Is this guide connected with Mathewsons or Bangers & Cash?

No. It is an independent guide written in Thornton-le-Dale. It links to Mathewsons' own website for auction entries, bidding and the catalogue.

Does the guide cover particular makes of car?

The guide covers classic cars in general. Car-by-car advice is in the car advisor, which starts with the cars seen most often on Bangers & Cash, and our sister sites cover several cars in depth.

Does the guide tell me what a car is worth?

No. It explains how to read price guides and sold results, but it does not value particular cars. For a figure on a specific car, take advice from an independent valuer or a specialist who has seen it.

Bangers & Cash

The Classic Car Owner's Guide

By Jon Cosson · Last checked 13 October 2026

Thornton-le-Dale is home to the Mathewsons museum and shop, and for many Bangers & Cash viewers it is where a classic car stops being something on television and becomes something they might own. This guide is for that moment and everything after it: how to choose and inspect a classic, how to look after it, how to store it through a Yorkshire winter, the law and paperwork, and how to sell it when the time comes.

What the guide covers

Buying

Choosing a classic, setting a budget, auctions, inspection, paperwork and paying safely.

Thinking of bidding?

Checks for the kinds of car sold at Mathewsons, with car-by-car profiles to follow.

Owning

Servicing, batteries, fuel, oils, brakes, tyres, rust prevention and driving a classic today.

Storage

Where to keep a classic, damp, rodents, winter lay-up and bringing a car back to life.

Law and security

MOT exemption, historic tax, the V5C, insurance, theft and fraud.

Selling

Choosing how to sell, describing a car honestly and getting paid safely.

Start here

New to classic cars? Read Is a classic car right for you? first.
Going to a Mathewsons viewing? Take the inspection guide and read how to buy at Mathewsons.
Just bought one? See after the hammer falls.

About this guide

The guide covers classic cars in general rather than any one make. Where a point applies only to certain cars, the page says so. For particular cars, the car advisor is being built car by car, starting with the cars seen most often on Bangers & Cash, and our sister sites cover the Triumph Stag, the MG T-Series, the Jaguar E-Type and others in depth.

Every fact is checked against at least two sources, and each page shows when it was last checked and what it was checked against. The guide quotes no values for particular cars and recommends no products. It is written by Jon Cosson, a retired chief information security officer who owns and maintains his own classic cars near Thornton-le-Dale.

FAQs

Is this guide connected with Mathewsons or Bangers & Cash?: No. It is an independent guide written in Thornton-le-Dale. It links to Mathewsons' own website for auction entries, bidding and the catalogue.
Does the guide cover particular makes of car?: The guide covers classic cars in general. Car-by-car advice is in the car advisor, which starts with the cars seen most often on Bangers & Cash, and our sister sites cover several cars in depth.
Does the guide tell me what a car is worth?: No. It explains how to read price guides and sold results, but it does not value particular cars. For a figure on a specific car, take advice from an independent valuer or a specialist who has seen it.

An independent guide from Thornton-le-Dale. Not connected with Mathewsons or the programme.