CourseCivil, Rail & Smart Cities Enrolment open

Course in Ethical Restoration of Historic Vehicles

300-hour online Course in ethical restoration of historic vehicles. 6 modules covering the Turin Charter (FIVA, 2013), the FIVA Technical Code and CollectiveAccess. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.

Duration300 h
ModeHybrid
LanguageEnglish / Spanish
Start datesOctober / March
LocationEurope (Madrid)
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Identify the ethical dilemmas posed by the restoration of historic vehicles.

02

Apply the intervention criteria of the Turin Charter.

03

Assess the identity and authenticity of a vehicle and its components.

04

Communicate transparently to the client and the market the scope of interventions.

05

Address vehicles associated with sensitive contexts with historical rigour.

06

Integrate sustainability criteria into restoration decisions.

07

Draft a code of good practice for a restoration workshop.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Historic vehicle restorer who wants to specialise in ethical restoration of historic vehicles.
  • Authenticity and provenance consultant who wants to specialise in ethical restoration of historic vehicles.
  • Museum curator for automotive collections who wants to specialise in ethical restoration of historic vehicles.
  • Appraiser of collector vehicles who wants to specialise in ethical restoration of historic vehicles.
  • Adviser to collectors who wants to specialise in ethical restoration of historic vehicles.
  • Technical steward of concours d'elegance who wants to specialise in ethical restoration of historic vehicles.
  • Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter restoration workshops.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Turin Charter (FIVA, 2013)
  • FIVA Technical Code
  • Venice Charter (1964)
  • Nara Document on Authenticity (1994)
  • ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums
  • EN 15898 (conservation of cultural heritage: terms)
  • Directive 2005/29/EC (unfair commercial practices)
  • Spanish Historical Heritage Act 16/1985
Syllabus

6 modules · 300 h

  1. 1.1The vehicle as a historical document
  2. 1.2Irreversible loss of information
  3. 1.3Authenticity: concept and nuances
  4. 1.4Restoration, conservation and recreation
  5. 1.5Heritage charters and criteria
  6. 1.6The owner, the workshop and the public interest
  7. 1.7Market and economic pressure
  8. 1.8Professional responsibility
  9. 1.9Open debate in the sector
  10. 1.10Workshop: framing a real dilemma
  1. 2.1Minimum intervention
  2. 2.2Reversibility
  3. 2.3Distinguishability of new work
  4. 2.4Material compatibility
  5. 2.5Documentation of all work carried out
  6. 2.6Conservation of removed parts
  7. 2.7Decision not to intervene
  8. 2.8Hierarchy of conflicting criteria
  9. 2.9Project criteria statement
  10. 2.10Practice: drafting criteria for a project
  1. 3.1Chassis number and its meaning
  2. 3.2Vehicles rebuilt from several units
  3. 3.3Chassis replacement and its consequences
  4. 3.4Reproductions and replicas: their place
  5. 3.5Honest declaration of what the vehicle is
  6. 3.6Identity fraud and its detection
  7. 3.7Patina: preserve or remove
  8. 3.8Excessive restoration and its critique
  9. 3.9Market valuation versus truth
  10. 3.10Practice: identity analysis of three cases
  1. 4.1Information provided to the owner in advance
  2. 4.2Explaining the consequences of each option
  3. 4.3Documentation handed to the client
  4. 4.4Declarations in a sale or auction
  5. 4.5Description of reproduction parts
  6. 4.6Honest promotion of the work
  7. 4.7Appraisal and conflict of interest
  8. 4.8Confidentiality versus honesty
  9. 4.9Long-term reputation
  10. 4.10Practice: drafting an honest declaration
  1. 5.1Military vehicles and their context
  2. 5.2Problematic markings and symbolism
  3. 5.3Criteria for public display
  4. 5.4Service vehicles and respect for their history
  5. 5.5Vehicles linked to painful events
  6. 5.6Interpretation and contextualisation
  7. 5.7Children's audiences and outreach
  8. 5.8Regulations on symbols
  9. 5.9Reasoned decisions and their communication
  10. 5.10Practice: proposal for contextualising a vehicle
  1. 6.1Environmental footprint of a restoration
  2. 6.2Reuse versus replacement
  3. 6.3Workshop waste management
  4. 6.4Electrification and the authenticity debate
  5. 6.5Knowledge transfer and succession
  6. 6.6Ethical training of apprentices
  7. 6.7Sector codes of good practice
  8. 6.8Common ethical errors
  9. 6.9Real cases analysed
  10. 6.10Final project: ethical code applied to a project
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the enrolment period, which makes it possible to combine the Course with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The software used is CollectiveAccess, advanced Excel, Notion, Agisoft Metashape, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Assignments are based on real procedures: analysis of controversial restoration cases, an authenticity report for a vehicle, and discussion of intervention criteria. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.

Accreditation-ready laboratories(EN ISO/IEC 17025) with a rotor test rig, EMC/Lightning pre-compliance, HIL/SIL, vibration/acoustics.
Evidence-driven Master's Thesis:safety case, test plan, compliance dossier and operational limits.
Industry mentoring:lecturers with experience in training, , eVTOL/UAM and flight test.
Flexible format(hybrid/online), international cohorts and support from SEIUM Career Services.
Ethics and safety:a safety-by-design approach, with OT cyber security, DIH and compliance as its pillars.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Environmental footprint of a restoration

Identify the ethical dilemmas posed by the restoration of historic vehicles.

Reuse versus replacement

Apply the intervention criteria of the Turin Charter.

Workshop waste management

Assess the identity and authenticity of a vehicle and its components.

Electrification and the authenticity debate

Communicate transparently to the client and the market the scope of interventions.

Knowledge transfer and succession

Address vehicles associated with sensitive contexts with historical rigour.

Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Historic vehicle restorerAuthenticity and provenance consultantAutomotive museum curatorCollector vehicle appraiserCollectors' adviserTechnical steward for concours d'elegance
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • No prior qualification is required.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • Sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical standards documentation.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.

The work is carried out with CollectiveAccess, advanced Excel, Notion and Agisoft Metashape. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.

SEIUM's own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.

Yes. Modules passed in a Course or Postgraduate Diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher-level programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.

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