2023-06-08 16:23:09
When Norbert Schroeder from TÜV Süd takes a closer look at a historic body, he also runs his hand over the stamped frame number of a car. Some manufacturers hammered the numbers in earlier and thus deformed the sheet metal. “If I don’t feel the typical ripples in the sheet metal, I become suspicious,” says the classic car expert. He examines the vehicles with all his senses. You get a feel for the feel over the years. This is important in order to track down possible irregularities.
The flourishing trade in historic vehicles also attracts scammers who want to profit from the sale of old cars. In the years of low interest rates, the prices for historic vehicles have risen steadily. Last year, however, the price increase was below the inflation rate. The German Classic Car Index (DOX), which the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) publishes annually, increased by 4.8 percent compared to the previous year. In Germany there are currently a little more than 704,000 vintage cars, as reported by the Federal Motor Transport Authority. Some of the vehicles have the “H” at the end. The history license plate on the car, H license plate for short, can basically be used for cars that were first registered 30 years ago. In addition, according to the testing organizations, it must have been largely restored to its original condition or with original parts. But not every repair is a fake. It is important that the story is correct and that transparency is maintained. Only when such work is kept secret does it start to become a problem.
#trail #vintage #car #scammers