These decades turn up in coming-of-age drama, retro commercials, music videos and stories set in the recent past. The cars that filled real driveways and car parks do the work: Ford Sierras, Escorts and Fiestas, the Austin Metro, Vauxhall Astras, Volvo estates, and the hatchbacks that followed them into the 1990s. A featured sports car can sit in the same frame, but the street around it has to belong to the year.
Browse 1980s cars and 1990s cars. For a 1990s-only guide, see 1990s cars for TV and film. Then send the story year so we can check the real options with owners.
Casting the decade, not a single car
A 1980s street should not be a row of matching sports cars. Ordinary cars of the decade, with some 1970s survivors still in daily use, read as a place people lived. A 1990s scene has the opposite problem: it can look close enough to today that a newer car, a modern plate or a later trim breaks it. Check the cars nearest the camera and the ones further down the road.
Send the year, the setting and what each vehicle does. A school run, an office arrival and a shopping car park do not want the same mix. Hero cars are featured and often driven by cast. Background vehicles dress the street. One brief can cover both.
For the details that date a car, read period-correct cars for a 1960s, 70s or 80s drama and period-correct cars for a 1990s or 2000s drama. Wider period casting is on period cars for film and period cars for TV drama.
How booking works
- Send a brief. Story year, shoot dates, locations and the split between hero and background cars. Mark any car that has to return on later days.
- Get a shortlist. Usually within forty-eight hours. Catalogue images are representative of each model. The shortlist shows the real cars.
- Quote. Every job is quoted individually.
- Insurance and booking. The production insures the car, naming the owner. Booking locks the date, call time and on-set rules.
See how it works and the FAQ.
1980s cars from the catalogue
The catalogue lists 370 cars from the 1980s and 355 from the 1990s. These are indexable catalogue examples, not a guarantee of availability. Brief us and we confirm the exact car with the owner.
1990s cars from the catalogue
Related
1990s cars for TV and film · TV car hire · Advert car hire · Music video car hire · Picture car hire London · Cars for commercials · Classic car hire for filming · Browse picture cars
Why CarSeen
- 2,500+ cars in the catalogue
- Based in Shoreditch, London, sourcing from owners across the UK
- Our team have worked with productions for film, TV and advertising — see our credits
- How we protect owners: owner-submitted listings use the owner's own photos with plates covered, and never show names, addresses or registrations
FAQ
Can you supply 1980s and 1990s cars for film and TV?
Yes. The catalogue lists 370 cars from the 1980s and 355 from the 1990s. Tell us the story year, the shoot dates, the location and whether each car is a hero or a background vehicle.
What belongs on a 1980s or 1990s street?
Everyday cars of the period, plus older cars that would still have been on the road. A 1980s street often still includes 1970s cars. A 1990s scene needs the same care with parked traffic, because later cars are easy to miss. Number plates, colours and trim date a car more tightly than the decade label.
How do I brief the year?
Send the year the story is set, not only the decade. Generations overlapped on the road, so a believable street mixes older and newer cars. We check model years when shortlisting.
How quickly will I hear back?
A brief leads to a shortlist, usually within forty-eight hours, with photos and practical notes on each car.
How much does it cost?
Every job is quoted individually. The price depends on the car, the number of days, how it is used, transport and drivers.
Who insures the car?
The production insures the car, naming the owner. Booking then locks the date, call time and on-set rules.
Where do the cars come from?
Cars are sourced UK-wide from private owners, collectors, clubs and specialists. CarSeen is based in Shoreditch, London.
Are the catalogue photos the actual cars?
No. Catalogue images are representative of each model. The shortlist shows the real cars available for your dates. Photographs supplied by an owner are labelled Owner photo.
Tell us the year.