Latest news

If you’re a classic car owner, it’s up to you what you do with your vehicle. If you want to stick a big modern exhaust on your Austin Healey 3000, nobody can stop you – just be aware that it might affect the value of the car should you want to sell it.

Some people think its sacrilege to modify a classic with modern parts, while others think it’s fair game if you’re improving the performance of the vehicle and making it more of a pleasure to drive.

If you do modify your vintage motor, however, you should inform your classic car insurance provider about any changes you make just in case it affects your cover.

When it comes to working on your classic car, there are three terms that you need to know: original, restored and resto-mod. All classic cars fall into one of these three categories – but what exactly do they mean?

Original cars

If you’ve got your hands on an historic vehicle that has managed to survive without requiring a mechanical or aesthetic alteration, you’ve got yourself an ‘original’ car. As you might imagine, finding an unmolested model that hasn’t needed a new part somewhere along the line is rare.

Working out whether a classic car is truly an ‘original’ is a tricky business – but it’s crucial when it comes to the sale of a vehicle as a true original can be worth a lot of money.

It’s often the job of classic car auction house RM Sotheby’s to distinguish between ‘old’ and ‘original’. Speaking to The Sunday Times’ Driving supplement, Paul Darvill, a car specialist at RM Sotheby’s, admits that it’s a “challenge” to be certain that a car and its parts are original. He explained that he often has to go as far as to corroborate documentary evidence to be sure that a lot meets its originality specifications.

The most definitive way to determine if a classic car is original is to look for matching numbers stamped or cast on the major components of the vehicle during production. If you are able to see the same serial number stamped across all of the vehicle’s parts, you can be relatively sure that the car matches the original factory specification.

Given that even the experts can’t always be sure when a classic is a true original, you should be mindful when viewing a car advertised as such. If you’re mistaken into thinking a vehicle is original, you could end up paying more for the car than its actual value.

Restored cars

While the desire for true originality has become a defining trend among collectors over the last decade, it’s not always best to keep a car in its original state. It’s all well and good having an original car, but if you can’t drive it due to a mechanical fault or its age has taken a toll on the bodywork, it might be best to try and restore back to somewhere near its original condition.

Restoring a vehicle often requires a lot of work, both in finding the spare parts and then replacing old, broken components. The availability of spare parts depends on the make and model of your classic car. However, many vehicles are restored using new parts that have been manufactured to the original specs.

When restoring a car, the aim is to bring it back to life so that it looks and operates the same as the day it rolled off the assembly line.

Many Lancaster customers are members of classic car clubs who share and swap rare parts. They also get a discount on their classic car insurance with us.

Resto-mod

We touched earlier on how you might want to add a modern part onto your classic car as part of the restoration. If you went ahead with this, your vehicle may be classified as a “resto-mod”.

Aesthetically, a resto-mod vehicle will still look the same as it originally did – however, on closer inspection, it will be fitted with modern parts be it a new sound system or a souped-up engine.

A classic car owner might decide to go down the resto-mod for any number of reasons – perhaps to ensure their vehicle complies with emissions standards or to improve the safety of the car with modern features such as airbags and upgraded brakes. Some owners will modify for performance reasons or to improve fuel efficiency.

What’s the right classic car for you?

If you really want a true original classic car, you’re probably going to need some fairly deep pockets. However, it could prove to be a shrewd investment should you manage to find one that you can afford. Just don’t expect to drive it that often if you want it to retain its value. It can also be a bit of a worry knowing that you’re just one mechanical failure or bump away from having to wave goodbye to your car’s ‘original’ status.

If you want more of a project – perhaps with a view to increasing the value of your classic – you might find more enjoyment in getting a car to restore. And if you want to maximise the driving experience when behind the wheel of your classic, a resto-mod could be for you.

Protect your investment with classic car insurance

Whether it’s ready to be driven or waiting patiently in the garage to be restored, your classic car needs specialist car insurance you can trust.

Restoring or refurbishing a classic brings with it its own set of challenges and risks. Here at Lancaster we know many enthusiasts who have carried out successful restorations and have helped them protect their classics throughout the process.

Classic car insurance through us can include benefits such as:

• Up to 25% classic car club member discounts
• Static show cover
• Historic rally cover
• Salvage retention
• 90 days EU cover
• Limited mileage discounts

Access to our 24-hour claims line and UK call centre means that any claims are dealt with as swiftly as possible.

Get a quote for classic car insurance today.