A reference image, a moodboard or a few lines from the script is enough to start. Tell us the period, the character and the split between hero cars and background traffic. Every job is quoted individually.
Browse 2,500+ picture cars by make, decade or type, then send a brief when you know the scene.
What's available
The catalogue runs from pre-war cars to current models, plus vans, taxis, buses and specialist vehicles. A hero car is featured and often driven by cast. Background cars dress the street. One brief can cover both.
Start with classic cars, modern cars, 1990s cars, police and emergency vehicles or taxis. For the wider list, see picture vehicle hire across the UK.
How a booking runs
- Send a brief. Scene, shoot dates, location and how each vehicle will be used. Mark any car that has to return on later days.
- Get a shortlist. Usually within forty-eight hours, with photos and practical notes. Every suggestion is chosen for how it reads on camera.
- Choose. Nothing is booked until you do. If options need holding while a client decides, we ask the owners and tell you how long each hold can last.
- Book. The production arranges picture-car insurance naming the owner. Booking locks the date, call time and on-set rules, with arrival, standby and wrap coordinated around the shoot.
Buyer questions are on the FAQ. For a television advert, see car hire for adverts and commercials.
UK coverage
CarSeen is based in London and works UK-first, with European sourcing when the scene demands it. Cross-border bookings need more lead time, and we will be straight about what is possible. Shooting in the capital? Read picture car hire in London.
Send the real location, including studio access rules. We search for cars that can reach it. For series work across locations, see TV car hire.
Insurance, drivers and plates
The production insures the car for filming and names the owner. Exact cover is confirmed job by job. Read picture car insurance explained.
Owners often drive or attend with their car. If cast need to drive, say so in the brief so the insurance and the owner's agreement can be arranged before the shoot. Stunts and precision driving stay with the production's specialist team.
Registrations appear on screen. On a public road a picture car should carry its own legal plates. Covering, replacing or changing them for the camera needs the owner's agreement. See number plates for filming in the UK.
Related
Send a brief · Browse picture cars · Advert car hire · Cars for commercials · Police car hire for filming · 1980s and 1990s cars for film · 1990s cars for TV and film · Picture car hire London
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
How does picture car hire work?
You send a brief with the scene, dates, location and how the car is used. CarSeen searches private owners and sends a shortlist, usually within forty-eight hours. You choose a car, the production arranges picture-car insurance naming the owner, and booking locks the date, call time and on-set rules.
What happens after I send a brief?
A person reads the brief, searches the catalogue and owners, and comes back with photos and practical notes on each car. Catalogue images are representative of each model. The shortlist shows the real cars. Nothing is booked until you choose.
How quickly does a shortlist come back?
Usually within forty-eight hours. Rare hero cars and large background groups need more notice. Tell us the shoot dates and we will say what is realistic.
Who insures the car?
Once a car is chosen, the production arranges picture-car insurance naming the owner. Cover is confirmed for that job. Do not assume it is included.
Who drives, and what happens to the number plates?
Who drives depends on the car, the owner and the insurance, and is confirmed before the shoot. Many owners drive or attend. On a public road the car should carry its own legal plates. Covering or changing a plate for the camera needs the owner's agreement.
Do you cover shoots outside London?
Yes. CarSeen is based in London and sources from owners across the UK. Send the actual shoot location so we can search for cars that can reach it. European sourcing is possible when the scene needs it, and needs more lead time.
Where do the cars come from?
From private owners, collectors, clubs and specialists. One brief can cover a hero car and the background traffic around it, including vans, taxis and other picture vehicles.
Ready to cast a car?