ordicio

Collecting guide

How to Collect Classic Cars, Motorcycles and Bicycles

Classic and historic cars, motorcycles, bicycles and other vehicles.

A classic vehicle’s value depends on its originality and its history as much as on its condition. A car with matching numbers, a complete history file and its original documents can be worth far more than a better-looking car with gaps in its past. Keeping that file complete is the collector’s job.

Getting Started

Collectors follow a make, a model, a country or a period. Clubs and registers for a make are the best source of knowledge and spare parts.

What to Record

Condition and Grading

Valuation guides grade classic vehicles from 1 (concours, as good as or better than new) to 5 (in need of complete restoration). Note originality of paint, interior and mechanical parts, rust, accident damage and whether the vehicle is roadworthy.

Care and Storage

Store vehicles in a dry, ventilated garage, on a battery maintainer and with fresh fuel or a stabiliser. Move them regularly, keep tyres inflated and service them by time as well as by mileage.

Mistakes to Avoid

Kinds of Classic Vehicles

The Data Sheet for Classic Vehicles

The 32 fields worth recording for classic vehicles, grouped as in the ordicio app.

Identification

Vehicle type Choice, or your own
Kind of vehicle.
  • Car
  • Motorcycle
  • Scooter / moped
  • Bicycle
  • Commercial vehicle
  • Tractor / agricultural
  • Bus
  • Military vehicle
Make Text
Manufacturer, e.g. Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Triumph.
Model / variant Text
Model and variant, e.g. 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring, 300 SL Roadster.
Year built Year
Year of manufacture.
First registration Date
Date of first registration.
Chassis / VIN Text
Chassis or vehicle identification number (frame number for motorcycles and bicycles).
Engine number Text
Number stamped on the engine.
FIVA class Choice
Age class by year of manufacture after FIVA.
  • A - Ancestor (up to 1904)
  • B - Veteran (1905 to 1918)
  • C - Vintage (1919 to 1930)
  • D - Post vintage (1931 to 1945)
  • E - Post war (1946 to 1960)
  • F (1961 to 1970)
  • G (1971 to 1980)
  • H (1981 to 1990)
  • I (1991 to 30 years ago)
  • Not yet historic

Specification

Body style Text
Body style and coachbuilder, e.g. coupé, cabriolet by Karmann, roadster.
Engine Text
Engine type, displacement and power, e.g. 6-cylinder boxer, 2,687 cc, 210 hp.
Transmission Choice, or your own
Transmission type.
  • Manual
  • Automatic
  • Semi-automatic
Exterior colour Text
Exterior colour with paint code, e.g. Grand Prix White (908).
Interior Text
Interior colour and material.
Mileage (km) Whole number
Odometer reading (state whether original or the total distance if known).

Originality & documents

What is original and how it is documented.

Matching numbers Choice
Whether chassis, engine and gearbox are the original combination.
  • Matching numbers (original engine and gearbox)
  • Correct type replacement
  • Non-original drivetrain
  • Unknown
Registration Text
Registration number and type, e.g. historic plate.
Documentation Text
Papers and history, e.g. FIVA identity card, heritage certificate, service book, invoices since 1985.
Restoration history Text
Restorations with year, workshop and scope (frame-off, paint, engine rebuild).

Condition

Condition grade Choice
Classic vehicle condition grade 1 to 5 used by valuation guides.
  • 1 - Concours / perfect
  • 2 - Very good
  • 3 - Good / roadworthy
  • 4 - Needs work
  • 5 - Restoration project
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Working order Choice
Whether the mechanism or device works.
  • Working
  • Working with faults
  • Not tested
  • Not working
  • Restored to working order

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
  • Purchase
  • Auction
  • Gift
  • Inheritance
  • Exchange / trade
  • Self-collected / found
  • Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
  • Own estimate
  • Recent sales / auction results
  • Dealer offer
  • Catalogue value
  • Professional appraisal
  • Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.

Standards and References

The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:

Updated October 24, 2026