Sell My Classic

Sell My Classic: weekly online auctions for classic and prestige cars

Sell My Classic is a UK-based online auction service for classic, sports, prestige and supercars. Sellers submit their vehicle and it is offered to a pool of vetted buyers in a one-day weekly auction, with the company positioning the format as an alternative to conventional auction houses. The site states that more than £40,000,000 worth of cars has been sold through the platform to date.

How the selling process works

The process is structured in four stages, all handled remotely:

• Submit: the seller enters the registration, mileage and contact details; a consignment specialist calls within 24 hours to confirm the information and explain the following steps.
• Create: the company supplies an image guide for photographs and then assembles a professional listing.
• Approve: the seller previews and approves the listing and can set a reserve price, with the valuation team available to help.
• Sell: the car goes into a one-day auction in which vetted buyers compete.

After the sale, the winning bidder pays a non-refundable deposit upfront and arranges collection within seven days at no cost. Full payment is completed before the vehicle is released. The company also advertises free collection and fast, secure payment as part of the service.

Buyer vetting and the Private Buyers Club

The auctions are restricted to buyers the company describes as vetted, and the pitch to sellers emphasises that there are no test drivers or tyre kickers to deal with. Alongside the public weekly auctions, Sell My Classic offers a Private Buyers Club giving access to weekly off-market auctions that the company says are usually reserved for specialist buyers. A separate free discount club for car lovers is also promoted on the site.

Fees and the comparison with traditional auctions

The site claims it returns more to sellers than traditional auctions, based on a calculation using a hammer price of £16,964 and buyer and seller fees averaged across 14 traditional auctions between March and June 2020. That comparison is the company's own and rests on the stated sample and period.

Media profile and partnerships

Sell My Classic reports that it has been featured on seasons 4 and 5 of Richard Hammond's Workshop, streaming on Discovery+ and Prime Video, and that it supports Richard Hammond and The Smallest Cog team. The company also describes itself as one of the highest rated auctions in the UK, a claim attributed to its own presentation.

Editorial content and recruitment

The site carries news and feature posts on classic-car topics, including the Goodwood Festival's celebration of 50 years of BMW M, a global collaboration to protect historic vehicles and industrial heritage, and Lunaz's first upcycled industrial electric vehicle. Sell My Classic also states that it is recruiting, with vacancies for its team in Brentwood.

Corporate background

The site identifies the business as part of classictrade.co.uk and provides portals for sellers, buyers and approved dealers, as well as a programme for approved influencers.