FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Prove It?

Prove It® is a premium service that authenticates the provenance, history and significance of high-end collector vehicles. Reports created by the Prove It team of automotive experts provide in-depth forensic analysis different from the typical judging or pre-purchase inspection processes. The service is aimed primarily at owners or buyers seeking authentication evaluations of high-end vehicles claimed to be unique or in some way historically significant.

How is Prove It different from an expert evaluation report?

Unlike an expert evaluation of a vehicle, Prove It goes beyond the process of simply identifying the originality or current condition of a vehicle. The Prove It method secures important details behind each vehicle, such testimony of associated persons, historic photography, and forensic examinations of paperwork, stampings, etc. Our team then combines this information with expert witness interviews to determine the probability of significant claims made about a vehicle.

Is Prove It a service for all makes and models of vehicles?

Prove It is primarily a service for high-end collector makes and models, such as American prewar and postwar, European Classics and Exotics, as well as Sports, Race and Muscle cars. Prove It is not intended to be a validation service for vehicles that do not have some type of significantly unique claim that sets them apart from other similar make and model production cars.
A few reasons why a buyer or seller would want to initiate a Prove It report may include claims that a vehicle won a specific race, was owned by a celebrity or was the last production model of its kind.

Can Prove It authenticate motorcycles?

Yes. Although collector cars have been the focus for the past two years, the Prove It process is adaptable to any type vehicle—cars, motorcycles, boats, airplanes, fire trucks, etc. The limiting factor is that the prospective value of the vehicle needs to be high enough to justify the time and expense required to complete the needed research and report.

Is Prove It a service for buyers and sellers?

Owners, collectors, buyers, auction houses, appraisers, insurance companies, restorers, writers, etc use Prove It to help authenticate specific claims about a vehicle. If you are selling a vehicle, Prove It can help you verify specific claims about the historical significance of your car, which may increase its value to a buyer.

If you are a buyer and are not sure if the claims of the seller are accurate, a Prove It report will provide independent data that confirms, with a specific degree of probability, whether or not the claims are true. All research and data is provided in a detailed report after Prove It’s investigation is complete.

How does Prove It work?

When initiating a project with Prove It, the research team will begin by collecting as many of the assets, or pieces of evidence, that lead the owner, or seller, to believe a claim about a vehicle is true. For example, manufacturer documentation, photographs and expert testimony can collectively build a case for, or against, the claim. The Prove It team will also interview the “naysayers” who believe the claim is false, because they can be a valuable resource for historical data.

How long does it take to complete a Prove It report?

The amount of time to complete a Prove It case varies depending on the number of resources available at the beginning of the case, access to possible witnesses and the ease of gathering new information during the research phase. The Prove It team may be able to accommodate you if you are under a specific timeline to buy or sell a vehicle.

Does Prove It provide me with a conclusive, summary report?

Yes. After exhaustive research, Prove It will provide a conclusion that finds your claim to be definitively true, highly probable, probable, inconclusive, improbable, or definitively false.

Who is a part of the Prove It team?

David Burroughs is the founder and president of Prove It, and has been intimately involved in the collector car community for more than 40 years. During that time he has developed a network of colleagues, associates, subject matter experts, and friends who are considered experts within their specific class of automobiles and may be called upon when appropriate. Additionally, a separate team of five analysts reviews each report and indicate their concurrence or requests for more convincing evidence. Once the team of analysts is satisfied that the evidence leads to the published conclusion, the confidential final report and conclusions are released to the client.

How much does a Prove It report cost?

Each Prove It case is unique and as a result, costs are based on the scope and deadline of the project. Click here to request an estimate. To date, costs have ranged from under $4,000 to over $40,000, depending upon the complexity of the case and amount of compelling evidence already available from the client.