Pawn Your Classic, Vintage & Antique Cars
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020 7493 0385
Thinking of taking a loan on your Classic Car?
We’re often asked by customers “Is it possible to finance my classic, vintage or antique car?” and the simple answer is yes, you can do so at our award-winning London pawn shop in Mayfair.
Whether you have a Ferrari or Rolls Royce, Aston Martin or Porsche, Bentley or Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover or Lamborghini, Koenigsegg or a Bugatti, classic vehicles hold a great deal of value at pawn shops.
Borrowing capital on the value of your antique, vintage or classic car allow you to unlock the value of that vehicle without having to sell it outright. At New Bond Street Pawnbrokers, Susana Figueiredo, a multi-award winning pawnbroker, heads our team of classic cars loan experts in London.
We work with a range of trusted car specialists to ensure that you receive an accurate valuation, which can then form the basis of a loan.
How we value a classic car before lending against it
When you apply for a collateral loan on your classic and antique cars, there are various things we look for, including the manufacturer, model, and mileage, as well as the overall condition and price at auction houses. We also look for markers of prestige, plus any provenance, such as registration documents for the car and registration plates. All of these factors – when taken into consideration simultaneously – help us to come up with a valuation before making a financing offer on your classic cars.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about what your classic, vintage or antique car is worth and to get an estimate on how much you can borrow against it. We pride ourselves on being able to work with a wide variety of classic vehicles, offering high-value loans quickly and easily for clients seeking to release capital instantly – most often within 24 hours. There’s no need for you to commit to a quick sale on your vehicle, which will no doubt mean selling for less than it is worth. Instead, when you pawn your classic car, you get to access about 70% of its market value, without having to lose your pride and joy permanently. Before agreeing on any lending contract on your classic cars we require the vehicle to be free of any other finance, and to be held in your own name.
Specialist advice & instant lending on
antique, vintage, and classic carsÂ
Following the completion of valuation of your antique or classic car, you will receive 100% of the agreed loan price, and we will release your funds the same day, with minimal paperwork.. There are no credit checks, no contract fees, and no hidden costs. We also ensure you achieve the maximum amount of financing possible against your classic or antique car – all our assessments are fair, professional, and based on market prices at auction!
While in our possession your classic car is kept securely and safely. It will not be driven or used during this time and processes are in place to help give you peace of mind throughout. We only hold your vintage or antique car against the loan in the event that you do not pay back the value of your financing. However, if you do make the payment, plus any extra interest accrued, no matter how soon this happens after the initial loan, we will then release the vehicle back to you. You will have to sign a lending contract against your classic car, and the whole process will operate on these terms and conditions.
What Type of Cars Can You Pawn?
At New Bond Street Pawnbrokers, we accept a number of different luxury and classic vehicles made by specific manufacturers. These include Aston Martin, Bugatti, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes and Porsche.
1. Aston Martin
If you’re looking to pawn Aston Martin cars, our experienced specialists in classic vehicles are on hand to offer detailed appraisals, unrivalled care, and seamless service. We hold a unique position, in that our 30 years of experience of lending against top classic vehicles like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche and Lamborghini offers you the trust and piece of mind that you are dealing with a professional pawnbroker, who will appraise, handle and transport your vehicle at the highest standards.
Aston Martin is a true part of our British heritage, from their position as one of the earliest luxury manufacturers to their fame in James Bond movies. We are proud to release borrowing against Aston Martin cars and are on hand to provide specialist advice, a general estimate, and more.
2. Bugatti
For loans on Bugatti cars, we are proud to offer some of the most professional and accurate valuations, dedicated customer service and pristine care for your vehicle for the duration of your loan.
Bugatti has offered the automotive world some of the most archetypal classics that simply radiate luxury and class. We offer secure storage, logistical transport and stress-free loan agreements to ensure your Bugatti classic vehicle remains yours in exception condition while in our care.
3. Ferrari
Ferrari has become a staple in the luxury car market, and rightly so. As specialist pawnbrokers for Ferrari cars, we are experienced in arranging the transport, management, valuation and pawning of your vehicle, keeping things discrete to ensure the safety and security of your car. Our professional service offers not only a high-value loan but security in the form of state-of the art storage for your Ferrari classic vehicle throughout the duration of the loan.
