Collector Automobile and Classic Car Appraisals & Inspections

Contact AlanColvin.com to have
your classic vehicle inspected, verified or appraised.

AlanColving.com’s founder is a Certified IAAA Member and USAAP Certified. He documents every vehicle and completes every classic car appraisal following USAAP Uniform Standards of Automotive Appraisal Procedures. These were established by the International Automobile Appraisers Association (I.A.A.A), which is the automotive appraisers association setting the appraiser industry standards worldwide.

When was the last time you had an appraisal done on your collector car or truck? Never? Or years ago. Many antique and classic car owners don’t realize this is a precarious position. Everyone who owns a collector vehicle should have an up-to-date appraisal to protect their classic auto investment. This will protect your investment as the price of your vehicle appreciates. Appraisals are a necessary tool that can be used or may be needed for many reasons.

Level 1 Inspections: Many classic car enthusiasts buy vehicles through automotive sites on the Internet. The chance that the deal for your dream car could go bad is possible at the very least, in some cases probable. The first option to avoid heartache is a Level 1 ALCAA classic car inspection. The current ALCAA Level 1 inspection is a very thorough 150-point inspection, but to add more value for the customer, each AlanColvin.com inspection is tailored to your exact Make/Model of vehicle.

Level 2 Verifications. The value of your classic automobile is often determined by its rarity, its condition and its proximity to its original manufactured correctness. The more that you can verify these three components, the greater the value of your automobile. A written Level 2 ALCAA verification conducted by expert Alan Colvin is a worthwhile investment. As the author of the acclaimed Chevrolet by the Numbers book series, Alan is known as the “numbers guy” and pays impeccable attention to detail. He’ll provide an individualized and detailed ALCAA Verification for your 1955-1982 GM vehicle. He will provide a written professional opinion on the validity and rarity of your car by reviewing the car’s original documentation, reviewing/inspecting the car itself or reviewing data sent from the owner in a digital format. This report is sure to add pedigree to your car!

Level 3 Appraisals. If you would like to go another step above an ALCAA Verification of your classic car, then you should consider an expert Level 3 appraisal conducted by Alan Colvin. The Level 3 ALCAA appraisal delivers a comprehensive appraisal on your collector car tailored to your specific needs. As part of the appraisal, you will also be provided with an ALCAA Certificate of Authenticity. Alan is specializes in 1955-75 GM muscle cars. He has been state and nationally certified by the International Automobile Appraiser’s Association (IAAA).

Pre-Purchase Appraisals. The pre-purchase inspection and/or appraisal are the most underrated option used when buying a vehicle, especially if being bought sight-unseen. The values of all collector vehicles fluctuate based on several key parameters. Values can be affected by specific make and model, color, specific options etc. and by the differences between each vehicle. The current market conditions based on inflation rate, economic stability and even geographical location can greatly affect the worth of a vehicle. An up-to-date appraisal will always help determine the accurate value of your new vehicle, and will be a useful tool when negotiating a final purchase price.

Insurance Appraisals. Almost all classic car insurance companies require an appraisal before they will issue a policy on a specific vehicle. An appraisal may also be required by insurance companies if the value of a vehicle exceeds a specific value threshold, particularly if your insurance policy is of the “agreed value” type.

Selling Your Vehicle. In order to maximize the highest selling price for your collector vehicle at any given time, you must first know its true value in a given market. The only way to know that fact is to have the car appraised by a professional. The next step is pricing the vehicle realistically for current market conditions. This will help you to sell your vehicle for the highest price, hopefully in the shortest period of time possible. An up-to-date appraisal is always a useful tool when negotiating a final selling price.

Diminished Value of Damaged Collector Cars. Most collector cars are not involved in accidents, but if you are unfortunate enough to suffer a partial or total loss, an up-to-date appraisal can be a “life saver” and will document the value of the classic vehicle prior to the loss. The diminished value appraisal can also help to establish if a collector vehicle’s value has been truly diminished as the result of a loss, even after being repaired. Most enthusiasts are unfamiliar with the concept of diminished value and loss-of-use rights after their vehicle has been repaired. On some collector cars, this can equate to thousands of dollars being left on the table with the insurer. Know your rights!

Alternative Classic Car Financing. Many collector cars need to be appraised to obtain the correct financing for the purchase of the vehicle. An up-to-date appraisal helps establish the value of a vehicle for loan purposes.

Matrimonial, Probate & IRS Litigation. An up-to-date appraisal is often necessary to determine the value of a collector vehicle as it applies to legal issues. This situation may be the result of a disagreement between a variety of parties as to the value of a vehicle following an accident, theft or other legal matter. Courts may also order an appraisal of one or multiple vehicles in cases where it becomes necessary to establish the value of a collector vehicle (or collection) as part of an estate. This is often the case in matters associated with matrimony, probate and may included the Internal Revenue Service.

Charitable Donations. Many car collectors donate their vehicles to charity organizations for various reasons, including tax purposes. An up-to-date appraisal establishes the value of any collector vehicle to be used for tax purposes in the case of a charitable contribution. In many cases, an appraisal is required.

