What is a survivor car??
Put simply, a survivor car is a classic vehicle that hasn’t been altered in any way since it was built. Different people and different organizations have slightly different ways to define a survivor car.
Do classic cars lose their “survivor” status??
Even minor alterations made over the years could cause a car to lose its “survivor” status. Very few cars are true “survivors.” Rather, the vast majority of classic vehicles have had some sort of work done on them. In such a scenario, classic car owners can still recreate how these vehicles looked and ran through a restoration.
Is a repainted car a true survivor??
If a car has been repainted in full, it’s not a true “survivor”. Plain and simple. Even if the respray is of the original color, for a car to be considered a true survivor it must wear its factory-applied paint job. When a car is painted, the large majority of evidence of the car’s life up to that point is covered up.
What is a low mileage “survivor” car??
If a car is claimed to be an extremely low mileage “survivor”, it’s possible that the car still wears it’s factory-fitted tires. While this may mean the car isn’t particularly safe to drive at speed, due to dry rotting or cracking, it’s something that people seeking a “survivor” car love to see.
