How to Donate a Classic or Collector Car

Can you donate a classic or collector car to charity? Yes, and when we sell it, a specialist sale can reach the buyers looking for that particular car, with the proceeds benefiting local Make-A-Wish chapters. This page covers which vehicles may qualify, how a classic may be handled, what to have ready, and how the tax side works.

Not a classic? We work to get the most for every vehicle we accept, and an everyday car gets the same care as a rare find. The steps at the bottom of this page work for any vehicle.

Why Donate A Classic Or Collector Car

A classic often comes with years of care, storage, and memories. Donating it can end the storage, insurance, and upkeep costs of a car you no longer drive, and it can put the vehicle in front of buyers who will appreciate it.

It also turns the car into something lasting. The proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters, which grant wishes to children facing critical illness.

Which Vehicles May Qualify

Vehicles that may qualify as classic or special include:

• Classic cars, which are older vehicles with lasting appeal
• Collector cars, which collectors seek out whatever their age
• Exotic cars, which are rare or high-performance models
• Low-mileage vehicles, with unusually few miles for their age
• Limited-production vehicles, built in small numbers
• Vintage motorcycles

Every donation is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, so if you're not sure whether your vehicle fits, call 1-855-278-9474 and describe it.

Why A General Auction May Not Reach The Right Buyers

The buyers for a collector vehicle are a specific group, and a general auto auction may not reach them. A specialist sale can reach the people looking for that particular make, model, or era.

Sometimes we can sell for higher than Blue Book. Pricing guides such as Blue Book and Hagerty help us find the right buyers and set a reserve, but they do not tell you what your vehicle is worth, because the sale does.

How We May Handle A Classic

For a classic that merits it, a specialist team can take a more individual approach than the standard path. Depending on the vehicle, that may include:

• Assessing the vehicle's condition, originality, and documentation
• Using classic pricing references such as Hagerty to help find the right buyers and set a reserve
• Setting a reserve
• Running the vehicle through more than one auction
• Moving it to a specialty auction where the buyers for that kind of vehicle are

Each of these is a possibility, not a commitment, and none is guaranteed for any vehicle. All of them are part of selling the vehicle, and none of them sets your deduction, because the sale does. For the full picture, see how a specialist sale works.

What To Have Ready

If you have them, keep these handy when you call:

• The title
• Ownership history
• Service and restoration records
• Documentation of originality
• Good photographs

These help our team understand what makes your vehicle special, including its history, originality, and condition. Documentation can help raise the sale price, and the sale price is what your deduction is, if you take one.

How To Donate A Classic Or Collector Car

Step One: Tell Us About The Car

Call 1-855-278-9474 or start your donation online, and tell us the year, make, model, condition, and location. Photographs and any records you have are welcome.

Step Two: We Review It

Our team reviews every donation on a case-by-case basis. For the right vehicle, we may call to learn what makes it special, such as its history, originality, and documentation, and if we can accept it, we arrange pickup.

Step Three: The Car Is Sold

After your vehicle sells, we send your tax form within 30 days of your vehicle selling. The proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters.

What A Classic Car Donation Is Worth To You

Your deduction is what your vehicle sells for. If it sells for $500 or less, you can generally claim its fair market value up to $500.

Towing, auction and processing costs do not come out of your deduction. The 1098-C reports gross proceeds. See what you can deduct for more.

You can claim this only if you itemize deductions. We can't give tax advice, so talk to your own tax advisor.

You do not need a qualified appraisal, no matter what your vehicle sells for, because we sell the vehicle and the sale price sets your deduction. That holds at every dollar amount, and you can read why you don't need an appraisal in detail.

A charity that uses or improves a vehicle instead is on a different route: the sale no longer sets the value, and the donor has to establish it with a qualified appraisal that they pay for. With us, there is nothing to estimate, because an appraisal is an opinion about what a vehicle would sell for and we have what it did sell for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I donate a classic car to charity?

Yes, you can offer a classic, vintage, or collector car, and we review every donation on a case-by-case basis. Call 1-855-278-9474 or start your donation online to begin.

Do I need an appraisal to donate a classic car?

No. You do not need a qualified appraisal, no matter what your vehicle sells for, because the sale price is what sets your deduction.

Will my classic car be sold to a collector?

That depends on the vehicle. For the right vehicle, a specialist team may use a specialty auction where the buyers for that kind of vehicle are, but we can't promise how or where any vehicle will sell.

Can I donate a classic car that doesn't run?

Possibly. Condition is one of the factors we consider, and every donation is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Call 1-855-278-9474 and describe what the car needs.

Do I need to restore my classic before donating it?

No. Restoration is not required, and every vehicle is reviewed as it is, on a case-by-case basis.

Can I donate a vintage motorcycle?

Yes, a vintage motorcycle may qualify, and each one is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Call 1-855-278-9474 and describe it.

Where does the money go?

Proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters. Car Donation Foundation, which does business as Wheels For Wishes, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Start Your Donation

Ready to donate? Start your classic car donation online or call 1-855-278-9474.