Valuation Report (Wertgutachten)

A valuation report (Wertgutachten) – also known as a vehicle appraisal – is the professional determination of a vehicle's current value by a qualified automotive expert. Unlike a damage assessment report (Schadengutachten), which evaluates a specific damage event, the valuation report answers the question: What is this vehicle worth in its present condition?

Typical occasions include buying and selling, insurance classifications (for example for classic and special-purpose vehicles), leasing and financing matters, inheritance settlements, divorces, insolvencies or court proceedings.

Depending on the purpose of the report, different value concepts are used:

• Market value / current value: the value currently achievable on the used-car market.
• Dealer purchase value (Händlereinkaufswert): the value a dealer typically pays when buying in the vehicle.
• Dealer sales value / replacement value (Wiederbeschaffungswert): the price of acquiring a comparable vehicle from a dealer.
• Restoration value (Wiederherstellungswert): particularly relevant for classic cars – the cost of restoring or sourcing a comparable vehicle in comparable condition.

For classic cars and youngtimers, standardised condition grades (Zustandsnoten) are also used to classify the state of preservation and restoration.

Conceptually, a valuation report follows several steps:

• Inspection and identification: verification of vehicle identity, equipment, mileage and documents.
• Condition analysis: bodywork, paint, mechanics, interior, where appropriate paint thickness measurement to detect previous damage; for electric vehicles increasingly the battery condition as well.
• Market analysis: evaluation of comparable offers and recognised valuation systems, adjusted for condition, history, optional equipment and the regional market situation.
• Documentation: a traceable derivation of the value with photographic documentation – important for later use towards insurers, buyers or courts.

An enthusiast wants to insure his well-kept youngtimer. To take out comprehensive cover with an agreed vehicle value, the insurer requires an up-to-date valuation report. The expert documents condition and history, assigns a condition grade and derives the value on a market basis. In the event of a claim, the report later serves as a recognised basis for the amount of compensation – without lengthy discussions about the vehicle's value.

For vehicle owners, a valuation report creates transparency and negotiating certainty – when selling as well as towards insurers or in legal disputes. Especially for special-purpose vehicles, classic cars and electric vehicles, the actual value often deviates significantly from generic list values.

For automotive experts, valuation reports are a distinct field of expertise: they require market knowledge, sound condition assessment and a methodically traceable derivation, since the reports frequently have to stand up to third parties – insurers, banks, courts.