III. Financing

In-house. In Germany. Only us.

The only independent collector-car dealer in Germany financing acquisitions directly, on its own balance sheet — not through a bank, not through a broker, not through anyone else.

The Case

Why this matters.

Most dealers route their financing through banks. The buyer waits, the bank reviews, the seller waits, and a transaction that should take an afternoon takes a fortnight. We removed the bank from the loop in 2016, and have financed every form of acquisition we trade in since.

In-house financing is not a marketing line; it is a regulated activity, and it requires a balance sheet, a licence, and underwriting discipline most independents are unwilling to build. Schaltkulisse built all three. Acquisitions financed through us are approved by the same people who appraised, photographed, and stored the car. The decision happens in days — sometimes hours.

The advantage is not just speed. A bank reviewing a 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 has, charitably, no way to value it. Their templates anticipate a Volkswagen. They request appraisals, ask for comparables, hedge against marque-specific volatility, and ultimately price the loan accordingly. When the lender is the dealer, the appraisal already exists, the comparables are the dealer's own trading record, and the underwriting can take the actual car into account rather than a generic risk profile.

A bank reviewing a 1968 Alfa Romeo has no way to value it. Their templates anticipate a Volkswagen.

Discretion is the third advantage. Bank financing creates a paper trail through a third party who has no business knowing the details of a collector's acquisitions. Financing in-house keeps the relationship between the two parties who already know each other. For some clients this matters more than the speed or the underwriting; for others, it is incidental. We don't ask which.

What is on offer is straightforward. Vehicle financing for cars sold by Schaltkulisse, trade-up structures where one car is financed against the equity of another already in the collection, and bespoke arrangements for acquisitions of particular complexity. Standard terms run from twelve to sixty months, with structures negotiated case by case. We are licensed under German banking regulation as the lender of record, not as an intermediary.

What is offered

The conditions.

  • I.

    Vehicle financing

    For cars in the collection, sold directly by Schaltkulisse. Standard terms twelve to sixty months. Decision typically within seventy-two hours.

  • II.

    Trade-up structures

    One car financed against the equity of another already in the client's collection. Available where both cars sit within the Schaltkulisse trading register.

  • III.

    Bespoke arrangements

    Structured against unusually configured acquisitions — multiple cars, cross-border ownership, or shared title between collectors and trusts.

  • IV.

    Down-payment expectations

    Typically twenty to forty percent of the acquisition value, set against the car's appraised position and the client's standing balance with the house.

  • V.

    Eligibility

    Cars within the Schaltkulisse trading register, sold by us or consigned through us. Cars from outside the house are reviewed case by case.

For the record

We are licensed under German banking regulation as the lender of record, not as a finance broker. Every transaction is documented, regulated, and on the house's own balance sheet.

Enquire

Re: Financing

Speak to us about a financing structure.

A reply within forty-eight hours, directly from the financing specialist.