If your vehicle is stolen or totaled and is not covered by an  "Agreed Value" type policy, you may be advised to retain an expert appraiser to negotiate a fair settlement. The claims adjuster will offer what they feel is the "actual cash value" (ACV). This is an "average" price established from a number of "similar" cars listed for sale.
In these cases we can usually help you reach a more realistic settlement.

We inspect the totaled or stripped car at the insurance salvage yard or body shop to determine the pre-loss value. If the car was stolen, we will work from photos, repair and restoration records.
We review offerings of comparable cars for sale or sold, auction reports, price guides and market newsletters and specialty dealers nationwide for realistic values.

There is no universal "book value" for collector cars. A Pontiac "Judge" can be worth a lot more then a Pontiac GTO. A 65 Mustang "Hi Po" (K Code) is worth about 40% more then a GT Mustang. A "body off" restoration makes a car more valuable then a "street restored" driver. A Corvette with matching numbers is always worth more then one without. And then, a well executed street rod can be worth more than a stock version in good condition. Go figure!