Collecting classic cars is a hobby that only very few can afford. Before taking the plunge it is worth checking your bank balance as these works of art require a whole series of additional costs: garage, spare parts, maintenance, insurance, tax, etc. However, car lovers do not tend to be overly preoccupied with these extra payments. Many of their collections are inherited from distant relatives, while others begin with the purchase of a favourite model in one of the many motor shows and collectors' fairs that take place in certain Spanish and European cities every year.

Collectors' criteria
There is no particular criteria when it comes to collecting classic cars. The most common method is for the aficionado to slowly build up his or her collection by searching out special offers available in the many specialised fairs or on the Internet which has become the forum of choice for buying and selling classic cars in recent years.

Some collectors concentrate on the different versions of a particular model or a manufacturer that has built what is considered to be a classic in the history of the car industry, such as the Seat 600, the mythical Volkswagen Beetle, Citro�n's Deux Chevaux or Rover's Mini. Others prefer to collect vehicles from a single country - Italy, Germany or England, above all - or from a single continent: Europe (Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Austin, Citro�n, Rover, Jaguar, Volkswagen and Mercedes), the United States (Ford, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Lincoln and Pontiac), and Asia (Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota and Mitsubishi above all). A final selection criteria for the collector is the car's year of manufacture. Logically, the older the car the harder to find and the pricier to purchase. Hence, the early 20th century models tend to be found only in museums and are virtually impossible to find in the buyers and sellers market.

The replicas
Replicas of classic cars exist for those collectors that want to enjoy models that are now impossible to find in their original form. This type of collecting consists of using the mechanics and chassis of current models and building on a shell that imitates the desired classic model. Some examples are so perfectly realised that it is difficult to differentiate the replica from the original.

Thanks to the replicas, you can acquire a classic sports car, for example, at a fraction of the cost of the original. Also, the maintenance costs will be considerably less as the cost of check ups and spare parts are that of a current vehicle. This is clearly one of the least costly ways of entering the exciting world of classic car collecting.