What an appraisal does
An appraisal is a record as at a given date, made by an independent specialist: identity, condition, history, often a grade on the scale from 1 to 5, and a value estimate. It is the basis for an expensive purchase, for the insurance, and sometimes for the veteran application.
It is not a free pass, not a substitute for the MFK, and not a forecast. Six months later, after damp storage or a botched respray, it no longer holds.
ClassicGuide copies no values from Classic Data, Classic Analytics or comparable lists. Our bands in the buying advice are our own editorial estimates. An appraisal you commission is separate. It belongs to you and the appraiser, not to us.
Short or full
Short appraisal (often a « condition report »): identity, a rough condition, a grade, photos, a band. It is often enough for the policy below a threshold named by the insurer, and as a second opinion before you buy a car of manageable scale.
Full appraisal: paint thickness, underside, history, restoration quality, identification of the variant, detailed photo documentation, a reasoned value. That is the right depth for expensive, restored or unclear cars, and wherever the insurer requires a full appraisal.
The purpose draws the line, not pride. A 2CV you mean to drive needs no concours file; an E-Type with a « Matching Numbers » claim needs more than three photos in fine weather.
When it is worth it
- before you buy, once the price would make a wrong decision painful
- before you take out or adjust an Oldtimer policy
- after an extensive restoration, before you set the insured value again
- when the seller's statements and the visible condition diverge
The checklist stays the first filter. The appraisal comes when you want to stay serious about the car, not instead of your own viewing.
What it is not
- Not an MFK. The appraiser does not confirm admission to traffic. See MFK for classics. To prepare the presentation: businesses with the focus MFK and veteran inspection.
- Not a seller's grade. « Grade 2 » in the listing is marketing. The condition grades explain the system; only a neutral valuation, or your own hard assessment, counts.
- Not insurance for the history. Forged invoices and odometers set back, an appraiser often finds them, but not always. Reading the papers remains your job.
Settle the brief
Put it in writing: the purpose (purchase, insurance, sale), the depth you want, whether a lift is needed, whether the appraiser should see the car cold. Do not let the seller « prepare » the appointment. You should be the one who pays. Whoever appoints the appraiser influences the view.
In a claim, or at a later sale, a dated appraisal with photos is worth more than any memory. Keep it. Do not leave it in the centre console.