It is impossible to put an exact figure on the cost of acquiring and running a classic car, but most people would probably be surprised to learn that they could pick one up for as little as six or seven grand and that a service should not cost more than about two hundred and fifty euro.

"The biggest concern among potential buyers is the cost of running and maintaining the car, " said John Lenehan of Royal Classic Cars, who reckons nostalgia and a greater interest in cars among Irish people are the main factors driving this market. "We have workshop facilities where the cars are serviced and we will service classic cars bought from other garages."

Royal Classic Cars recently invested in a new transporter that allows it to collect vehicles for servicing and return them to the owner.

The company also supplies a cocoon or plastic tent that owners without garages can use to protect their vehicle, although Lenehan strongly advises buyers to store their car inside and hopes in the future to provide a storage service.

There are a couple of different classic car markets, explained Ian Bewick of Weston Classic Cars. "At the top end are the vintage Rolls Royce or Aston Martin, while slightly down the scale you have MGs, older Rovers and Jaguars, particularly XJ and Mark 2 rather than Etypes, which command very high prices, especially in the UK."

Weston Classic Cars tries to focus on the unusual ("we have sold a few Sunbeam Alpines") and sources cars for people who don't want to do the legwork themselves. Usually there are between 30 and 40 models in stock.

"The lower rates of insurance are an attraction for many buyers, " Bewick added. "However, I would not recommend buying a classic car as an investment.

A vintage car will probably appreciate but generally the return is the enjoyment of driving it and the fact that if you buy one for say five grand and keep it for a few years you will probably get your money back if you take good care of it."

According to Mervyn Heatley of Prestige Classic Cars, there are plenty of classic car dealers in Ireland but good after-sales service is harder to find. "I see a lot of trade-ins that the original seller would not take back and some dealers charge ridiculous labour rates for servicing, which scares off people who might otherwise buy a classic car because not everyone knows someone who can service their car for them. It should not cost a lot more to service a classic car than a new vehicle . . . in fact it should cost less."

Most of Prestige Classic Cars' customers tend to keep their cars for longer and Heatley (who specialises in Mercedes and provides a full restoration service) feels the market would benefit from some form of inspection.

"Classic cars are currently NCT exempt and the absence of a test makes them cheaper to run, but brakes in particular should have to be checked regularly."

"In my experience classic car buyers are equally motivated by the pleasure of owning a classic car and the investment potential, " said Richard Barton of Ever Ready Motors, who 18 months ago took over the running of a business that has been in the family for nine decades.

"People get very passionate about their cars regardless of their value. While most of my customers are prepared to do a little bit of work, they want to buy the car and enjoy it right away so I don't sell anything that requires major surgery."

Barton's 'hot tip' is the Mark 2 Jaguar, particularly the 3.8 model which is fetching up to stg�40,000 in the UK. But whether this is within your budget or not, events such as the Classic Car Show, which holds its latest event in Dublin's Citywest Hotel today, will give you an idea of what to expect.

More than 250 cars will be on show, explained organiser Dermot Flynn. "The idea came from visiting shows in the UK. Rather than a car auction where you have to pay commission, I encourage the owners to bring their cars to a convenient location where members of the public can buy directly from private sellers and dealers."

He expects several thousand people to attend the event, one of 12 he hopes to stage this year. "The attraction for buyers is that rather than traveling hundreds of miles to view one car, they can come to the show and see hundreds in one location. The event opens to the public from midday and the level of repeat business from sellers indicates that they are very happy with the number of vehicles they sell on the day."