KEEPING CLUB DOCUMENTS SAFE

1 MAKE A NOTE ABOUT IT IN YOUR WILL

If you’re the club archivist, ensure that any club documents are clearly marked for an executor’s attention.

2 PRIORITISE SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS

Registration issues remain a thorny subject for clubs – particularly of those for ‘completely knocked down’ cars assembled in other countries, as confirmed by FBHVC DVLA liaison officer, Ian Edmunds. The DVLA will only accept final assembly date in the car’s destination country as proof of build date; if your club has these ledgers, they’re crucial supporting documents for a new registration application.

3 DIGITISE YOUR FILES

Keeping digital copies of files is a smart way of preserving fragile paper documents; if you have access to scanner, and enough spare time, it will preserve files long before they deteriorate completely.

4 CONTACT MANUFACTURER HERITAGE

The Rootes Archive Centre Trust’s wares were saved thanks to a good club relationship with Peugeot, which inherited Rootes Group buildings and decided to donate documents it had to clubs rather than throwing them away.

5 ESTABLISH SECURE FACILITIES

Any kind of hard standing, dry, well ventilated and secure areas can be used to keep filing cabinets or parts; consider sharing the costs with other clubs if your budget is small.

6 SET UP DONATIONS

There’s a wealth of classic-related material hidden away in private collections – if people know that your club has safe storage, inviting people to donate documents may see your archives swell.