Sell an old car – whether it’s 12 or 25 years old

That isn’t defined anywhere. In everyday life, however, age shows at two points: after the second MFK, i.e. after eight to nine years, the car is inspected every two years, and from ten years on, the cantons can require a new inspection when the registered keeper changes. For context: according to the Stiftung Auto Recycling Schweiz, it now takes around 20 years before a car is scrapped. A twelve-year-old car therefore often still has many years ahead of it if its condition is right.

Not with us: we also buy cars whose inspection has expired or that failed it. With a private sale, things are different. With an older car, buyers usually expect a fresh MFK, and depending on the canton, the road traffic office requires an inspection for cars over ten years old if the last one was more than one or two years ago. For that, you would first have to have all defects repaired. Before you spend that money, ask what the car fetches without an inspection.

Yes. It doesn’t have to be registered or roadworthy: if you accept our offer, we arrange the handover with you. Note in the form how long the car has been sitting and why, and send photos of its current condition. You need the vehicle registration document even for a car that has been taken off the road. If your details are correct, the price from the offer applies. If the car is still registered, we deregister it at the road traffic office after the purchase; details: Deregistering your car after the sale.

First request an offer to sell. As long as a car runs and has at most minor damage, it is a used car for which there are buyers both here and in export. It only belongs at a car recycler once it has reached the end of its life, i.e. can neither be driven nor sensibly repaired – and then at a business with a permit from the canton, because according to the FOEN, end-of-life vehicles count as waste subject to control. Our offer shows you whether it has come to that: we also buy cars with engine, gearbox or accident damage.

Age alone isn’t enough. According to the directives of the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) of July 10, 2026, in force since August 1, 2026, the first registration must have been more than 30 years ago. In addition, the vehicle may only be used privately, its annual mileage is limited to an average of 3’000 km (or 60 operating hours), and it must be in flawless technical condition. Whether this applies is decided by the canton in a re-inspection. Only then does “veteran vehicle” appear in the vehicle registration document, and the inspection interval can be extended to up to six years.

Because different buyers buy by different standards. An 18-year-old everyday car is valued by its condition, inspection status and demand in the used car and export trade. With a veteran vehicle, enthusiasts care about model history, rarity and documentation; the circle of interested buyers is smaller, and the car may only be driven to a limited extent. In between are youngtimers: old, but without veteran status and therefore still called in for the MFK every two years. You can request an offer from us for any of these cars; for a rare collector’s item, an additional assessment from the scene, for example from a brand club, is worthwhile.