To have your vehicle inspected, verified or appraised, contact AlanColvin.com

Follow Alan
Recent Articles
Subscribe via email
Your email:
RSS Feed
Endorsements
Read more...
- “I have worked with Alan in both his current position and in previous positions. His knowledge of the automotive aftermarket is not only broad, but deep as well. He also has demonstrated excellent follow up skills on projects that we have worked together on always staying on top of action items that need completed. My work with him has always been very professional and positive. Alan has the ability to multi-task several projects at a time and move them forward. He is an asset to any team.”
  
  Jim Barber, Owner, Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists, Inc./Current ARMO President
- “My experience with Alan has been as a contributor to a Corvette article in Corvette Fever magazine. The article was about my collection of Corvettes accumulated over my career as a plant manager of the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green Kentucky. Alan's quality of work is outstanding and well respected in the Corvette hobby. His word is golden. If he tells you something you can believe it will be accurate and to the point.”
  
  Wil Cooksey, Former Plant manager of GM Bowling Green Assy Corvette Plant
- “Alan is a highly effective communicator and excellent editor - Highly detailed, he is well known in journalistic circles with great automotive knowledge.”
  
  Cam Benty, Former Editorial Director/Editor, Petersen Publishing/Current VP of Marketing for Flowmaster
- "Alan is a tremendous asset to any corporation. He has numerous contacts and is well respected in the industry. I would at any time have him part of my team!"
  
  Jeff Nowicki, President, Specter Werkes/Sports Inc.
- “Alan was my Editor for more than five years at Corvette Fever magazine. Under his direction, the magazine was redesigned and re-juvenated, and became more authoritive and intelligent - reflecting his own professional attitude. Alan has an extraordinary depth of knowledge on the technical aspects of American motor vehicles, and a rare ability to communicate this too.”
  
  Tom Falconer, Former Columnist for Corvette Fever Magazine (RightHand Drive)/Owner of Clarmont Corvette near London, England
- “Alan is very personable and is without a doubt an expert within the car hobby. He's a pleasure to work with and has always been very creative.”
  
  Lance Miller, Partner at Carlisle Events
- “Alan is very,very knowledgeable within the car hobby. I had the pleasure to work with him a year and a half ago when we were doing a cover photo shoot with my Corvette. He was very easy to work with and seemed to always have the audience in mind when shooting/capturing the car. Alan is very articulate and has the perfect mindset for an editor - He is also well known within the industry for his work with unique automotive knowledge. I would definitely recommend his talents.”
  
  Tracey Richardson, President, Teaching Lean Inc.
- “I've worked with Alan on a number of different projects and they have all been very positive experiences. I particularly enjoyed the writer/editor relationship that developed during the years he was editor of Corvette Fever magazine. He has vision, dedication and follows through on his commitments.”
  
  Dave Emanuel, Former Columnist for Corvette Fever Magazine (Techline)/, Editor, Performance Publishing,Owner of Random Technology
- “Alan is a passionate editor who stives for perfection! He is creative...but understands the business aspect of the magazine business. Get's the job done!”
  
  Curt Patterson, Former Advertising Dirctor, Dobbs Publishing Group/President of Patterson Publishing
- “Alan provided excellent coverage of National Corvette Museum events, activities and special displays with knowledgable writing and supervision of articles that showed a thorough knowledge in a manner that was interesting to the reader.”
  
  Roc Linkov, Events Manager, National Corvette Museum
- “I've known Alan for more than a decade. He has an amazing knowledge of automotive history, and a keen eye for detail. The work he did for me as editor of two car collector magazines was always well received by the readers. His reference guides are indispensable for hobbyists and professionals working to restore classic cars.”
  
  Matthew Wiseman, President at Potato Communications
- “I first became acquainted with Alan during his tenure as Editor at Corvette Fever magazine. During this time Alan often came to me for additional information or to verify some data in regards to the Corvette Grand Sport, showing he is a stickler for details and a high level of accuracy. He has a wonderful writing style, professional yet instantly friendly, and these traits have come to make him and his work very well respected in the Corvette world.”
  
  John (Hutch) Hutchinson, Owner/Manager, Corvette Grand Sport Registry
- “Alan is an classic car industry expert with solid auto industry management experience, he was an excellent manager for us at Autocomm. His technical ability is obvious with the series of books he has written on the auto industry. He has a great grasp of the business angles and relationships and I look forward to working with Alan in current and future endeavors.”
  
  Eric Gettemy, Former VP/Partner, AutoComm Inc./Current SW Regional Director at AIM
- “Have worked with Alan in a variety of ways and capacities over 15 years. Super capable journalist, photographer, and car guy. In addition to our professional interactions, I keep a set of his Chevrolet by the Numbers books within an arms reach as they are an incredible resource. Always a pleasure to work with.”
  
  Tom Christmann, Marketing Manager, Mecum Auctions
- “Alan is very knowledgable in Vette products as well as an accomplisted editor/ writer. He has been in the business for many years and has the experience to understand how products work”
  
  Michael Jonas, president, Stainless Steel Brakes corp

Collector Automobile and Classic Car Appraisals & Inspections

Follow Alan

Recent Articles

Subscribe via email

RSS Feed

Endorsements