The Six Programs
Every program is modular. Owners may take one page or a full register; nothing in the schedule is welded to anything else.
1 · Classic Vehicle Sourcing
The search begins with a written brief like the entry in a family registry, and the brief records far more than a model year and colour. We ask about intended use, whether the car will compete or tour, the size of the owner garage, the budget ceiling and the tolerance for recommissioning work. With that page agreed, AARON MCDOUGAL LLC scans dealer networks, club circles and private sellers in the United States and abroad for chassis that genuinely fit.
Once a candidate appears we run a physical inspection: matching numbers, weld condition, paint thickness, floor rust, and the honesty of the mileage versus the papers. Photographs from our inspector carry time stamps and scales, so nothing is imagined. We then negotiate a fair price and manage the payment, transport and import paperwork. On handover the buyer receives the full dossier, every receipt and the original note from the seller. Classic sourcing finishes when the car is registered, insured and turning over on its owner driveway.
2 · Heritage Rally Logistics
Rallies are won on preparation long before the first competitive section. Our logistics desk builds a caravan plan that accounts for each car, each crew and each service point. We reserve hotels near the route, arrange secure overnight parking, and plan fuel and parts stops so the support vehicle is never far from the machinery it follows.
On event days a member of our team rides the schedule with the marshals, while the Office holds a live sheet of times, penalties and route changes. When a mechanical fault strikes, we coordinate recovery, locate a suitable workshop in the valley or county and transport the crew onward. After the final control we compile a report of what ran well and what should change, so the next rally starts from experience rather than guesswork.
3 · Garage Concierge Services
The garage concierge treats a car collection the way a true estate manager treats a house. We arrange seasonal storage with climate control, book museum-quality detailing, and prepare each vehicle before a concours or a family drive. Tyre pressures, fluid levels and battery states are checked on a calendar we share with the owner.
Should a car need a specialist workshop we pick the right one for the job, deliver the car with a written brief, and follow the work through to collection. Owners who travel often appreciate our collection and delivery by enclosed carrier, plus the photographs that let them inspect a finished job from another time zone. Nothing about the garage is a mystery; every action is logged and explained in plain language.
4 · Parts Provenance Research
Parts tell stories, and we enjoy reading them. A replacement grille, a rebuilt carburettor or a correct-age seat cover raises the question of authenticity. Our research desk photographs the part, deciphers casting and stamping codes, and compares them against original factory documents, parts books and known survivors.
We also chase down the less glamorous receipts: the invoice from a coachbuilder, the logbook note from a previous keeper, the club newsletter that photographed the car at an event. Every finding is written up as a dated note and folded into the wider collection dossier. In sensible cases, provenance research changes a buyer decision or justifies a premium at sale; in all cases it simply makes the car easier to talk about truthfully.
5 · Collection Management Tools
Order flows from clarity, and clarity starts with a ledger. We produce a single digital register for each vehicle: identification, ownership history, service intervals, insurance schedule, tax and inspection due dates, and a library of supporting images. Owners access the register through a simple dashboard designed for non-technical hands.
The service also includes a rolling annual review in which we reconcile the register against the physical cars, verify that documents are current, and refresh valuations for insurance purposes. For dealers and serious collectors the same tooling underpins acquisitions and disposal plans, giving a manager one truthful source for every decision rather than a trail of spreadsheets and memory.
6 · Driving Experience Days
Some owners simply want to enjoy what they have. A Driving Experience Day puts the right car, the right road and the right company together for a few unhurried hours. We plan routes that reward the machine without punishing the driver, reserve a congenial lunch stop, and arrange mechanics to travel with the group so nobody worries about being stranded.
Guests can bring their own car or sample a curated example from our network, and groups range from a single driver to a small gathering of friends or colleagues. Photography is discreet and optional. At the end of the day each participant leaves with route notes, a summary of the cars and a relaxed sense that heritage motoring can be generous, social and straightforward all at once.