February 26, 2021
No matter the experience, or lack thereof, in collecting cars considered “classics”, defining the characteristics of an antique car will always bring some level of debate.
The simplest way to start is by getting to know specialized organizations that have certain standards, criteria and grading systems, certification and acknowledgement of antique cars.
In 1966 the FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE des VEHICLES ANCIENS (FIVA) was founded and it is the current worldwide authority having presence in seventy nations around the world.
In Mexico in 2003 the Mexican Federation of Antique and Collection Cars (Federación Mexicana de Automóviles Antiguos y de Colección A. C., FMAAC) was founded as a non profit organization to integrate many associations and clubs dedicated to antique car collecting. It adheres to FIVA’s criteria to catalog classic vehicles.
Based on the standards proposed by both organizations, from general to specific considerations, we define “Antique Vehicle” as a car characterized by:
- Highway ready vehicles with mechanical propulsion.
- At least 30 years old from the year of fabrication based on the current date.
- It keeps and manages its original characteristics.
- It is not used as daily transport.
- Due to all this characteristics, it is considered a historical, cultural and technical asset of a country.
It is important to note that here in Mexico; the inspection is conducted by the FMAAC, which will be covered in future posts. Once these general aspects are defined, in order to categorize an antique vehicle we must consider the three following subdivisions:
a) Type of fabrication, this entails the following aspects: series type, if it was modified due to specific needs, if it is a replica, worked on outside of the production period or exception.
b) Grouped by conservation state: group 1 original, group 2 authentic or preserved, group 3 restored and group 4 rebuilt.
c) Classified based on production year: precursors, pioneers, ancestors, veterans, vintage, pre-war vintage (based on World War II), post-war vintage, antiques, collection, classics (specifically described as an icon in the automotive industry due to being a low production special car).
There are other complementary classifications like: sports car, refurbished car, milestone car and muscle car, each with its own characteristics.
We may conclude that classifying an antique or historical car as a “classic”, based on the fulfillment of the described general characteristics, would be a mistake and it wouldn’t allow proper appreciation.
We kindly invite you to learn more of each classification in order to increase our understanding of the differences.
In case of questions or advice about your car, we can help! Just contact us.
