Audiences may not know why a scene feels wrong, but they notice. Period drama depends on hundreds of details being right, and cars are among the biggest and most visible. CarSeen casts period-correct cars for film and TV drama, from a single hero car to a full street of background vehicles. We source from private owners, collectors, clubs and specialists across the UK.
There are over 2,600 cars in our catalogue, covering the 1910s to today.
Period cars by decade
- 1910s and 1920s. Early motoring, from the Ford Model T to the Austin Seven. See also vintage and pre-war cars.
- 1930s. Tourers and saloons such as the Humber Snipe, along with Rolls-Royce and Bentley for grand houses.
- 1940s. Wartime and austerity Britain, including military vehicles like the Willys Jeep.
- 1950s. The Morris Minor, rounded saloons and the first London FX3 cabs.
- 1960s. The Jaguar Mk II, Ford Cortina, Mini and the Routemaster bus.
- 1970s. Big saloons like the Ford Granada, the first Fiestas and a lot of brown and orange.
- 1980s. Hot hatches, boxy estates and the police panda car.
- 1990s. The everyday cars that are now surprisingly hard to find in good, original condition.
Catalogue images are representative of each model. Your shortlist shows the real cars available for your dates.
What makes a car period-correct
Age mix. A street in 1975 wasn't full of 1975 cars. Most cars on the road were several years old, and some were much older. A believable background mixes ages, with only a few cars from the current year.
Condition. Showroom-perfect classics can look wrong in a working-class street or a wet provincial town. The right amount of wear and patina matters as much as the right model.
Number plates. UK plate styles changed over the years. From 1963, a year letter was added as a suffix; in 1983 it moved to the front; and the current format arrived in 2001. Cars registered from 1973 had to use reflective white and yellow plates, while older cars could keep black-and-silver ones. Plates should suit both the car and the year of the scene.
Details that give the game away. Modern alloy wheels, LED bulbs, phone holders, parking permits, stickers and sat-navs all need removing or hiding. Paper tax discs were shown in windscreens until 2014, so scenes set before then may need one.
Left or right-hand drive. UK-set scenes need right-hand drive. US or European-set scenes shot in Britain need the opposite, and we source American and continental cars too.
Background street scenes
Dressing a period street means casting many cars at once, placing them and often moving modern cars out of shot. We can cast matching groups by era, keep a mix of ages and colours, and coordinate owners and call times so the cars arrive in the order the scene needs. In London, parking suspensions and street permissions go through the Borough Film Service. See our London picture car guide, which also covers the ULEZ exemption for vehicles built before 1973 and for historic-class vehicles over 40 years old.
Credits
Our team have worked with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC, Channel 4, Paramount, Apple TV, Meta, Google, Disney+ and Discovery. See credits.
Related
FAQ
Can you supply a full street of period cars?
Yes. Tell us the year, the setting and how many cars you need. We'll cast a matching group with a believable mix of ages and colours.
How far ahead should we book period cars?
As early as you can, especially for large background groups or rare hero cars. Tell us your dates in the brief and we'll be straight with you about what's possible.
Do period cars have the right number plates?
Most keep their original registrations. If a plate doesn't suit the year of your scene, tell us early so we can talk through options with the owner and your art department.
Are pre-1973 cars exempt from London's ULEZ?
According to TfL, vehicles built before 1 January 1973 are exempt, and so are vehicles over 40 years old in the historic vehicle tax class. Other cars may be charged.
Can we dirty down or age a car for a scene?
Only with the owner's agreement, and usually with washable products. Mention any breakdown or ageing work in the brief.
Are the photos on your site the actual cars?
No. Catalogue images are representative of each model. The shortlist we send shows the real cars.
Setting a scene in 1968?