classic cars
ClassicCars.com is the self-described world's largest online marketplace for classic and collector vehicles, with about 32,726 active listings, 3M+ monthly visitors, an integrated AutoHunter auction platform, and editorial content via The Journal, serving collectors, private sellers, and specialty dealers in North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What classic cars does
ClassicCars.com, operated by The Collector Car Network, LLC, is the self-described world's largest online marketplace for buying and selling classic, collector, vintage, and specialty vehicles. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the platform serves collectors, hobbyists, private sellers, and specialty dealers across the United States and Canada, hosting approximately 32,726 active vehicle listings at any given time and drawing 3 million+ monthly visitors. The platform operates as a self-serve marketplace under a product-led growth motion, where buyers contact sellers directly with limited intermediation from ClassicCars.com itself.
The technology stack combines a search-driven online marketplace (filterable by year, make, model, category, and price range), a Search by State directory for geographic browsing, and the integrated AutoHunter auction platform supporting live and timed online auctions with photos, videos, and real-time bidding. Editorial and video assets — The Journal (news, car culture, Barrett-Jackson event coverage) and the ClassicCars TV YouTube channel (including the Interesting Finds series) — function as owned content marketing channels that feed top-of-funnel demand into the marketplace. Through a partnership with HowToo, the company has extended into the parts-and-repair lifecycle with the Orion AI diagnostic assistant and a catalog of more than 1.5 million parts available at distributor-level pricing.
Monetization runs through three principal streams: vehicle listing fees (including featured listing upgrades for both private parties and dealers), AutoHunter auction commissions, and advertising and sponsorship revenue sold via a business media kit. Adjacent services — Lemon Squad pre-purchase inspections, Hagerty collector car insurance, Woodside Credit financing, and A-1 Auto Transport shipping — are provided as affiliate/partner integrations that round out the transaction stack but are not operated by ClassicCars.com itself. The Collector Car Network, LLC is wholly owned by Barrett-Jackson Holdings, LLC, which sits within the broader MARI / AE EventsCo Holdings LLC corporate umbrella; Roger Falcione serves as President / CEO.
classic cars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- classic cars
- Legal name
- The Collector Car Network, LLC
- Website
- https://classiccars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ClassicCars.com is the self-described world's largest online marketplace for classic and collector vehicles, with about 32,726 active listings, 3M+ monthly visitors, an integrated AutoHunter auction platform, and editorial content via The Journal, serving collectors, private sellers, and specialty dealers in North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
classic cars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Automotive Marketplace
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO), Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces (CRAFABAJ)
Keywords
Where classic cars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
classic cars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Vehicle Listing Fees: Sellers pay to list vehicles on the marketplace. Premium Vehicle Listings are intended for private parties. Featured listing upgrades provide enhanced visibility for additional fees.
- AutoHunter Auction Commission: Online auction platform charges fees for auction listings including photos, text, videos, and live auction monitoring
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Business advertisers and media kit offerings for partners seeking visibility on the platform
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Vehicle Listing |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Featured Listing Upgrade |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vintage & Classic Car Inspection (via Lemon Squad) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
classic cars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ClassicCars.com operates the world's largest online marketplace for buying and selling classic, vintage, collector, and specialty vehicles, hosting approximately 32,726 active listings. The platform combines a vehicle listing marketplace, the proprietary AutoHunter online auction platform, editorial content via The Journal, and a parts marketplace with 1.5M+ SKUs powered by HowToo, serving 3 million+ monthly visitors.
Product overview
ClassicCars.com operates as a unified online collector car marketplace comprising several interconnected products. At its core is the ClassicCars.com Marketplace (approximately 32,726 active vehicle listings), supplemented by its proprietary AutoHunter online auction platform, The Journal editorial/news outlet covering automotive news and Barrett-Jackson events, and a HowToo-powered automotive parts and repair service with over 1.5M parts. The company is owned by The Collector Car Network, LLC (d/b/a Barrett-Jackson, AutoHunter, and ClassicCars.com) and is part of Barrett-Jackson Holdings, LLC / MARI / AE EventsCo Holdings LLC.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HowToo (Orion): Automotive repair guidance platform and parts marketplace with 1.5M+ parts available at distributor pricing, integrated as a partner platform.
Products and services
- ClassicCars.com Marketplace The world's largest online marketplace for buying and selling classic, vintage, collector, and specialty vehicles, with approximately 32,726 active listings spanning all makes, models, and eras. Serves individual classic car enthusiasts, hobbyists, and collectors looking to purchase or sell vintage automobiles.
- AutoHunter Premier online auction platform integrated with ClassicCars.com that enables sellers to list vehicles in timed and live online auctions, reaching a national audience of classic car buyers. Features photos, videos, and real-time bidding functionality.
- The Journal Editorial news and entertainment platform covering automotive news, car culture, featured vehicles, Barrett-Jackson auction coverage, product showcases, and 'Pick of the Day' spotlights. Includes video content under the 'ClassicCars TV' YouTube channel.
