Details here come from Mathewsons' published pages, read on 3 November 2026. Check Mathewsons' own site before you travel, as arrangements can change.
Viewing opens on Wednesday 25 November 2026; the sale runs from Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 December.The December Classic Vehicles & Memorabilia Auction is the last Mathewsons sale of 2026, held over three days at the Pickering saleroom with a public viewing week beforehand. This page sets out the dates, the rules for viewing, how to get there and how to bid.
The dates at a glance
| What | When | Times and lots |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing | Wednesday 25 November to Tuesday 1 December | Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm, closed Sunday |
| Sale day one | Wednesday 2 December | Lots 1 to 300, from 10am |
| Sale day two | Thursday 3 December | Lots 301 to 600, from 10am |
| Sale day three | Friday 4 December | Lots 601 to 900, from 10am |
Everything takes place at the Mathewsons Pickering saleroom, Unit 10, Enterprise Way, Thornton Road, Pickering YO18 7NA. The sale days are held behind closed doors, and the Pickering site is closed to visitors while the auction runs.
Viewing week: what to expect and the rules
The viewing week is the part of the sale anyone can attend. It is your chance to walk round several hundred vehicles and the memorabilia, look at paperwork where it is available, and ask the team questions before you decide to bid. Mathewsons sell every lot as seen, so this is the time to look closely.
Viewing runs from Wednesday 25 November to Tuesday 1 December 2026: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm. The saleroom is closed on Sunday 29 November and on the three auction days. Entry is £5 per person, which includes admission on the day and a donation to one of Mathewsons' chosen charities.
When you arrive you sign in at reception and are given a hi-vis vest. The rules at the door are short and firm:
- no visitors aged 16 or under
- no pets
- no food or drink
- no handbags or large bags
Vehicle inspections are welcome and staff will help where they can. Entry is £5 per person, which includes admission on the day and a donation to one of Mathewsons' chosen charities.
Our guide to inspecting a classic car has a checklist for a car you cannot drive.
Getting there and parking
During the viewing week there is a free shuttle bus on weekdays, linking Thornton-le-Dale, the saleroom and the Eastgate bus stop outside the One Stop Shop in Pickering. The first journey leaves Eastgate at 9.30am and the first from Thornton-le-Dale at 9.45am; the last leaves Thornton-le-Dale at 3pm. The shuttle does not run on the Saturday.
Parking near the saleroom is on the road and fills up during viewing weeks, so Mathewsons ask visitors to park considerately and not block neighbouring businesses. Parking in Thornton-le-Dale and taking the shuttle is usually simpler. Our parking guide covers the village car parks, and the Pickering saleroom page has the full timetable, buses and directions.
How to bid
There are three ways to bid: online through a Mathewsons account, which needs your ID checking before you can bid; by telephone, arranged with the office beforehand; or by leaving a commission bid, where the auctioneer bids for you up to your limit. Buyer's commission and VAT on the commission are added to the hammer price, and online bidding carries an extra 1% fee. The examples below, from the same rates our how to buy guide uses, show what that means in practice.
| Hammer price | Buyer's commission |
|---|---|
| Up to £2,000 | 10% plus VAT on the whole hammer price |
| £2,001 to £20,000 | 7.5% plus VAT on the whole hammer price |
| £20,001 and above | 7.5% plus VAT on the first £20,000, and 5% plus VAT on the rest |
| Vehicle registrations | 10% plus VAT |
| Memorabilia and bicycles | 15% plus VAT (minimum £5) |
| Hammer price | Commission | VAT on commission | Total: room, telephone or commission bid | Online 1% fee | Total: online bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2,000 | £200 | £40 | £2,240 | £20 | £2,260 |
| £10,000 | £750 | £150 | £10,900 | £100 | £11,000 |
| £25,000 | £1,750 | £350 | £27,100 | £250 | £27,350 |
| £30,000 | £2,000 | £400 | £32,400 | £300 | £32,700 |
Mathewsons' terms say only that online bidding "incurs an additional 1% fee". They do not say whether VAT is added to that fee, or whether it is worked out on the hammer price. Their How to Buy page says VAT is only charged on the commission, without saying whether the 1% counts as commission. Our examples take the 1% on the hammer price with no VAT on it; ask Mathewsons before you bid online. If VAT were added to the 1% fee, the online totals would rise by £4, £20, £50, £60 respectively.
Rates from Mathewsons' terms and conditions and How to Buy page, checked 3 November 2026. Any VAT on the hammer price itself is stated in the lot description.
If you win a lot, a deposit is due on the day of the sale and the balance within 48 hours. Collection is expected within the time set in Mathewsons' terms: their How to Buy page says 14 days and their formal terms say 10 days, so check the terms before you bid. For tactics on the day, see how to bid at Mathewsons, and for the drive or the trailer home, getting your car home.
Lots to look out for
The catalogue goes on Mathewsons' page for this sale, and lots are usually listed in the run up to the viewing week. We only mention lots that Mathewsons have published.
We'll add highlights here once the catalogue is published.
Past December sales
December sales have carried some notable cars. In the December 2022 sale, an Aston Martin DBS sold for £58,000 and a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sold for £40,000, according to Mathewsons' results for that sale. Past results are no guide to what any car will fetch this year.
After the sale
Once the hammer falls on Friday 4 December, we will add any cars from the programme to our auction results page, with sources, and a sale report will follow. Lots that do not sell usually go into an online timed sale the following week.
Sources
- Mathewsons upcoming auctions: sale name, days, lots, times and the viewing week.
- Mathewsons planning a visit: viewing hours, entry fee, visitor rules, shuttle and parking.
- Mathewsons contact: the saleroom address and opening times.
- Mathewsons how to buy: bidding, deposit, balance and collection.
- Mathewsons December 2022 auction results: past December prices.
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