BMW may not be one of the oldest companies in the world, but it has more than 100 years of experience in automotive engineering. That means that if you want to add an antique BMW to your collection, you’ve got decades of models to choose from. Here’s how to find one you can enjoy for years to come.

Set Your Budget

This is the first thing you should do before you buy a car — whether you’re bringing home a new BMW or looking for the perfect antique to add to your collection. Set a budget and stick to it. When you’re looking for a new-to-you car, it’s easy to spend an arm and a leg — and a couple of nonessential organs — trying to bring home the perfect one. Establishing a budget will keep you from breaking the bank. 

Choose Your Seller

When you’re looking for an antique car, you’ve got three potential seller types to choose from, each with its pros and cons. Auctions can be more affordable, but won’t give you the option to inspect or test-drive the vehicle before buying it. Dealerships might have a better selection, but they’ll be more expensive because of dealer fees. Private sellers can be hit-or-miss — you might find a treasure from a widow who just wants to get rid of her late husband’s collection, or you might find someone trying to scam you out of your antique car fund. Choose carefully. 

Have a Safe Place to Park 

Don’t bring home a piece of automotive history unless you have a safe place to store it. Parking an antique BMW in your driveway or on the street is like asking a car thief to take it off your hands. In addition to protecting your vehicle from unsavory elements, parking in an insulated garage can protect your new addition from anything Mother Nature might throw at it. Antique cars tend to not do as well in extreme temperatures, so the more you can do to make your garage climate-controlled, the better.

Learn Its History

Now that you have your new BMW safely stored in your garage, we can move on to the fun part. Take some time to learn about your car’s history. It might be something simple — maybe you purchased it from a private seller who bought it new and has maintained it carefully throughout its lifetime. It could be something exotic — maybe it belonged to a gangster in Chicago during Prohibition or showed up in the background of a classic black-and-white movie. Perhaps it’s just your favorite BMW model of all time. 

Any way you look at it, you’re bringing home a piece of BMW history, and it might have an incredible story to tell. 

Restore and Enjoy

You may find your favorite BMW, but unless its previous owner kept it in the garage, it will likely need some TLC to bring it back to its former glory. Take the time to restore it so you can enjoy it fully and show it off around town. If you care for it properly, it will serve you well for years to come.