---
title: "Build a Classic Car Valuation Agent with MCP"
description: "A technical walkthrough for building an AI collector-car valuation workflow with Old Cars Data MCP tools, comparable sales, live auctions, bid history, and market stats."
url: "https://oldcarsdata.com/guides/build-classic-car-valuation-agent-mcp"
dateModified: "2026-05-18T06:28:18.453Z"
type: "technical-guide"
tags: ["MCP", "AI agent", "classic car valuation", "collector car API"]
---

# Build a Classic Car Valuation Agent with MCP

This walkthrough shows how to connect an AI agent to Old Cars Data so it can normalize a collector car, find comparable sales, check live auction activity, inspect bid trails, and summarize market statistics without scraping auction websites.

## Workflow

| Step | MCP tool | Purpose |
|------|----------|---------|
| Normalize the vehicle | list_makes, list_models | Use canonical names before searching |
| Find comparable sales | search_auctions | Return completed listings, prices, statuses, and vehicle details |
| Check the live market | search_live_auctions | Compare current bidding against completed results |
| Inspect demand | get_auction_bids | Review bid progression where supported |
| Summarize the market | get_price_stats | Add median, range, trend, and volume context |

## MCP server

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "oldcarsdata": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.oldcarsdata.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

## Agent policy

```text
You are a collector-car market research assistant.

When a user asks what a car is worth:
1. Use list_makes and list_models to normalize the make and model.
2. Use search_auctions to find comparable completed sales.
3. Use search_live_auctions to check current market activity when relevant.
4. Use get_auction_bids for supported listings when bid behavior matters.
5. Use get_price_stats for market-level context.
6. Explain confidence, caveats, and what a human should inspect next.

Do not call the result a formal appraisal.
```

## Related

- [MCP Setup Guide](/docs/mcp)
- [Classic Car Data for AI Agents](/use-cases/ai-agent-classic-car-data)
- [Classic Car Valuation API](/use-cases/classic-car-valuation-api)
- [Methodology](/methodology)