Mathewsons auctions: an independent guide

Mathewsons is the family classic car auction house filmed for Bangers & Cash. Its own history says the business began selling cars in Bedfordshire in 1970, moved to North Yorkshire in 1988 with a garage in Scarborough, added Malton in 1990 and Pickering in 1992, and held its first classic car auctions in 2011 at its Thornton-le-Dale premises on the Pickering road.

Today the sales are held at the company's showroom on Enterprise Way, off Thornton Road on the Thornton-le-Dale side of Pickering (YO18 7NA), a short drive from the village. Mathewsons Classic Cars Ltd, registered at the saleroom address, was incorporated in May 2021. The original Roxby Garage site in Thornton-le-Dale is where the gift shop is.

Mathewsons says it holds nine auctions a year. It sells cars, motorbikes, commercials, tractors, trailers, cherished number plates, bicycles and automobilia, and not everything is old: modern cars turn up too.

• Three days, Wednesday to Friday, starting at 10am each day. Lots 1 to 300 on the Wednesday, 301 to 600 on Thursday, 601 to 900 on Friday.
• Behind closed doors. Mathewsons says sale days are closed to the public and the trade. You cannot turn up and stand in the room.
• Ways to bid: live online, by leaving a commission bid online in advance, or by telephone arranged through the office.
• Unsold lots go into a timed online sale the following week.
• On television: Bangers & Cash films the family and the sales, but you should not assume a particular car will be shown.

1. Create an account on mathewsons.co.uk and register for the sale you want.
2. Expect an identity check: a current driving licence or passport, plus proof of address, and a debit card in your own name.
3. Online bidding carries a 1% surcharge, and each account has a bidding limit that a part-payment can raise.
4. If you win, a deposit is taken on the day and the balance is due within 48 hours. Cars must be collected within 14 days, and Pickering collections are booked 48 hours ahead.
5. Cars are sold as seen. Read our inspection guide before you bid.

Buyer's commission, as published by Mathewsons, is charged in bands on the hammer price, so on a dearer car the first £20,000 is still charged at the 10% and 7.5% rates:

Add 1% if you bid online. Our auction terms page explains hammer price, reserve and commission.

• Send an entry enquiry with photographs; Mathewsons calls back and a reserve is agreed.
• The entry fee is £40 plus VAT for a vehicle, motorbike or trailer.
• Seller's commission uses the same 10%, 7.5% and 5% bands as the buyer's. There is no seller's commission on number plates.
• Mathewsons says it aims to pay sellers within 15 working days.
• No closing dates are published, so enter early.

The cars can be seen in the week before each sale, Wednesday to Tuesday, closed on Sunday: weekdays 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12 noon. Entry is £5 a person during viewing, and Mathewsons holds a charity collection at each auction. Mathewsons asks visitors to sign in, wear the hi-viz provided and leave bags in their cars, and says it cannot accommodate "groups (2+), children (aged 16 and under), or pets". Viewing outside these weeks is by appointment.

There is no November sale. Mathewsons had not published 2027 dates when we checked on 9 October 2026. We will add them when it does.

Mathewsons publishes results on its own website and on Glenmarch. On our pages we quote a price only as "sold for", with the source and date.

In August 2026 the family held its first Mathewsons Live weekend at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, on 22 and 23 August, with more than 700 classic vehicle displays and a 100-lot auction split over the two days, lots 1 to 50 on the Saturday and 51 to 100 on the Sunday, at 3pm each day. No 2027 event has been announced.

The saleroom is on an industrial estate, so parking is on the road; please do not block neighbouring businesses. During viewing Mathewsons has run a shuttle bus from the National Park car park in Thornton-le-Dale, leaving at 9.30am, via the saleroom to Eastgate car park in Pickering. Check that it is running before you rely on it. There is no petrol station in Thornton-le-Dale; the nearest is in Pickering.

How to buy at a classic car auction · Inspecting a classic car · Getting your car home · Who's who on Bangers & Cash · Bangers & Cash FAQ

Prices, fees and dates change. Always confirm on mathewsons.co.uk before you travel or bid.