Classic cars collection in Clearwater Florida beautiful old vintage vehicles display

A classic car may describe an automobile 25 years or older, but this can vary depending on the jurisdiction for registration purposes or insurance company requirements. A car's age is not the only requirement before being considered a "classic." Other factors that can influence this classification include the vehicle's historical significance, rarity, and condition.

A standard criterion for recognizing cars as classics does not exist, as different countries use their own rules and regulations for classifying vehicles. A common theme is that an older car of historical interest becomes collectible and tends to be restored rather than scrapped. Therefore, one person's old car may be another's classic. Any car can be considered classic if it has dedicated owners who support it as such.

Cars produced in 1915 and older typically fall into the antique class, but the "classic" term is often applied loosely by owners to any car over 20 years old. There is some variation regarding the exact identification of a "classic car." Division by separate eras includes horseless carriages (19th-century experimental automobiles such as the Daimler Motor Carriage), antique cars (brass era cars which are defined by the Horseless Carriage Club of America (HCCA) as "any pioneer gas, steam or electric motor vehicle built or manufactured before 1 January 1916."), and classic cars (typically 1930s cars such as the Cord 812). Some also include muscle cars, with the 1974 model year as the cutoff.