Course on Preparing a Historic Vehicle Dossier
Online 300-hour course in preparing a historic vehicle dossier. 6 modules covering the Turin Charter (FIVA, 2013), the FIVA Technical Code (FIVA identity sheet) and Zotero. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course on Preparing a Historic Vehicle Dossier — studying from New Zealand
Vehicle restoration and classic engine work in New Zealand is supported by an active enthusiast community and a well-established network of specialist workshops, particularly around the main centres. Historic vehicle registration and compliance fall under the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand promotes preservation of historic vehicles. Restoration professionals often combine fabrication, engineering and heritage conservation skills.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,080 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Is restoration engineering recognised by a professional body in New Zealand?
There is no specific statutory register for classic vehicle or heritage restoration engineers in New Zealand. Heritage matters can involve Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, and vehicle roadworthiness is governed by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so their value depends on the employer or client.
Where do classic restoration specialists work in New Zealand?
Work is found in independent restoration workshops, classic car dealers, museums, and specialist fabrication businesses, many clustered around the main centres. Clients and employers usually judge by workmanship and a portfolio of completed restorations. A private qualification may complement that evidence but is rarely a deciding factor on its own.
Can I study this while running or working in a workshop here?
Yes. The course is fully online and taught in English, so you can study from home in New Zealand without a student visa. Specialist courses total 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours. An assigned technical tutor supports you, and fees can be paid in instalments.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Define the structure and purpose of a historic vehicle dossier.
Identify the vehicle and prepare its verified technical data sheet.
Reconstruct the chain of ownership and the usage history using sources.
Compile the vehicle's technical and restoration history.
Organise documentary evidence and annexes with standardised references.
Write the dossier with historical rigour and clear language.
Use the dossier in sales, insurance and homologation processes.
Who it's for
- Vehicle historian wishing to specialise in historic vehicle dossier preparation.
- Collector vehicle documentalist wishing to specialise in historic vehicle dossier preparation.
- Auction advisor wishing to specialise in historic vehicle dossier preparation.
- Classic vehicle expert assessor wishing to specialise in historic vehicle dossier preparation.
- Provenance researcher wishing to specialise in historic vehicle dossier preparation.
- Automotive technical writer wishing to specialise in historic vehicle dossier preparation.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to join auction houses.
What you'll work with
- Turin Charter (FIVA, 2013)
- FIVA Technical Code (FIVA identity sheet)
- EN 16095 (registration of the condition of movable cultural property)
- ISO 15489-1 (records management)
- ISAD(G) (archival description)
- ISO 690 (bibliographic references)
- RD 892/2013 (Historic Vehicles Regulation)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What it is for and who requests it1.2Economic value of the dossier1.3Dossier versus administrative file1.4Recommended structure1.5Level of detail and length1.6Honesty about gaps1.7Target audience of the dossier1.8Formats: paper and digital1.9Data confidentiality1.10Workshop: index of a vehicle dossier
2.1Verified identification data2.2Numbering and its photography2.3Reconstructed technical data sheet2.4Original specification of the vehicle2.5Variants, options and trims2.6Original colours and materials2.7Date and place of manufacture2.8Manufacturer's certificates2.9Discrepancies and their explanation2.10Practice: documented technical data sheet
3.1Chronology of owners3.2Documentation of each transfer3.3Successive registration plates3.4Use of the vehicle over time3.5Competition history, if any3.6Participation in events3.7Testimonies and their value3.8Dated photographs3.9Gaps and their honest treatment3.10Practice: documented chronology of a vehicle
4.1Documented maintenance4.2Invoices and workshop reports4.3Major interventions and their scope4.4Original, repaired and reproduction parts4.5Photography of the restoration process4.6Technical reports and tests4.7Mileage and its justification4.8Statement of what is not known4.9Criteria applied in the restoration4.10Practice: technical history of a vehicle
5.1Selection of documents to include5.2Reproduction and copy quality5.3Translation of foreign documents5.4Standardised current photography5.5Plans and diagrams5.6Club and federation certificates5.7Valuations and their validity5.8Index and numbering of annexes5.9Image usage rights5.10Practice: assembling the annexes
6.1Style and tone of the dossier6.2Distinguishing fact from conjecture6.3Layout and legibility6.4Summary version for a sale6.5Use at auction and in competitions6.6Use with insurers and authorities6.7Updating the dossier over time6.8Common errors and exaggerations6.9Documented real cases6.10Final project: complete historic dossier of a vehicle
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Zotero, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Assignments are based on real research procedures in archives and newspaper libraries, verification of numbering against factory records, and layout of a historic dossier. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Define the structure and purpose of a historic vehicle dossier.
Identify the vehicle and prepare its verified technical data sheet.
Reconstruct the chain of ownership and the usage history using sources.
Compile the vehicle's technical and restoration history.
Organise documentary evidence and annexes with standardised references.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Spanish language level sufficient to follow technical regulatory reading.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You work with Zotero, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat Pro and Advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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