Eight criteria. Every vehicle. No exceptions.
Before a vehicle can be considered for The Stateside Collection, it must satisfy each of the following. These are not marketing values. They are the private benchmarks by which we judge everything that passes our attention.
Authenticity
The vehicle must be what it claims to be. Correct chassis, correct drivetrain, correct history. No stories. No omissions.
Structural Integrity
The bones matter more than the paint. We look for chassis, floors and mountings free from the compromise that corrosion inevitably brings.
Mechanical Quality
Engines that run as intended. Transmissions that shift with the character they were designed to have. Nothing masked, nothing rushed.
Provenance
Documented ownership. Original paperwork where possible. A traceable line from the day of first delivery.
Originality
We favour vehicles that retain their factory character. Sympathetic recommissioning, yes. Reinvention, rarely.
Collectability
Specification, rarity and condition considered together. A vehicle worth keeping, not simply worth owning briefly.
Driver Experience
A vehicle should reward the person behind the wheel. If it doesn't drive with the confidence its heritage suggests, it isn't ready.
Future Desirability
We take a long view. The vehicles that will be sought after in twenty years are, without exception, the ones cared for today.
If a vehicle doesn't meet our standards, it doesn't become part of The Stateside Collection.