Vintage Car Shipping

If you are a fan of vintage vehicles, owning your dream car likely means that you’ll need to buy it from an auction out of state, or online. Regardless of how or where you purchase it from, your new vehicle requires professional vintage car shipping to bring it your location. With a vehicle of such value and age, the last thing you want to do is add any unnecessary miles or expose it to potential damage on the road. This is exactly why vintage car owners trust respected and reliable vintage car shipping experts to bring their prized possessions home.

What is a Vintage Car?

You’ve likely heard the term “classic” used interchangeably to describe any old vehicle that looks like it doesn’t belong on the road with the more modern cars of today. In fact, there is a lot of confusion as to what the difference is between a vintage, classic, and antique vehicles. Typically, the vintage car moniker applies to vehicles that are built between 1919 and 1930. Whereas, classic cars are usually 20 years old and antique cars are over 45 years old.

But, as with many other subjects in the auto industry, there isn’t an official agreed upon definition for each. Insurance companies, classic car clubs, and state DMVs categorize each differently. For example, the state of California issues a very broad description as to what a “classic” car is, and they do not distinguish between vintage, classic, and antique cars. According to the California DMV, if the car is at least 25 years old, and was manufactured after 1922, it is considered a Historical Vehicle. However, if the vehicle is manufactured between 1922 and 1965, and has a 16-cylinder or larger engine, it is labeled a Horseless Carriage.

Why Vintage Car Shipping?

At Ship Vehicles, we serve many different customers. However, one of our major clients are vintage car clubs, organizations, dealers, and individual collectors. With over thirty years of experience in this business, we know, understand, respect, and are passionate about vintage vehicles. Many vintage cars are fragile, rare, still have their original paint, and are very sentimental to the owner. As an owner and lover of vintage cars, you strongly want to avoid any possible damage to your vehicle. We make it our business to transport your vintage car in the safest way possible that limits movement, and ensures that it arrives in the same condition in which it left.

Whether you need to have a number of vehicles shipped from one dealership to another, or you’re an individual who needs your vintage car shipped to a repair shop or your home, we can help. There are a wide variety of benefits to hiring an auto transport company for the shipment of your vintage car, including, but not limited to:

• Lower risk of accidents
• No wear and tear
• Full protection and world-class safety and security equipment (when you choose enclosed transport)
• No additional miles put on the car’s odometer

Additionally, since your insurance premium and status is subject to change the more miles you put on your vintage car, it is never a good idea to drive it across the country, or more than 200 miles.

Open or Enclosed Vintage Car Shipping?

When you need to have a vintage car shipped domestically, you have two options for transport: open transport and enclosed transport. Just as the name suggests, open transport means that your car is hauled on an open carrier that can fit up to 11 cars at once. This is an affordable method of transport for vintage car owners, and the most popular way to ship a vehicle. However, an open trailer will expose your vehicle to dirt, weather, rock chips, and any other possible road conditions and hazards. Although this may not be an issue for used cars that have already seen the elements, or new cars still coated in plastic, it can damage a vintage car.

On the other hand, enclosed transport involves your vintage car being moved while inside of an enclosed truck that can haul 2 to 4 vehicles at a time. Enclosed carriers can be found soft- or hard-sided, and with racks inside that cars are secured to. This is the safest way to transport a vintage vehicle, as the car will be placed inside a closed trailer that provides cover from inclement weather. It also protects against rocks or sun that can cause damage to your paint job. Opting for enclosed transport will always be more expensive because they generally carry the most valuable cars, there are less of them on the road, and fewer vehicles share a truck on a point to point route.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Vintage Car?

When it comes to auto shipping, vintage cars are in their own category. While the general processes are the same, special care and additional security is required to ship a vintage car. Because of this, it almost always costs more to ship a vintage car than it would to ship say a standard-sized modern sedan.

You can expect to pay an average of $3.38 per mile to ship your vintage less than 100 miles, and $1.14 to transport the same car less than 1000 miles. However, the actual cost to transport a vintage car varies considerably based on the distance, chosen transport method, the type of car, timeframe, time of year, and more. The easiest way to find out exactly what it’s going to cost you to ship your vintage car is to request an auto shipping quote. At Ship Vehicles, we understand that every transport is different and always provide fully customized shipping quotes based on your particular situation.

You can request a free shipping quote today by filling out our online form or calling us directly to speak with one of our vintage car shipping experts. If you have any special requirements or requests for your transport, communicate those to our team. Keep in mind that additional fees will be charged for the following:

• The fuel tank needs to be emptied (it should be no more than ¼ of a tank)
• Battery requires charging
• Special equipment is needed for loading and unloading of your car
• Car is inoperable
• The desired delivery address is not accessible and you cannot meet the hauler in a nearby parking area.
• The delivery fails and storage is required

Frequently Asked Questions for Vintage Car Shipping

Can my vintage car be shipping by train?

Although shipping vintage cars by truck is the most common method, it can be shipped via train. You can also ship a vintage vehicle by ship (for international or overseas shipping) or air freight.

What is the best way to ship a vintage car?

Enclosed transport is the best way to ship a vintage car. While open transport is the most affordable method, enclosed offers the most protection for an older car of a higher value.

Do I have to drain the fuel tank to ship my vintage car?

To ship any car, it is always recommended to have no more than a ¼ of a tank of fuel. If the gas needs to be drained, you can pump it out yourself and save it. However, auto shipping companies will typically provide this service for a fee.