CarSeen is a picture car hire service for productions shooting in London and across the UK. We source cars from private owners, collectors and specialists, cast them to your brief, and handle the logistics of getting them to set. There are over 2,600 cars in our catalogue, from pre-war tourers to this year's models. Tell us the scene and we'll find the cars that belong in it.
What is a picture car?
A picture car is any vehicle that appears on camera. It might be the hero car the story turns on, a car the lead climbs out of, or one of twenty parked along a street to make 1976 look like 1976. Productions usually talk about three kinds:
- Hero cars. Featured vehicles, seen close up and often driven by cast. They need the right look inside and out, and they need to be dependable over long days.
- Background cars. The cars that fill a street, a car park or a traffic scene. Nobody should notice them, which is exactly why they need to be right for the period and place.
- Action and stunt vehicles. Cars prepared for precision driving, rigging or effects. These are specialist jobs, and we'll talk through what's involved at the brief stage.
Picture cars are hired for the look, not the drive. Colour, trim, wheels, number plates and condition all matter, because the camera sees everything.
How CarSeen works
We're a brokerage, not a rental fleet. That means we're not limited to whatever happens to be in one yard. Each job is cast from our network of owners and specialists, and quoted on its own.
- 1. Send a brief. Tell us the era, shoot dates, location, and how many hero and background cars you need. A script extract, moodboard or single reference image is enough to start.
- 2. Get a shortlist. We come back with options chosen for how they read on camera, including alternatives if the exact car is hard to find.
- 3. Confirm and quote. Once you've chosen, we confirm availability, how the car will be used, and the quote for the job.
- 4. Logistics. We coordinate delivery, call times, drivers and paperwork with the owner and your production team.
- 5. On set. Owners know where to be and who to report to, and we stay on the line until wrap.
Images in our catalogue are representative of each model, not photos of a specific car. The shortlist is where you'll see the real options.
Filming with cars in London: what to plan for
London is a busy place to film, and cars add another layer of planning. Here's what we talk through with productions. We'll flag anything that affects your picture cars when we quote.
Filming permission and Film London
Film London is the capital's screen agency. On-street filming is handled by each borough's Borough Film Service, which deals with permissions, parking and traffic arrangements for council-managed streets. Roads on the TfL red route network need permission from Transport for London, and the City of London has its own arrangements. If a scene involves filming from moving vehicles, or uses police lookalike vehicles, the production is expected to consult the Metropolitan Police Film Unit. Your locations team or fixer will usually lead on this. We'll make sure the picture-car details (number of vehicles, movements, timings) are ready for them.
ULEZ and the Congestion Charge
The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers all of London's boroughs. According to TfL, vehicles built before 1 January 1973, and vehicles over 40 years old registered in the historic vehicle tax class, are exempt. Plenty of cars from the 1970s and 1980s aren't in that class, though, and some modern diesels don't meet the standard. Central London also has the Congestion Charge, which runs on weekdays and weekend afternoons, and a ULEZ exemption doesn't automatically mean a car is exempt from it. We check each vehicle and flag likely charges on your quote.
Parking suspensions and holding areas
Picture cars need somewhere to wait between set-ups, and a period street needs modern cars moved out of shot. Parking suspensions and bay reservations are arranged through the Borough Film Service, and lead times and charges vary by borough. It's worth booking space for picture vehicles at the unit base as well as on the street itself.
Low loaders, tracking vehicles and transport
Many hero cars travel to set on a covered transporter rather than being driven across London. That protects them, and it helps with ULEZ and parking. For driving shots, productions often use a low loader or A-frame so cast can "drive" safely while the camera car does the work. Filming from moving vehicles on public roads involves the MPS Film Unit and the highway authority, so build it into your schedule early.
Drivers
On some jobs the owner drives the car on set. On others a production or precision driver takes over, depending on the scene and the insurance in place. Productions normally arrange picture-vehicle insurance naming the owner. We confirm who drives, and on what terms, before the shoot.
Vehicle types and eras
Browse by type, era or make, or send a brief and let us cast it.
By era: pre-war and vintage, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and modern. Period drama? See period cars for film.
By type:
- Classic cars for drama, adverts and stills
- Luxury and executive cars and supercars for hero shots and music videos
- American cars for US-set scenes shot in the UK
- Vans and commercial vehicles, buses and coaches and motorcycles and scooters
- Police and emergency lookalikes for crime drama
- Taxis and black cabs, including the Austin FX4. See black cab hire for filming
- London icons such as the AEC Routemaster double-decker
Popular makes: Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Austin, Mini, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Or browse all cars for film and TV hire.
Cars for every kind of production
- Film and TV drama. Period-correct hero cars and full background street scenes.
- Commercials. Exact colours, matching cars and quick turnarounds. See cars for commercials.
- Music videos. Statement cars on tight schedules. See music video car hire.
- Photoshoots. Fashion, editorial and brand stills in the studio or on location. See photoshoot car hire in London.
Credits
Our team have worked with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC, Channel 4, Paramount, Apple TV, Meta, Google, Disney+ and Discovery. See credits.
Based in Shoreditch
CarSeen works from 44 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3QP, close to the production companies, agencies and studios of east and central London. We cast for shoots across London and the UK, with European sourcing when a scene calls for it.
Own a car productions might want? List your car for film and TV.
FAQ
How much does picture car hire in London cost?
Every job is quoted on its own. The price depends on the car, the number of days, how it's used, transport and drivers. Send a brief and we'll confirm it on your quote.
How quickly can you supply picture cars?
It depends on the car and the dates. Tell us your shoot dates in the brief and we'll be straight with you about what's possible. Short-notice jobs are easier with some flexibility on make or colour.
Do I need a permit to film a car on a London street?
On-street filming is handled by the local Borough Film Service, and TfL red routes need TfL permission. Filming from moving vehicles, or using police lookalike cars, also involves the Metropolitan Police Film Unit. Film London has guidance for productions.
Are classic picture cars exempt from ULEZ?
TfL exempts vehicles built before 1 January 1973 and vehicles over 40 years old in the historic vehicle tax class. Other cars may be charged. We check each vehicle and flag it on your quote.
Can the owner drive the car on set?
Often, yes. On some jobs a production or precision driver takes over instead. We confirm who drives, and on what terms, before the shoot.
Are the photos on your site the actual cars?
No. Catalogue images are representative of each model. Your shortlist shows the real cars available for your dates.
Do you only work in London?
No. We're based in Shoreditch and cast for productions across the UK, with European sourcing when needed.
Ready to cast the street?