Factory tool kits were originally supplied in vehicles so that chauffeurs could maintain vehicles for owners. That changed when Ford introduced the Model T—and the company supplied a tool kit with the owner’s manuals so car buyers could do their own maintenance.
Today, if you own a classic car, you’ll want the vehicle’s factory tool kit as a matter of authenticity. “Pretty much every marque club that does certification of restorations and originality—including Corvette, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and Austin-Healey—requires that a car have all the tools and spare parts that were originally supplied with the cars,” says Gary Anderson, author of “Austin-Healey 100/100-6/3000 Restoration Guide.”
The tool kits included provisions for roadside emergencies, such as changing wheels and tires, as well as tools for doing semi-annual tune-ups that would include checking valve lash, changing spark plugs and wires, and rebuilding carburetors.
Vintage Mercedes 280SL tool kit
Although most of the tools in these kits have little functional value in a day and age when hand tools have become more sophisticated and are generally of better quality, there is a small but enthusiastic group of factory tool-kit collectors. Factory tool kits are available on eBay Motors, as well as swap meets at car club events.
How can you know that the factory tool kit you are purchasing is authentic and complete? Anderson suggests doing your homework. “Research the topic with the very knowledgeable people in various marque clubs who specialize in those particular tool kits,” he said.
Vintage Rolls-Royce jack kit and tools
An original 1980 Jaguar XJS tool kit
Make sure you have a list of all the tools included in the factory kit and, if possible, photos of those tools. Buying from private owners can eliminate dealer markups, but it will also require you to do more homework to ensure the kit is authentic.
If you are buying the tool kit from a registered dealer, have the seller send an email or include a letter in the shipment verifying the authenticity of the parts. For Concours displays, the tools should be in the condition they left the factory—in other words, clean but not over-restored.
Factory tool kits are as much a part of the automobile’s history as the cars they serviced, hearkening back to a time when every driver was a riding mechanic and a basic knowledge of parts under the hood was part of the driving experience.
See Vintage Car & Truck Tool Kits for sale on eBay.
