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If you’ve decided it’s time to sell your classic car, you’ll likely want two things: the best possible price for your vehicle and a quick sale. Achieving that is dependent on putting together a good ad which does your classic car justice and sparks an interest among buyers.

It’s not as simple as just sticking up a nice picture of your vehicle and waiting for the buyers to get in touch – you’re competing with lots of other classic cars and it can take a lot to persuade people to part with their hard-earned money.

When sizing up a purchase, buyers will want to understand everything from how many owners it has had to how much work it’s had done. Your advert should allow them to answer those kinds of questions, otherwise you could find yourself having to field all manner of messages from buyers seeking more information. The more information they have, the easier it will be for them to get a quote for classic car insurance, too.

It’s all about making your life – and the buyer’s life – as easy as possible. So, when putting your classic car advert together, consider the following…

A picture (or video) paints a thousand words

While this article might be about writing a classic car advert, showcasing your vehicle with great pictures is arguably the most important part. Ultimately, it is the pictures which grab the attention of buyers, who will then look to investigate further with the car’s description.

Unless you’re a keen photographer, capturing a great image of your vehicle can be tricky. Here are a few tips:

• Clean your car – before you think about getting your camera out for a few choice snaps of your vehicle, give it a thorough clean and polish, including the interior.
• Take inspiration – check out some other adverts to see which ones naturally draw you in, identifying what it is about those pictures that makes you want to find out more.
• Consider the backdrop – to help ‘frame’ your classic, consider taking a trip out with your camera to a local beauty spot. Seeing the car on a peaceful rural road will help the buyer imagine what being a future owner might be like.
• Work with the sun – the sun helps to show your classic in the best light; but it can also hinder your pictures if you fail to work with it. To avoid glare, take pictures with the sun behind you.
• Mix up the angle – take pictures of your car from different angles, ensuring you get all your car into the frame.
• Borrow a proper camera – a professional digital camera will give you the best results, especially if the camera on your smartphone is old. If you are using a smartphone, don’t be tempted to add filters or turn images into black and white. Prospective owners want to see the vehicle just as it is.

A bad set of pictures can see your advert fall at the first hurdle as it acts as a red flag for buyers. You might even want to go a bit further to increase your car’s appeal by making a video to showcase its best features.

The devil is in the detail

It’s not always a good sign if you’re receiving a flurry of enquiries from buyers – it might suggest that you haven’t included enough detail in your advert and in order to firm up their interest they need to know more.

A lack of detail can prove frustrating for both sides – you might find yourself bombarded with questions while buyers don’t want to spend their time having to contact sellers for essential information.

As much as anything else, an advert lacking detail is another red flag for buyers – they might assume that it’s a deliberate omission of information and simply move on to the next ad.

Here’s the fundamental information every classic car advert should contain:

• Make and model
• Year of registration
• Engine size and type of fuel
• Mileage (and if this is going up with regular use)
• Condition, both mechanically and bodywork-wise
• The car’s history, including number of owners, receipts for work, birth certificates proving the age if you have them, proof of any competition or race wins and so on
• Any restoration work the vehicle has undergone
• Any modifications made to the original vehicle – this might affect classic car insurance
• MOT expiry date (if it’s under 40 years old)
• Price
• Contact details

Honesty is the best policy

When stating the ‘facts’ of your classic car, it can be tempting to skew the truth somewhat in order to get a quick sale. But honesty is always the best policy. Just put yourself in a buyer’s shoes for a minute and imagine if someone was trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

Ultimately, failing to provide all the facts about your vehicle will prove a waste of everyone’s time. For example, if you’ve failed to mention a significant scratch or dent on the bodywork of your vehicle, it will soon become apparent to the buyer when they come to view it.

Overall, classic car enthusiasts are passionate about keeping these beautiful vehicles running for as long as possible. Therefore, they’ll want to buy a vehicle that matches their level of skill and experience, especially if there’s restoration work to be done. Hiding problems during a sale will hinder the buyer and keep these retro cars locked in garages instead of where they should be – back on our roads.

Protect your investment with classic car insurance

Having sold your classic car, you might go looking for a new vehicle. When you find your next project, don’t forget you’re going to need specialist classic car insurance to protect your motor for the future.

With cover from Lancaster, you’ll get limited mileage discounts, 90 days EU cover for trips abroad, static show and historic rally cover and up to 25% discount if you’re a member of a club.

You’ll also have 24-hour access to our claims line and UK call centre, so your case will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Get a quote for classic car insurance today.