Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about Auto Icons
About Auto Icons
Auto Icons is a Singapore-based curator of rare, limited-production, and historically significant automobiles. We specialize in sourcing, restoring, and preserving vehicles of enduring significance - classic, vintage, luxury, and performance icons that embody authenticity, provenance, and exceptional craftsmanship. Each car is selected for its heritage, rarity, and lasting appeal, supported by a global sourcing network and deep restoration expertise.
Beyond the cars themselves, we create story-led experiences that bring automotive history to life, from private showroom events to thoughtfully produced editorial content. Our mission is to help collectors not simply purchase a vehicle, but steward an automotive icon for the next generation.
At Auto Icons, the journey is as important as the car. Whether buying, selling, or exploring a new chapter in your collection, we ensure a seamless, personalised, and deeply rewarding experience for every client.
Buying Journey
We seek out only the finest examples of classic cars, sourcing directly from private collectors, discerning estates, reputable auctions, and trusted specialist dealers. Each car is selected for its provenance, originality, and condition ensuring it meets the exacting standards of serious collectors and enthusiasts.
Every car undergoes a meticulous inspection by our in-house experts. We assess originality, mechanical integrity, bodywork, paint authenticity, and interior condition. Our inspections also verify provenance, confirm VIN numbers, and review service history, ensuring every car we offer is both genuine and meticulously cared for.
Yes. We strongly encourage buyers to commission a PPI. You may engage your own trusted specialist, or we can recommend experienced evaluators familiar with the nuances of rare and collector vehicles. A thorough PPI provides confidence in your investment and affirms the car’s authenticity and condition.
Yes. We fully welcome and accommodate inspections by qualified third-party experts. Many of our clients engage marque specialists or trusted evaluators to examine a vehicle on their behalf. We provide full access, adequate time, and any necessary documentation so your expert can conduct a thorough assessment of the car’s mechanical condition, originality, and overall integrity. This ensures complete transparency and allows you to make a well-informed decision with confidence.
Yes. We regularly coordinate international shipments for clients around the world. We work exclusively with reputable transport and logistics partners who specialize in handling classic and high-value vehicles. All global logistics including enclosed transport, customs documentation, full documentation, and insurance are managed with utmost care to ensure the vehicle arrives safely and in the condition it left our facility.
You may follow our social channels or visit the Experience section, where we share new acquisitions, exclusive releases, featured vehicles, events, and notable market updates. Serious collectors may also request direct notifications for specific marques or models. This ensures you remain informed of opportunities that align with your interests and collecting preferences.
Investment-grade automobiles have established themselves as a resilient alternative asset class. Historical data shows that “blue-chip” marques and low-production models often outperform traditional financial indices. Beyond financial returns, these vehicles offer intrinsic value: the joy of ownership, the preservation of automotive heritage, and access to exclusive events and collector networks.
When acquired with attention to authenticity, condition, and provenance, collector cars can be both an emotionally rewarding passion and a durable store of value, offering a unique hedge against inflation and market volatility. True long-term appreciation depends on rarity, historical significance, meticulous maintenance, and documented originality, making expert guidance essential in identifying vehicles with genuine investment potential.
Ownership Journey
We take a stewardship-based approach. For every marque we represent, we manage the process with the same discipline expected in the collector community coordinating transport, mechanical oversight, documentation, and preservation requirements. Our role is to ensure your vehicle is cared for with the respect its history warrants.
Yes. We work only with workshops and specialists that meet the standards recognized within serious collector circles. Whether the car requires mechanical recommissioning, restoration, concours-level detailing, or ongoing preventative care, we direct owners to the craftsmen whose work stands up to expert scrutiny.
Yes. We provide guidance and administrative support for registration and insurance in multiple countries around the world. This includes navigating regulatory differences, preparing the necessary documentation, and liaising with insurance providers experienced in insuring rare and historically significant vehicles. Our objective is to ensure your car remains legally protected and correctly documented wherever it resides.
Certainly. Beyond securing the necessary permissions, compliance, documentation, and insurance, we can also support the planning of your driving tour - ensuring routes, timings, and logistics align seamlessly with your preferences. If you wish to drive your car in another country, we can assist with obtaining the Carnet de Passage and any related cross-border requirements. Every detail is managed with discretion and precision, allowing you to enjoy the journey with complete freedom and confidence.
We work with a vetted network of secure, specialist storage facilities. These partners provide climate-controlled environments, controlled access, battery management, periodic movement protocols, and full surveillance.
Bonded storage allows a vehicle to be held under customs control without duties being paid until the vehicle enters the local market. For collectors who import, export, or maintain vehicles abroad, should you require bonded storage, we can assist you with this.
We also advise on the trusted certification bodies and inspection standards recognized in the collector community which are critical for provenance, authenticity, and future valuation.
Preservation is a discipline, and we follow the approach expected among serious custodians:
- Ensuring the vehicle is stored in stable, climate-managed conditions
- Adhering to correct maintenance intervals and using marque-appropriate specialists
- Maintaining a continuous record of inspections, servicing, and provenance documents
- Advising on recognized inspectors whose reports are valued by global collectors
Our goal is simple: to safeguard the mechanical integrity, history, and value of the vehicle for the next custodian.
Selling Journey
Valuation in the collector market is a nuance, not a science. Our appraisal services move beyond generic "book values," which rarely account for the specific attributes of investment-grade vehicles. Our valuation methodology combines three pillars:
- Historical data: We analyze realized prices from major auction houses and private treaty sales over the last 12–24 months.
- Vehicle specifics: We heavily weigh factors such as numbers-matching status, original build sheets, restoration quality, mileage, and rarity of color/option combinations.
- Current market sentiment: We assess the liquidity and demand for your specific marque in the current economic climate.
Each valuation is conducted by specialists with deep knowledge of classic, exotic, and collector vehicles, ensuring an assessment that is accurate, fair, and respected within the community.
Absolutely. We believe an informed seller is the best partner. By analyzing auction results, private sales, and collector trends, we give a clear sense of what your vehicle could command in today’s marketplace. This allows you to make a decision based on data, not speculation.
Private sales of high-value vehicles often attract unqualified inquiries, but when you consign with us, you leverage our reputation to filter the noise. Your car reaches a curated audience of vetted collectors and is showcased on premium global platforms.
Listings feature professional photography, detailed historical documentation, and a precise narrative that honors its legacy. We manage all inquiries, negotiations, and fund verification, ensuring both security and discretion, so your vehicle is presented and sold as the exceptional piece of automotive history it truly is.
Yes. For vehicles that fit our specific inventory curation criteria, we may acquire vehicles outright. This is the most seamless path for a seller looking for immediate liquidity without the timeline of a consignment sale. After a thorough evaluation, we offer a fair, transparent, and well-considered purchase. Every transaction is handled with integrity, discretion, and respect for both the car and its owner.
We have long-standing relationships with the industry's most respected logistics partners. We coordinate secure, insured, and climate-conscious transportation to ensure every car arrives safely, as if it were being moved to a private museum.
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