Inês Celorico

ABSTRACT

Preserving classic cars’ historical, cultural, and economic value requires carefully selecting original or accurately reproduced parts to ensure authenticity. A rapid systematic literature review found no studies classifying the classic car market by international supplier networks, consumer preferences, or environmental impact, with research focusing primarily on the broader automotive or used car markets.

This dissertation examines the international distribution of classic car manufacturers and parts suppliers, analyzes market segmentation based on brand popularity, transportation impact, and supplier availability factors, and explores sustainable practices. The case of a Loures-based restoration shop, Raimundo Branco Lda, is used for illustration.

Web scraping techniques were used on the Superclassics and Restoparts websites to collect data on classic cars, while Google search hits captured brand popularity. Traffic impact data was collected from the World-Cities dataset, Geopy API, IATA, and Atmosfair websites.

Descriptive analysis assessed the distribution of manufacturers and suppliers and the materials used in classic car body parts. Based on these factors, K-Means clustering was applied to create brand groups.

Results indicate that suppliers of classic car parts are diverse in Europe and North America, with Germany leading the world. Consumer preferences align with supplier availability, and Porsche and Volkswagen brands best fit these factors. In addition, modern technologies and recycled materials can be used to produce parts, maintaining authenticity while promoting sustainability.