4. Jaguar
Jaguar has become the epitome of both classic and luxury, offering everything from endearingly charming design to endurance to rival some of today’s top sports cars. Elegance sits at the heart of Jaguar’s manufacturing process, and this transfers into the unique look, power and performance. For loans on Jaguar classic cars, we are proud to offer some of the best value and quality care available. The financing process will include an expert appraisal of your Jaguar classic, vintage or antique car, transportation to our secure storage facility and no hidden fees or contract costs.
5. Mercedes
While Mercedes still sits as a popular luxury car manufacturer today, they are also synonymous with classic models worth cherishing. Mercedes are renowned for producing models that suit countless needs and requirements and as a result, have countless vehicles of different worth and value. When you pawn Mercedes cars, our experts will appraise your classic vehicle and give you an accurate valuation for the loan, based on current prices at auction – no hidden fees or costs, just a simple way to release value on your car without selling it.
6. Porsche
If there was ever a name that has become synonymous with high-end luxury, Porsche would in no doubt take that title. From the 911 to the 356 coupe and Spyder, Porsche has offered the automotive world some of the most beautiful and high-performing luxury and classic cars around. New Bond Street Pawnbrokers has over 30 years of experience in valuing, transporting and storing high-class vehicles like Porsches. Our loans for classic Porsche cars enable you to release their high value without saying goodbye to your pride and joy, and you can rest assured that your vehicle is in good hands with one of the most awarded pawn shop in the world.
How to get startedÂ
Our Blenheim Street classic vehicle pawn shop is based in the heart of Mayfair. If you want to ensure you get the highest price and a trustworthy, discreet customer experience against your classic, vintage or antique car, then please book an appointment with our expert pawnbroking team – this will ensure you will receive their undivided attention.
Alternatively, if you are not able to drive your classic car to us, our experts are happy to visit and provide a price estimate, before pawning your vehicle with us.
To get started, fill out the contact form on this page or call us on 020 7493 0385
We understand that most classic cars cannot be driven hence we provide a logistical transport service. All cars are kept in state of art secure and discreet storage facility in Central London. Whether you own a classic British car, an Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, and others, your car is safe with us.
*We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
How to get the best price when
Pawning your Classic CarÂ
You may have heard the phrase that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. In the world of classic cars, where values seem to fluctuate by the day, that’s very true. While it’s true, that doesn’t mean you’re at the complete mercy of the marketplace when you decide to pawn your classic car. There are things that you can do in order to get the best price you can, and our expert car appraisers will lay it down for you.
1. Invest in the mechanicals
If you have a classic Aston Martin, a classic Porsche, or a classic Ferrari, you have one of the greatest driving machines ever to grace the road. These vehicles were designed to provide the driver with a true sense of thrill every time they got behind the wheel. Does your car live up to that? Or does it leave a cloud of smoke and a puddle of oil everywhere that it goes? It’s impossible to overstate how important good mechanical condition is to get the best loan value for your classic car.
It stands to reason – when you bought the car, if you turned up to see it and the engine was running poorly, would you have been in a rush to buy it? Unlikely. There are certain cars, such as the classic Mercedes-Benz 540k Convertible, that are so rare even poorly running examples are desirable at pawn shops. For the majority of classic cars, you have to keep in mind that there are likely plenty of other examples out there. Yours needs to stand out, and a car that drives brilliantly will always stand out.
So, determine a regular service schedule for your vehicle. Also, replace things as and when they need replacing. If you’re running your classic on a shoestring budget it’s easy to say you’ll do it “next week”. Then, before you know it you’re trying to pawn or sell your classic car and you still haven’t had that job done. The only thing is that now it’s something else chipping a little bit off the top end of the price you can sell or finance it for.
The final mechanical condition is up to you, but here are a few things that your vehicle must be able to do if you’re going to get the best price when pawning your classic car:
- Start reliably and easily
- Idle consistently and evenly
- Maintain temperature in traffic
- Brake reliably and efficiently
- Steer predictably and smoothly
- Ride as comfortably as possible
Address these points, and you have a desirable classic car to borrow against.
