Classic and luxury car transport

Some cars need more than a covered trailer. A 1960s roadster with original paint, a mid-engine exotic with four inches of ground clearance, a restored truck headed to a concours lawn: these need a carrier that loads them differently, ties them down differently, and carries enough coverage to make the trip worth taking. This service is built around those cars and the people who own them:

• Collectors moving cars between homes, garages, storage and restoration shops.
• Buyers and sellers at the big auction weeks: Scottsdale in January, Amelia Island in March and Monterey in August.
• Owners of new exotics and high-end luxury cars who want a delivery-quality arrival after a relocation.
• Dealers and brokers of collector cars who need a carrier they can send to a client's door. See dealer and auction transport.

These cars ride enclosed, almost always in a hard-sided trailer. Three details make the real difference:

• Soft-tie securing. Instead of chains hooked into frame slots, the car is held by straps over the tires or wheel nets, so nothing touches the suspension, body or a fragile undercarriage.
• Liftgate loading. A hydraulic platform at the back of the trailer raises the car level to the deck. There's no steep ramp to clear, which is what makes low cars, long-overhang classics and cars with delicate exhaust tips safe to load.
• A slower inspection. Expect a detailed walk-around at pickup, with existing chips, stone marks and wheel scuffs recorded on the bill of lading and photographed. The same report is the reference at delivery.

Many owners like to be there for loading and to brief the driver on starting procedure, fuel shutoffs, kill switches or a sticky choke. Drivers who move collector cars expect that conversation.

Not sure whether your car needs this level of care or a standard enclosed trailer will do? Our guide to open vs enclosed transport covers the trade-offs.

For an ordinary move, two to four weeks' notice gives us a good choice of enclosed carriers. For auction and show weeks, book as soon as you have the dates, since enclosed trucks into Scottsdale in January or Monterey in August fill early. Transit itself is similar to any enclosed run, and a single-car truck can work to a firm delivery date when the event won't wait.

• Document condition in daylight: every panel, the wheels, the interior and the odometer, plus close-ups of any existing marks.
• Measure ground clearance at the lowest point (often the front lip or exhaust) and tell us when you request a quote.
• Check for leaks. Older cars weep; a drip tray or a note to the driver keeps fluids off the car below.
• Battery and fuel: a healthy battery or a tender-ready connection, and a modest amount of fuel.
• Write down any quirks, such as starting sequence, kill switch, alarm or a hood release that sticks, and leave the note with the key.
• Remove or secure anything detachable: tonneau covers, removable hardtops and targa panels that aren't latched, and all personal items.

More general steps are in our car shipping prep checklist.

Every carrier carries cargo insurance, but limits vary, and they're often set per vehicle and per load. For a high-value car, the questions that matter are what the carrier's limit is for your car, what the deductible is, and whether anything is excluded. We confirm the limit for the specific carrier before you book, so you can decide with real numbers. Many collectors also keep their own agreed-value policy active during transport. Ask your insurer how it applies while the car is in a carrier's care.