- ClassicCars.com Parts (powered by HowToo) Automotive parts marketplace and diagnostic service offering over 1.5 million parts at distributor-level pricing. HowToo's Orion AI assistant provides vehicle diagnostic guidance, step-by-step repair instructions, guided videos, tools needed, and exact-fit parts recommendations powered by hundreds of nationwide distributors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 million+ classic car enthusiasts supported monthly
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use classic cars
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
classic cars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
classic cars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HowToocorePartnership providing Orion AI-powered automotive diagnostic assistant and 1.5M+ auto parts at distributor-level pricing. HowToo built Orion to show users how to replace any part on any vehicle. The partnership integrates troubleshooting, repair instructions, guided videos, and parts recommendations into the ClassicCars.com ecosystem.
- Lemon SquadcoreNationwide vehicle inspection service specializing in classic cars. Provides Vintage & Classic Inspection package ($329.99) covering body/paint condition, rust inspection, VIN verification, accident history, road tests, and comprehensive engine/transmission evaluation.
- HagertycoreCollector car insurance provider featured on ClassicCars.com listings and editorial content. Offers insurance quotes for classic vehicle owners.
- Woodside CreditcoreCollector car financing partner offering loan calculators and payment options displayed on vehicle listings. Provides financing for classic car purchases.
- A-1 Auto TransportminorAuto transport and shipping partner featured on vehicle listings for domestic shipping coordination.
- Barrett-Jackson Holdings, LLCcoreParent company ownership. ClassicCars.com is part of Barrett-Jackson which includes Barrett-Jackson Auction Co., LLC, Barrett-Jackson Media, Barrett-Jackson Showroom, Collector Car Network, and AutoHunter. Part of MARI / AE EventsCo Holdings LLC.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
classic cars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bring a Trailer: Bring a Trailer is the most direct competitor: an online auction platform for enthusiast vehicles (classic, collector, and modern performance cars). Both platforms connect private sellers and dealers with collector-car buyers via digital listings and auctions. Bring a Trailer was acquired by Porsche Cars North America in 2020, making it both a competitor and a benchmark for the ClassicCars.com model.
- Hemmings: Hemmings is a long-established classic car marketplace and media brand. It operates classified listings, an auction platform (Hemmings Auctions), and editorial content, mirroring ClassicCars.com's combination of marketplace + auction + content. Both compete for the same enthusiast audience and dealer listings.
- Cars & Bids: Cars & Bids is an online auction platform focused specifically on modern enthusiast vehicles (roughly 1980s–present). It is a direct substitute for AutoHunter within the modern/specialty segment, sharing the online-auction model and enthusiast audience with ClassicCars.com.
- Mecum Auctions: Mecum is one of the largest classic and collector car auction houses in the U.S. It operates live in-person auctions plus online bidding. Mecum competes with the AutoHunter online auction product and overlaps with Barrett-Jackson in the live collector auction market.
- RM Sotheby's: RM Sotheby's is a leading global auction house for investment-grade collector cars. While RM Sotheby's focuses on high-end in-person auctions rather than online fixed-price listings, it competes for the same collector-car transaction dollars that flow through ClassicCars.com's marketplace.
- Bonhams: Bonhams is a global auction house with a dedicated motoring department for collector vehicles. It competes for classic-car auction inventory and buyer attention and shares a cross-border collector audience with ClassicCars.com's North America–centric marketplace.
- Gooding & Company: Gooding & Company is a high-end collector-car auction house with a strong presence at events like Pebble Beach. It targets the same premium collector-car transaction segment that flows through AutoHunter auctions and competes for consignment inventory.
Broad incumbents
- eBay Motors: eBay Motors is a large, general online marketplace that includes classic and specialty vehicle listings. It competes indirectly with ClassicCars.com by aggregating enthusiast inventory at scale, though it lacks the curated, classic-car-focused content and community emphasis that ClassicCars.com provides.
- Hagerty: Hagerty is the dominant collector-car insurance provider and has expanded into media, marketplace, and driver experiences. Although currently an affiliate partner to ClassicCars.com, Hagerty's broader enthusiast ecosystem (including Hagerty Marketplace) positions it as both a partner and an emerging competitive incumbent in the collector-car digital ecosystem.
- Cars.com: Cars.com is a large mainstream online marketplace for new and used vehicles. While it does not specialize in classic cars, it overlaps in the broader vehicle-dealer listing ecosystem and represents the kind of broad-incumbent platform that could expand into specialty inventory over time.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
classic cars social profiles
Digital presenceclassic cars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
classic cars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
classic cars subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
classic cars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
classic cars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about classic cars
What does classic cars do?
ClassicCars.com operates the world's largest online marketplace for buying and selling classic, vintage, collector, and specialty vehicles, hosting approximately 32,726 active listings. The platform combines a vehicle listing marketplace, the proprietary AutoHunter online auction platform, editorial content via The Journal, and a parts marketplace with 1.5M+ SKUs powered by HowToo, serving 3 million+ monthly visitors.
Is classic cars a public or private company?
classic cars is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was classic cars founded?
classic cars was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is classic cars based?
classic cars is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does classic cars make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Vehicle Listing Fees are the primary driver. The others are autoHunter Auction Commission and advertising and Sponsorship.
Who are classic cars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bring a Trailer, Hemmings, Cars & Bids, Mecum Auctions, RM Sotheby's, Bonhams and Gooding & Company. Broad incumbents are eBay Motors, Hagerty and Cars.com.
Does classic cars have an API?
No public API is recorded for classic cars.
What industry is classic cars in?
classic cars's product category is Online Automotive Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAKAE, Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C, with a secondary code of CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5500.