Reliability doesn’t happen by accident

Classic cars are not unreliable by nature — but they are sensitive to how they are prepared, maintained, and used. Wedding days place very specific demands on vintage vehicles: heat, traffic, long idle periods, stop-and-go driving, formal timelines, and extended on-site presence.

What determines whether a classic car feels calm and dependable — or stressful and fragile — is almost entirely decided long before your wedding date.

This is not a hobby operation

Coats Classic Cars began as a restoration shop, and that foundation still shapes how we operate today. Our cars are not maintained “between events,” nor are they prepared the night before a wedding.

Every vehicle is supported by a layered system that includes:

• • Pre-event inspection and verification specific to wedding-day use
• • Post-event checklists after every reservation
• • Weekly, monthly, and annual service schedules based on real-world usage
• • In-house technicians who know each car intimately

Because our maintenance team is internal, we are never waiting on an outside shop’s schedule — which protects your wedding day from delays, compromises, or last-minute uncertainty.

Marque-specific expertise matters

Vintage Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and similar marques are not interchangeable machines. Each has known stress points, service rhythms, and failure modes that only become obvious with experience.

Our founder, James Coats, is a technical seminar instructor and judging team captain for the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, and a member of the Rolls-Royce Foundation. That level of involvement is not incidental — it directly informs how our fleet is maintained and prepared.

The result is a system built on anticipation, not reaction.

Spare parts aren’t optional — they’re foundational

Many classic car issues that disrupt events are not catastrophic failures — they’re small, predictable components that simply aren’t available when needed.

Over decades, we’ve built a six-figure spare-parts inventory, sourcing components from across the country and abroad to support our fleet.

This allows us to resolve issues proactively, quickly, and without improvisation — which is exactly what you want on a wedding day.

What a real “backup plan” actually looks like

True contingency planning doesn’t mean “we’ll figure something out.” It means having both the expertise and the physical resources to protect your experience.

On the very rare occasion a substitution is required, our fleet of 30+ classic cars allows us to replace a vehicle with something appropriate in style, era, and presence — without disrupting your timeline or photography intent.

That kind of flexibility only exists when preparation, inventory, and staffing are already in place.

Why this matters to planners — and to you

For planners and couples, reliability isn’t really about cars — it’s about protecting the flow of your day. When something involving a vehicle runs late or becomes uncertain, it rarely stays isolated. Photography pauses, timelines compress, guests wait, and pressure shifts outward to the rest of the vendor team.

Couples often experience that pressure indirectly — through rushed moments, missed photo opportunities, or the feeling that the day is suddenly being “managed” instead of enjoyed.

When a classic car is prepared professionally, insured correctly, and staged with intention, it becomes a visible, admired part of the celebration without becoming a source of stress. Your planner can focus on pacing and experience, your photographer can work without interruption, and you can stay present in the moments that matter.

That’s why planners and couples value classic car professionals who treat reliability as infrastructure — something that supports your experience quietly and consistently, rather than something that needs attention on your wedding day.

The takeaway

Wedding-day reliability is not a feature you add later. It’s the result of years of infrastructure, expertise, and intentional decisions.

Our approach is designed so you never have to think about maintenance, parts availability, or mechanical uncertainty — because those questions were answered long before your date was ever reserved.

"The driver was so nice, we felt so safe in the car with him, and truly enjoyed getting to speak with him on the commute to our final destination. Coats Classic Cars takes such great care of their vehicles that it was a very enjoyable ride and experience. We would definitely use them again and couldn't say enough about how wonderful our experience was. Thank you so much, Coats!" -Tatum & Rob, married at Lake Martin, AL

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