredictable investment. However, some cars stand out beyond memories, helping them retain value. Owning a pre-war coach built luxury car is more like having an expensive painting than a vehicle. They’re desirable for their beauty and craftsmanship. Likewise, exotic cars are desirable because their quantity is limited, and they represent the best performance of the time they were built.

Buying a classic car is a matter of balancing investment potential against enjoyment. A classic supercar is almost guaranteed to go up in valuable, but it’s too valuable to drive. However, a less than perfect sports car provides the opportunity to enjoy driving without worrying much about depreciation.

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