Classic Car Expert Witness Valuations

As a member of the UK Register of Expert Witnesses, I am regularly instructed by UK solicitors – or directly by the courts via court orders – to prepare a wide range of classic car expert witness valuation reports. Recent high-profile cases include Williams v Williams for Vardags and Horlick v Jhally for Mishcon de Reya. Most of my work is much lower profile and discretion is an important part of the role.

Across my career of over thirty years, I have provided hundreds of vehicle valuations for use in civil cases. I continue to support solicitors and barristers with valuations for criminal cases, such as in analysing Proceeds of Crime reports and countering Crown valuations.  My work helps solicitors and counsel to build knowledgeable, compelling submissions and assists the court in understanding nuances in all matters relating to vehicle valuations.

I am happy to work as a sole/party expert or as a Single Joint Expert (SJE). I often work on Legal Aid funded cases. All of my Expert Witness reports conform to the Criminal Procedure Rules Part 19, Family Procedure Rules (FPR) Part 25 or Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) Part 35 as appropriate. Civil, Criminal and Divorce valuations have covered all sorts of vehicles including vintage and classic cars in all conditions (often modified or partly restored), racing and rally cars, motorcycles of all ages, and larger vehicles including motorhomes, tractors and commercial or military vehicles.

The Role of an Expert Witness

The role of an expert witness in court is to provide independent, specialist knowledge to help the judge or jury understand issues that are outside ordinary experience. In the context of classic car valuations, an expert witness would be brought in to offer a professional opinion on the value of a particular vehicle or a collection of vehicles.

An expert witness may be required in cases involving divorce settlements, insurance claims, inheritance disputes, or legal disagreements over a sale. The expert would assess the car’s condition, originality, rarity, provenance, and current market trends, then produce a written report following a highly prescribed format for court, share their qualifications and credentials for the court, add a signed Statement of Truth stating the report was all their own work. The expert may also have to give evidence in court.

The key point is that the expert’s duty is to the court, not to the party who hires them. Their opinion must be objective, based on facts and their expertise—not biased or designed to support one side.

Single Joint Expert Witness

A Single Joint Expert (SJE) is an independent expert appointed by both parties in a legal case to give one clear, neutral opinion to the court. This usually happens in civil or family (divorce) court cases where expert knowledge is needed – such as when valuing a classic car or a collection of classic cars or motorcycles.

The major difference between a Single Joint Expert and a party expert is that a Single Joint Expert is instructed by both sides (or appointed by the court) and must stay completely impartial, providing evidence that helps the court, not either party. The cost of hiring the Single Joint Expert is shared equally by the parties. Read more about my Single Joint Expert classic car divorce valuations.

While I do often work as a party expert in civil and criminal cases, most of my work is as a Single Joint Expert. Key qualities of a good Single Joint Expert include:

• Clear expertise in their subject area
• Strong communication skills—both in writing and in person
• The ability to remain neutral and objective
• Reliability and professionalism
• An understanding of court procedures and their duty to the court above all else

In classic car cases, this might involve assessing condition, originality, provenance, and current market value, then producing a fair, highly detailed and well-reasoned report that stands up under scrutiny.

Key to the Single Joint Expert witness process is the Window for Questions once the report is served. Each side may ask questions of the Expert to clarify the positions laid out in the report. The cost of answering any questions is borne by the party asking them. When Experts do not answer questions, their evidence can be dismissed.

Another significant advantage of the Single Joint Expert process is that the expert generally does not attend court, unless directed by the Judge. This can keep the cost down as compared to Party Experts, who usually do attend court and are cross examined by barristers, often greatly increasing the cost of an action.

Classic Car Expert Witness Reports Are Vital in Court

Expert Witness testimony is a vital part of helping parties to resolve their differences. Choosing a good Expert is an important part of the success of any action. The Expert must apply their best judgement right from the start of a case. Experts should always argue honestly, and not just take a case on for the fees.

Working as an Expert is both challenging and rewarding and is a role I greatly enjoy. My experience as a Court Expert Witness in the classic and modern car space includes classic car valuations in all conditions, provenance and history research, finding comparables, disputes over restoration work and more. I also work as a Shadow Expert and support solicitors and counsel with specialist information and research in case preparation.

Single Joint Expert valuation report costs in all types of cases are agreed in advance and split 50/50 between the parties. Contact me to discuss your case in confidence. I am also well known as a valuer of classic and vintage motorcycles and am a highly respected expert on classic Porsche cars.

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