Many people dream of owning a classic car and fantasize of going out for a picnic in summer in a vintage Morris Minor, or ripping down country lanes in a vintage E-type Jag. But how easy is it to buy your first classic car? Here’s the guide on how to approach making your first purchase.

What to look for:
Buying a classic car is fairly straightforward, but you do need to take care in deciding exactly what type of vehicle best fits your needs. It’s not good buying a classic MGB car if you want to use the vehicle for family outings (with kids and dogs) to the beach. Equally, a Ford might tick all the practicality boxes if you’re a singe bloke - but does it have the same effect on your street cred as a gleaming Jaguar? Probably not. Key practical considerations therefore need to be: Number of seats, number of doors, hard-top of soft-top, boot space - and even image!

Where to store it:
How you store the car is also a major factor. Unfortunately, most ‘old’ cars simply don’t stand up to the weather like new ones, so you’ll need to keep your new classic in a garage or lock-up to maintain its appearance. If, like most people, your garage is rammed with anything BUT a car you’ll either need to clear it out or factor in the cost of renting a lock-up in your budget.

Condition:
The condition of you chosen classic car is a major consideration. If you have a background in engineering, welding or metalwork, a rusting old heap will hold no fear for you. Classic car magazines are full of adverts for a huge array of potential classic vehicles, and this should be your prime hunting ground. The key is to be realistic about what you can take on. A full restoration project is one thing – but it might be much more sensible to take on a project that’s been part completed, and just needs a few spares to get it back on the road.

Where to find Classic Cars:
The internet has made it easier then ever before to track down a classic car. Previously, buyers had to scour shop windows for likely purchases or buy specialist magazines. But now You’ll find specialist dealer sites, individuals using auction sites aggregating all the classic car websites in one location.

Preparation before plunging:
Having found a few potential purchases, now you need to do some homework to make sure you don’t end up with ‘a lemon’. While you’ll have some comeback if you buy from a car dealer, classic cars are unlikely to be sold with a warranty and if you’re buying from a private individual you’ll have even less rights.

This is why you need to have a series of key questions to ask on the phone, or by email, with the seller to make sure you build up an accurate history of the car.