RESEARCH & WEBSITE FEE

To include a car among the AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES, it is necessary to commission a detailed historical research on the vehicle.
This task also entails adhering to the MANIFESTO of AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES.

Historical research is our "core activity," the pivot and foundation upon which we have built and continue to develop tools to share and enhance the knowledge acquired.

The research begins with the material provided by the client and aims to reconstruct both the distant and more recent history of the car.

Sign the agreement for historical research and website publication and pay the base fee for STEP 1.
It is crucial for the start of the research that the owner makes all documentation regarding the vehicle available.

For example:

Note: All the above documentation must be provided in digital format in the highest quality possible.

Our consulting services include:

• Organization, classification, and validation of material.
• Historical research and study of the specimen to validate its historicity and provenance.
• Identification of ownership history.
• Identification of the chronology of events and historical facts.
• Research at automotive manufacturers, brand registries, experts, former owners or heirs if known, drivers or heirs if known, restorers, etc., who may have relevant information.
• Research in photographic and video archives.
• Research in documentary archives (e.g., motor vehicle offices and event organizer archives).
• Identification of bibliography.

Every automobile is unique; some have a well-documented history, while others’ history is yet to be verified or even discovered; thus, research times vary depending on the state of knowledge about each individual vehicle. Timelines also depend on the responsiveness of the archives, which can be more or less organized and/or digitized, and on the availability of people who can provide relevant information, as well as on the validation of the information found.

At the end of the initial research phase, a validated history of the specimen will be sent, and its acceptance or rejection to be counted among AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES will be communicated, at the sole discretion of AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES.

Acceptance of the vehicle among the AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES includes:

• a) HISTORICAL RESEARCH: From step 1 of our research, a detailed initial report is drafted for the potential purchase, non-binding, of historical materials found (historical and other photographs, vehicle documents, documents on previous owners, event documents, possible certifications, books where the car is mentioned or published) that would enrich the documentation, conferring further historical- collectible value to the vehicle. For photographs owned by the owner, web rights acquisition is proposed. Each reference in the report has a unit price. The client may choose to purchase the references individually where possible. For research that yields many references, AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES is available to assist the client in selecting them.

• b)  WEBSITE: A website is created for the vehicle, containing all available information, including: technical data, list of past owners, list of all events the vehicle has participated in, vintage photographs, pre- restoration photographs, post-restoration photographs, event photographs, studio photographs, links to videos, bibliography. Everything the client purchases is published, along with any material provided by the client with rights (any unpurchased material is published blurred/pixelated). The website transparently displays the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicle, to protect the identity of the vehicle, its history, its historical continuity; to promote the development of research and discourage the creation of replicas. The website is published by default as a private, anonymous collection; however, if desired, the owner may choose to use it to promote their museum or collection, an option that can be easily organized.

• c)  AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES CERTIFICATE: The document certifies the inclusion of the vehicle among the AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES and its proven historicity and provenance. The document attests that the car is listed among the AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES in the relevant categories.

• d)  RINA CERTIFICATE: RINA is an International Certification Body, the first in Italy. With the aim of providing a recognized service standard, the document certifies the historical research conducted on the car through a process of validating its proven historicity and provenance by AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES in accordance with RINA technical regulation no. A04 RC-C 155. The results of the historical research are confirmed by the analysis of the documentation included in the dossier produced by AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES and published on the vehicle’s website. AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES is the only research institute with certified methodology.

• e) BEACON: The vehicles listed among the AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES tell their story, transmitting their past through the future, thanks to the beacon: a small transmitter that can be hidden anywhere on the vehicle and works with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology; simply approach the vehicle to receive information directly on your smartphone or tablet. Note: it is not a GPS device. How it works: seeing our sticker with the Bluetooth symbol on a car, turn on our APP, activate the Bluetooth connection, and the device will receive the link to the vehicle's website, to discover its story. It is an application of the “Internet of Things”, where technology meets culture.

• f)  AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES APP: Always available and updated, it allows you to renew the story of your car during participation in new events. It is also possible to use it to navigate websites via beacon.

• g)  ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES
  • website hosting;
  • continuation of historical research (according to the sustainability principle expressed in the subsequent point i);
  • update of the year's events;
  • update of the car's certifications;
  • update of bibliography;
  • PDF kit: an updated document of the car with a description, technical data sheet, complete chronology including the events of the last year, bibliography, possible press review;
  • APP update;

  
  

Base participation fee – Step 1 - for the research project:

• Euro 2.500,00 + VAT (if due) for point a, b, c, d, e ,f

• Euro 150,00 + VAT (if due) for point g - current year, with automatic renewal

Should the car unfortunately turn out not to be authentic and not eligible to be listed among the AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES, the base fee will not be refunded.

Extra services:
In the event that the client does not have scanned material, we are available to make copies from the originals (subject to a separate estimate).

STEP 2 – WEBSITE PUBLICATION, DOSSIER, AND CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

• h)  WEBSITE. At this stage, the online publication of the car’s website is an essential tool, as it helps us find information/contacts among enthusiasts who regularly follow our various projects.

• i)  BLUE BOX DOSSIER. Following historical research, the material purchased by the client is organized and collected; a dossier named "Blue Box" is created and sent to the client. When the client sends copies of their documents, photos, etc., we handle the research, and it is up to the client to integrate their originals with our findings into the dossier. If, on the other hand, the client sends original documents, photos, etc., we classify these items, integrating them directly with our research findings.

• j)  CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH. Historical research never truly ends. Thanks to the ongoing digitization of historical archives and the development of new technologies, including AI, we are able to uncover previously undiscovered news, information, and photographs. This is why we recommend going on with the "CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH." Historical research requires a considerable number of man-hours, exceeding the cost covered by the base fee. Our work is supported by a fixed fee—the "base fee"—and a variable fee, represented by the economic value of the reports on materials found, such as the first report from step 1 (photographs and documents not owned by the client). To continue historical research, the client is expected to purchase, approximately, no less than 40% of the reports proposed from time to time. This fee supports our activities and represents an appreciation for the work done by our team. Therefore, our efforts will be streamlined so that our commitment to presenting new elements (documentation, photographs, press reviews, and related material) is proportional to the client's interest in further purchases. The historical research enters an optional deepening phase, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and proposed to the client.