2. Exterior and interior condition
Classic Bugatti, classic Mercedes-Benz, classic Jaguar, and most classics, in fact, are known for their truly beautiful looks. Your car should reflect this. Classic beautiful lines are in such stark contrast to the computer-designed bricks motor manufacturers sell nowadays, the condition has to do the looks justice. But the right condition for your car might not be entirely obvious.
For example, originality is a highly prized thing in the classic car market. A classic, vintage or antique car is, and can only be, original once, so buyers and pawnbrokers are often prepared to pay a premium for it. As soon as a car is repainted or reupholstered, it loses its originality and loses what makes it truly unique.
As a clear example of this principle in action, take this 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E. It looks just like any other Mercedes-Benz W124 saloon. Reliable and handsome, but you can pick them up in the classifieds for anywhere from £1,000 – £10,000 all day long, depending on the condition. What makes this one worth the best part of £80,000 to someone?
Well, firstly it’s rare. It’s a 500E, which is a very rare car indeed. One of the first super-saloons, it was designed and built in conjunction with Porsche and carried the 5.0-litre engine from the 500SL coupe. Albeit modified. So this classic car is rare and has a great engine, which accounts for it being more valuable when pawning it, than your average rusted Geneva-taxi. But it’s still hamstrung by the very dim-witted automatic transmission that Mercedes-Benz was using in the ’80s and ’90s. So, any appeal as a “driver’s car” is somewhat limited, from an objective standpoint.
3. So, why all that money?
Two things that will determine the loan value of your classic car at pawn shopst – mileage, and condition. For example, the W124 series of Mercedes-Benz cars are well known for their ability to comfortably do hundreds of thousands of miles with the right maintenance, so to find an example with a low mileage is rare. A classic car like this, one of the very few 500E performance models built via the Mercedes-Porsche collaboration, makes it even rarer again, hence the valuation commands a premium loan value.
Then there’s condition. This example is absolutely flawless. It has been kept indoors, driven exceptionally rarely, and has had all service items attended to as and when necessary. It’s as close as you could get to walking into the Stuttgart branch of Mercedes-Benz in 1993 and picking up your recently-ordered 500E. You could make an argument that it’s worthy of being a museum piece. Like all collectors, classic car enthusiasts want the very best and most interesting pieces for their collections. Being a one-family owned car since new, it explains why this car brought the best part of £80,000 under the hammer, and can release a substantial amount when borrowing funds against it.
That brings us on to another thing your car needs to be as valuable as possible when pawning your classic car – provenance.
4. Dig into your car’s history
Many people love classic cars because they pass from person to person and pick up a lifetime of stories and experiences. So get digging in your car’s history and see if there’s anything notable or exceptional about it that will make it that much more interesting or desirable. In the case of our example Mercedes-Benz 500E, it’s a one-family owned car since new, that’s highly rare and adds to the car’s story.
What matters with provenance? Anything that makes your car more interesting or unique.
Classic cars are often used in films and TV shows. So if your car was used, try and track down some photographs to prove that and keep them with the rest of the car’s documents. It all adds to the appeal of your specific car, which may otherwise be similar to thousands of other examples of that make and model.
Similarly, provenance might be a famous former owner. Again, try and get hold of some photographs of them with the car, maybe even see if you can contact them to get some written confirmation of their ownership and experience. It will all add value come sale time.
Other things to highlight would be if your car was a milestone production number – the first car or the millionth car, for example. If your classic car benefits from an unusual original factory paint finish, that will make it more desirable to pawnbrokers. As will an unusual interior colour. Check your car’s specification. Find out what options were available at the time, what was ordered on your car, if anything, and how common they were.
5. A proactive approach to profit
Hopefully, you should understand that there are certain things that you can do to make your classic, vintage or antique car as desirable as possible to pawn shops. Ultimately, it’s still worth what someone is willing to pay, but there are many things you can do to encourage the buyer to offer you more.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I pawn my Classic, Vintage or Antique car in the UK?
