Choosing a dealer is nearly as important as choosing the right car – due in part to the fact that a trusted specialist will sell you the right car and give you the advice and aftersales support you need as well as a host of other reasons.

The best cars end up with the best dealers – marque specialists with years of experience. There is no such thing as a bargain in the classic car world, so you might as well start looking in the right places, even if it does feel like you might be able to buy cheaper elsewhere. The dealers we recommend – our dealer network – are businesses that we trust to supply quality cars that we know are a of “finance” quality. Remember, we have an obligation both to our customers and the financial institution that arranges the loan so we need to ensure that goods are of a certain standard and that  the provenance of the vehicle can be relied upon. We’ve built strong relationships  and financed thousands of classic, sports and race cars with them over the years, so the trust goes both ways. So – why is choosing the right dealer important? Because you’ll buy the right car at the right money as well as (hopefully) forming a meaningful and long term relationship with a trusted dealer who will be there to help and advise you in the future.

Here are the most important things you should be asking yourself about any dealer you’re thinking about buying a car from:

• Are they known marque specialists?  Knowledge is power.
• Are they financially stable? Its always nice to know that you’ll actually take delivery of the car you bought (although with a finance agreement this isn’t such an issue).
• Do they have a Consumer Credit Licence? If not, no matter – we can handle that side of things, but they shouldn’t be trying to actively sell you finance.
• Do they offer aftersales care? This could be in the form of a warranty or simply having the expertise to look after your car in the event of a technical hitch
• Will they be there tomorrow? It’s always best to deal with someone who’s going to stick around for a while. Relationships in the classic car world are incredibly important – even if retirement does sound appealing!