The Vault Classic Cars

The Vault Classic Cars is a classic car dealer in Fullerton, California, in northern Orange County. Its website, which describes the stock as ranging from early 1900s steam cars to contemporary sports cars, puts most of its weight on pre-war and mid-century American cars, and many of the listings are marked as Full CCCA Classics, the Classic Car Club of America's designation for the most significant luxury cars of the 1920s to 1940s. The business is run by Steve Snyder, who is named on the site as the contact for the Southern California CCCA regional projects. The company does not publish a founding year, so this profile does not give one.

How the business works

The Vault is primarily a dealer that buys and sells cars, and its appraisals page lists "Buy - Sell - Individual cars or collections" and "Consignment - Brokerage" among its services. That means some cars may be offered on behalf of other owners, so it is sensible to ask who holds the title and where a particular car is kept before you plan a visit. The company does not publish consignment rates or terms, so an owner thinking about consigning a classic would need to ask directly what the arrangement would be.

What it sells

The stock at the time of our research was a mix of prewar and postwar cars. Listings included a 1902 White Stanhope steam car, a 1927 LaSalle Phaeton, a 1936 Cord 810 Westchester, a 1939 Ford Deluxe Convertible, a 1940 Plymouth woody wagon, and 1946 and 1948 Chrysler Town and Country models. The site also lists a 1956 Jaguar XK140 roadster, a 1960 Chrysler 300F, a 1963 Studebaker Avanti, a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, a 1974 Land Rover Series III and a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo. One late-model car, a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, was shown at $49,500. Most other cars carried no posted price, so expect to inquire for the number. Inventory changes as cars sell, and the site keeps a "Cars Recently Sold" section.

Buying from The Vault: terms to read first

The dealer's website spells out its terms in unusually plain language, and they are worth reading before you call. According to the site:

• Sold as is. Cars are sold "AS-IS, with NO WARRANTY."
• Paid in full before release. Contract paperwork must be signed and the car paid for in full before it is released to the buyer.
• No cooling-off period. The site says there is none unless the buyer obtains a contract cancellation option, which California law makes available on some used vehicles under $40,000.
• Taxes and fees on top. Listed prices do not include California sales tax, DMV fees or the smog certificate on post-1975 cars. The site says out-of-state buyers can avoid California sales tax and DMV fees if the car is shipped by a licensed carrier and a notarized statement of delivery is signed.
• Inspections. A buyer may have an independent third party inspect a car at the buyer's own expense, with the dealer's approval.
• Financing. The Vault says it does not offer financing directly, and its financing page points buyers to outside lenders.
• Shipping. The shipping page recommends an independent carrier and states that the dealership takes no liability for what happens in transit.

Those terms are standard for a specialty dealer, but they put the work of due diligence on you. It pays to check the title, the paperwork and the car's history carefully, and to arrange an inspection of your own, especially with prewar cars, where authenticity and originality matter a great deal.

Appraisals and the CCCA connection

The Vault offers appraisals as a separate service. The site lists a $500 appraisal of value that includes photographs, with the car brought to its location, and a consultation or expert witness rate of $300 per hour plus expenses. It describes the appraiser as a Classic Car Club of America Master Judge since 1984 and a Pebble Beach Concours judge. The business also handles ordering and mailing for the Southern California CCCA regional projects, which sell reproduction nameplates, decals and similar items for classic cars. These are the company's own descriptions, and we have not independently verified them.

Reputation

We did not find a published rating on a review platform that we could view directly, so this profile does not quote star ratings or review counts. What is verifiable is that the dealer has a working website with current listings and a sold-cars section, that it is listed in classic car dealer directories, and that it is tied to the regional CCCA community. As with any dealer, judge a purchase on the car itself. Ask for the title status, a detailed history and a comprehensive set of photographs, and arrange an independent inspection for anything you cannot see in person. If you want to compare other options, browse California classic cars for sale on this site.

Visiting The Vault

The Vault Classic Cars is at 1164 E. Elm Ave, Fullerton, CA 92831, north of the 91 freeway. Its website says it is open by appointment only and asks visitors to call ahead, on 714-401-1047. The nearest major airport is John Wayne Orange County Airport. Because hours listed by third-party directories differ from what the dealer says on its own site, rely on the phone call rather than a listing.