As you progress in your pursuit of classic cars, an inevitable question will eventually raise its head.

“I have an incredible example of a particular car, but is it world-class? Could it be shown at one of the world’s great events?”

Well, the answer to that is by no means straightforward, but there are several standard prerequisites that you should seek to satisfy before even considering showing a car on the world stage.

Painting A Picture

To begin with, you need to start with the obvious.

Does your automobile have all the original paperwork with it? If the answer is no, there is no need to give up hope. There are ways and means to recover paperwork.

With expert help, you can retrace documents. This is especially important if there are sizeable gaps in the history. When we are talking about cars that might be over 50 years old, there is going to be the odd gap here and there where pieces of paper were misplaced.

Going beyond paperwork, you also need to begin building a story around the vehicle. There is no need to go into huge detail here, suffice to say that the very best cars have an incredible story, too.

This story needs be documented and proven. It is no good assuming a car was owned by someone significant; that evidence needs to be provided.

Getting The Details Right

With an immaculate car comes immaculate attention to detail. Here, it is important to consider originality. This extends far beyond the big items like the interior and the engine (which must be original, of course) and covers items like badges and wheels, even things like battery leads, which if not original need to be original in style.

If you really want your car to be world-class, it is the tiny details that add up to a quality classic car.

Marque My Words

For those of you yet to own that world-class vehicle and looking to make the next one a show-worthy candidate, you need to do some research and make sure that you buy the right marque.

There is no need to break the bank either. Obviously the more you can spend, the better car you can buy, but getting a world-class automobile can also be achieved by using some guile.

A perfect starting point would be to look at significant brands. If we were to take Jaguar, for instance, they have models that are within many people’s reach, financially.

As a buyer, you would have to think about selecting marques that are recognised as important, influential or significant. They have importance because of their continuity, or it may be because of their track record; literally, their track record.

When considering Jaguar as a brand, they also have a pretty continuous history, with some iconic examples used in film and TV, which provide a cultural significance.

They also have a rich racing tradition. You do not need to spend exorbitant amounts to own a wonderful Jaguar that could be a serious contender on the world stage. You will, however, need to do your research and possibly enlist some help.

Another great, albeit perhaps more expensive example, is Bentley, which is likely to garner additional interest with its 100^th anniversary celebration in 2019.

If you know your history, you will know that Bentley has had great success in endurance racing. Trying to find examples that show off these types of traits can pay dividends in anniversary years.

Alfa Romeo can be an accessible option for collectors looking to compete but who do not have the funds to buy the Ferraris of this world. They have a tremendous history going back a long time. They also have a great track record from the point of view of competition cars.

Thinking outside the box, you could consider even a 1960’s Mini. They are not astronomically expensive, not millions of dollars, more like tens of thousands. They have competition pedigree at the Monte Carlo Rally. They also have an iconic place in cultural history, a reminder of “the swinging sixties.”

At the time, the design was revolutionary and more than that, it was an accessible automobile. They were not a plaything of the rich and famous, they were a car of the people, and yet the rich and famous coveted them too.

If you can find a beautiful example of a Mini and restore it in the correct fashion, you can have a car that can be shown on any stage.