Vintage

A "vintage" automobile is defined as an automobile built between 1915 and 1925, according to the Classic Car Club.

Full Classic

The Classic Car Club defines a "full classic" as including specific makes built between 1925 and 1948.

State Definitions

States have different definitions of antique vehicles when it comes to licensing them. In Washington State, vehicles at least 40 years old qualify for "horseless carriage" plates if they have been restored to running condition. Vehicles must be 25 years old in Illinois to qualify for historic license plates.

First Cars

The first cars were made in Europe. Although a steam tractor was made in France in 1769, two Germans, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, are generally credited with the first gas-powered autos in 1885 and 1886, according to the Library of Congress.

Museums

The AACA has a museum at its Hershey, Penn., headquarters, where the oldest car on permanent display is an 1895 Chicago Motor Benton Harbor. At the National Automobile Museum in Reno, started by casino founder Bill Harrah, the oldest cars are both from 1892: a French Panhard & Levassor Voiturette and a steam-powered Philion Road Carriage.

Source:

Classic Car Club of America

Antique Automobile Club of America

Library of Congress Everyday Mysteries

Resource:

Requirements by State

AACA Museum

National Automobile Museum