Classic Car Blue Book Values

It is a difficult job to appraise a classic car, because there are many factors to take into consideration and above all you need to make sure that the car is genuine. But once you’ve established that you can use some classic car books that will guide you to a price tag that will seem fair to both the buyer and the seller.

Some of the factors that influence a classic car’s book value are the exterior look, the mechanical condition and the interior cleanliness. A classic car with an original body that hasn’t been repaired, but restored will be sold for a higher price tag. Rust and dents are drawbacks and will lower the price.

The mechanical condition is essential as well, because if the engine and the transmission are perfectly functional the price will reflect the situation going up to its highest value. Smaller problems like a fluid leak or brakes and suspension that need a little work won’t influence very much negatively the price you are hoping to get for your car. And last but not least you should make sure you don’t have stained upholstery or a dirty interior, because buyers care about all these details and that’s natural. The seats should also be in the best condition possible, because the overall look even if it may seem unimportant to you will influence the classic car’s book value.

One of the most representative classic car books is the Kelley Blue Book. The concept was introduced by Les Kelley in the 1920s when many people took into consideration his evaluations of cars because of their accuracy. Nowadays, if you are interested you can get the genuine Classic Car Blue Book from the Kelly Blue Book Company by accessing their website www.kbb.com. In this book’s pages you will find accurate appraisals for cars older than the 1980’s.

As the time passed some other websites were developed containing information about classic car blue book values. Sometimes this alternative proves to be a great option, because there are companies specialized in appraising such cars, but their services usually cost more than we can afford. There are available NADA guides that contain up to date prices for many types of vehicles including antique and classic cars. Moreover, Hemmings, another serious company focused on classic cars, considered that a search tool related to classic car pricing will be a good idea. As a result buyers are now able to find out which are the lowest, average and highest prices one would pay for a certain antique or classic car.

Another authority in the field when it comes to classic car book values is the Gold Book, considered by many an authority when it comes to finding out the right price for classic or collectible cars. The database available is huge containing valuable information about cars manufactured from 1886 to 2003. A simple search based on the make, the model and the year will provide you with a full history of the car along with its financial status.  The information provided will include details about the period when the car was manufactured, the model, the body type, the engine displacement and type, the car’s designation (M – for cars defined by the Milestone Car Society; C – for cars taken into account by the Classic Car Club of America; H – for a car certified as a collectible; S – for cars attracting special interested but not yet declared as collectibles). The loan value is also returned as a search result along with the value of the car depending on its condition.

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