Yes! In the same manner, as many other assets, collateral lenders can provide you with a loan based on the value of your classic car. Our specialists at New Bond Street Pawnbrokers are available to help you through the process, from the moment you apply for financing your classic, vintage or antique vehicle, through to the appraisal, and on to the repayments. Borrowing funds against the value of your car is a form of asset loan, in that your vehicle will remain yours unless repayments aren’t made. If handled efficiently, however, pawning your vehicle allows you to release capital on the value of your classic or luxury car and benefit from its worth without having to sell it outright. Our car pawnbrokers have over 30 Years of experience between them, lend on a number of luxury and classic cars, including those made by Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Mercedes, Jaguar and Porsche. We understand that a classic car can be anybody’s pride and joy, which is why we offer a seamless, stress-free car pawning service that simplifies the process. We keep all of the vehicles and assets pawned to us in secure facilities in London, where state of the art security measures are taken to ensure that all items are kept safe throughout the duration of the loan.
Can You Finance Your Car Title?
You will need a car title in order to pawn your vehicle. As part of our secure service, we do require all applicants for loans to hold a title for the vehicle in their name and so effectively, you are financing both the title and the vehicle. We cannot lend against the title alone.
What is the process of pawning my classic car?
It all starts with an application for a loan on your classic, vintage or antique car. This initial contact is your opportunity to detail as much about the asset as you can provide us with, over our enquiry form, phone or in our store in Mayfair. From this information, we can give you a rough estimate of the value of your classic or luxury car and book an appointment for a full appraisal if this estimated financing amount meets your requirements. The next stage is the valuation or appraisal. When you arrange an appraisal with us, you are encouraged to bring your car to our location on Blenheim Street, where our specialists can have a thorough look at your car to come to an accurate value, based on current prices at auction. This includes looking at the general state of the vehicle, the manufacturer, the mileage and of course, the model. We do consider any vehicle markers of prestige which can influence the overall amount we are able to lend you. Following the valuation, you’ll be asked to sign the loan contract, after which we will transport your vehicle to our secure storage facility in the heart of London. This facility is shared amongst some of the top and most prominent auction houses in London, giving you peace of mind that the location offers state of the art security, and you can rest assured that your classic car will not be driven or used while in our possession and will be returned to you on full payment of your loan. We do not conduct any credit checks when you submit an application to pawn your vintage, classic or antique car. There are no hidden fees or costs to consider and providing that the loan is paid back in full, you will have the vehicle returned to you. We understand that when you pawn your car for cash at our Central London store, you are in need of money quickly, which is why we offer fast appraisals and instant payouts as soon as the valuation has been agreed on. All you have to do is apply.
Where are you located?
London is more than just a Capital – it’s the beating heart of the UK, which is why we are proud to be located in the very centre of the city, right across Bonhams auction house. Our location on Blenheim Street, Mayfair enables us to offer our highly professional pawnbroking services, including against classic cars, right in the centre of London. Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Marble Arch underground stations are all within a short walking distance. From Oxford Circus Underground station, you can take a walk along Oxford Street itself, before turning left on New Bond Street. From here, you can take right onto Blenheim Street, where our store awaits. If you’d prefer to take the tube, you can hop onto the Central Line between Oxford Street and Bond Street, where you can once again walk along Oxford Street, then turn down Woodstock Street on your right. This will take you through to Blenheim Street, where our store is located. It’s important to note that you cannot drive along Oxford Street during peak hours, and so alternative routes will need to be taken to access the store. Oxford Street is a designated bus lane during peak hours, which are 7:00am, to 7:00pm, and so public transport or different driving routes are advised. Our store is a five-minute walk away from Oxford Circus or Bond Street tube stations, or less from anywhere along Oxford Street itself. From Piccadilly Circus our store is just a 15-minute walk away from the hustle and bustle of this incredible location. After hearing towards Air Street from Piccadilly Circus, you can take a left onto Vigo Street, and a slight left onto Burlington Gardens. From here, it’s a right onto New Bond Street, then a left onto Blenheim Street, where we’re located. If you’d prefer to take the tube, you can hop on at Piccadilly Circus and take the Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus Underground Station. From here, you can follow Oxford Street until you reach New Bond Street. Turn left onto this road, before turning right onto Blenheim Street.
