Whether you have one vintage auto that is your pride and joy, or you lovingly care for a whole fleet of luxury cars, your choice of storage is paramount to their longevity. Furthermore, these prized possessions deserve to be showcased accordingly, with easy access for both you and your admiring friends and family to marvel with ease. With this in mind, we’re going to drive home some of the most important things to consider when storing your luxury vehicles.

1. Choose appropriate flooring

When selecting a surface on which to house your classic cars, avoid concrete or ceramic flooring—the former facilitates dust generation and is difficult to clean, whereas the latter cracks easily on impact, with high repair costs.

Instead, choose PVC or metallic epoxy—these materials are more durable, easier to clean, and help prevent moisture build-ups, which can be damaging to your vehicles.

2. Take charge of climate and light levels 

For optimum lighting conditions to clearly showcase and tinker with your vintage collection, opt for LED over fluorescent lighting. LED lighting is more cost-efficient and provides a more even spread of light. 

It’s important to select not only the correct luminance level, but also the appropriate color balance—aim for lights with a rating of 3500 lumens or more, and 4500 to 5800 kelvins for a well-adjusted color temperature that resembles direct sunlight.

Climate controls are an undervalued aspect of keeping your classic cars in mint condition. Traditional garages vary wildly in temperature and humidity—this can be incredibly damaging to any vehicles housed in them.

The optimum temperature to keep your garage or car storage room is between 50°F and 70°F, with the ideal humidity between 40% and 55%. Ensure your climate control system is sophisticated enough to effectively manage temperature and humidity in order to keep your vehicles in mint condition.

3. Utilize the space

If your garage size is holding you back from adding to your collection, install wall and overhead storage to free up floor space.

Not only can garage equipment and materials obstruct you from viewing and maintaining your autos, but loose tools and items—or those stored close by—can fall and come into contact with your cars, leading to potentially devastating damage.

4. Elevate your autos

For garages with a minimum height of at least 10 ft., consider installing one or more car lifts. Not only can you effectively double your inventory space, but you can also position seldom-used vehicles so they don’t take up prime positions in your garage.

5. Opt for true style and practicality

When deciding how to showcase your classic cars, there are various ultra-luxury options available that can not only turn your collection into an art installation, but also provide true practicality when it comes to taking them for a spin.

Basement garages are an excellent option for storing multiple vehicles. While many are accessed via a sloping ground-level road, some first-floor garages that sit above the basement have car lifts installed that allow you to drive into the garage before lowering your vehicles into the secure underground level.

Going one step further, for the ultimate showcasing device to display your collection, many high-end homes are being designed with a glass elevator that sits center stage in the property. These glitzy installations allow for your collection to be marveled at by all guests, while still providing the security and easy access you’d expect.