Picture Car Warehouse
Picture Car Warehouse is a privately held Northridge, California-based company that rents and custom-builds vehicles (700+ fleet, 1920s-2020s) for film, television, and commercial productions, serving major Hollywood studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersNorthridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Picture Car Warehouse does
Picture Car Warehouse is a privately held, founder-owned vehicle rental and custom build company serving the film, television, and commercial production industries. Founded in 2002 by Ted Moser (a former Transportation Coordinator with Hollywood Teamsters union 399) and headquartered in a 44,000+ sq ft former Cadillac dealership in Northridge, California, the company maintains a fleet of over 700 vehicles spanning decades (1920s through 2020s), including period-correct automobiles, muscle cars, emergency vehicles, armored trucks, and specialty builds. The firm operates a second site at Agua Dulce for additional storage and project staging.
The company's core technical capability is its integrated in-house production environment: a body shop, upholstery shop, fabrication shop, graphic design studio, and master mechanics all under one roof. This stack enables period-correct preparation (tires, hubcaps, windshield wipers, engine sounds, interior trim), stunt vehicle engineering (disabling ABS, airbags, and engine computers to permit controlled crashes and drifting), and rapid custom builds for specific production needs. Notable engagements include delivery of 188 vehicles for '2 Fast 2 Furious' under a $7M budget and supplying vehicles to Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, MGM, Fox, HBO, AMC, CBS, and advertisers such as Allstate and Chevrolet.
The revenue model is project-based with four streams: daily vehicle rental (~$350/day baseline rate), custom vehicle builds (quote-based), vehicle modification services (paint, fabrication, upholstery, engine work), and post-rental vehicle sales to collectors ($400-$1,000+). Go-to-market is direct B2B sales to production companies and transportation coordinators, relying heavily on founder relationships and industry reputation, complemented by website inventory listings and a third-party vehicle brokerage network managed by Commercial Manager Phil Fiori.
Picture Car Warehouse firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Picture Car Warehouse
- Legal name
- Picture Car Warehouse
- Website
- https://picturecarwarehouse.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Picture Car Warehouse is a privately held Northridge, California-based company that rents and custom-builds vehicles (700+ fleet, 1920s-2020s) for film, television, and commercial productions, serving major Hollywood studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Picture Car Warehouse is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Picture Car Warehouse business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Vehicle Rental: Daily rental of picture cars to film, television, and commercial productions. Vehicles range from vintage classics to modern vehicles and specialty vehicles including emergency vehicles, fire trucks, and period-correct automobiles.
- Custom Vehicle Builds: Design and construction of custom vehicles to match specific production requirements. From Mad-Max style vehicles to period-correct cars, jump cars, and pre-damaged vehicles.
- Vehicle Sales: Sale of rental vehicles after use, including movie-used cars and custom builds. Vehicles are often restored and sold to collectors or enthusiasts.
- Vehicle Modification Services: Services include paint, body work, upholstery, fabrication, graphic design, engine swaps, and restoration work performed under one roof.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Daily Vehicle Rental |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Custom Built Vehicles |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Vehicle Sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Picture Car Warehouse product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Picture Car Warehouse rents custom-built, period-correct, and specialty vehicles to film, television, and commercial productions. The company also designs and constructs specialized vehicles such as Mad Max-style cars, jump cars, pre-damaged vehicles, and stunt-ready vehicles. Operations are run from a 44,000+ sq ft Northridge, California facility with in-house body shop, upholstery, fabrication, graphic design, and mechanical capabilities, supported by a fleet of 700+ vehicles spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Product overview
Picture Car Warehouse operates as a comprehensive picture car rental and custom vehicle build service for the entertainment industry. The company offers vehicle rental with an inventory spanning multiple decades (1920s-2020s), custom vehicle builds, restoration services, graphic design for vehicles, and full fleet management. Their in-house capabilities include a body shop, skilled upholsterers, talented fabricators, precise graphic designers, and master mechanics—all housed in a 44,000+ sq ft facility. The service portfolio includes vehicle rentals across categories (police cars, emergency vehicles, muscle cars, period cars, trucks, buses, specialty vehicles), custom builds, and coordination services for film, television, commercials, and photo shoots.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vehicle Rental Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully delivered 188 vehicles for 2 Fast 2 Furious with a $7 million budget, all on time and under budget
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Picture Car Warehouse
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Picture Car Warehouse technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Picture Car Warehouse partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Picture Car Warehouse competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Movie Cars Central: Movie Cars Central offers picture car rentals, custom modifications, and period-correct vehicle sourcing for film, TV, and commercials. It is a smaller, emerging competitor in the same niche with overlapping service lines but lower fleet depth than PCW.
- VFX Vehicle / Reel Cars Studios: Reel Cars is a smaller picture car and specialty vehicle provider serving independent productions and commercials, with custom build and rental services. It is an emerging competitor with a less mature fleet but a similar operating model.
- Westside Customs: Westside Customs is a well-known custom vehicle shop with capacity for high-end fabrication, paint, and upholstery work that occasionally services entertainment industry builds. It is a tangential peer via shared in-house fabrication capabilities rather than direct picture car rental.
Direct peers
- Action Movie FX / Action Vehicle Builders: Action Vehicle Builders specializes in custom and stunt-capable vehicle builds for film, including hero cars, process cars, and pre-destroyed stunt vehicles. It competes with PCW's custom build and stunt preparation services, particularly on action-heavy productions.
- Cinema Vehicle Services: Cinema Vehicle Services is the incumbent picture car supplier PCW was founded to compete with, offering vehicle rental, custom builds, and on-set vehicle coordination to Hollywood productions. It is the most directly comparable competitor, operating the same rental-plus-fabrication model in the same LA market.
- Hollywood Picture Vehicles / 10 Western Vehicle Services: 10 Western Vehicle Services is a well-established Hollywood picture car house renting vehicles to film and TV productions, with comparable inventory depth and long-standing studio relationships. It competes head-to-head with PCW for transportation coordinator contracts on mid-to-large budget productions.
- Eagles Nest Transportation Services: Eagles Nest is a long-running LA-based picture car and transportation house serving films, TV, and commercials with rental and custom build services. Its customer base, geography, and service mix overlap closely with PCW.
Regional players
- Culver City Classics / Hollywood Trucks: Hollywood Trucks specializes in providing trucks, vans, and specialty work vehicles for film and TV productions in the LA market. It is a regional peer with a narrower vehicle type focus but serves the same transportation coordinator buyer.
Others
- Barrett-Jackson Auction Company: Barrett-Jackson is a collector car auction house where PCW sells some post-production vehicles and where founder Ted Moser has been invited to speak. It is an adjacent distribution and ecosystem channel for PCW's vehicle resale stream rather than a direct competitor.
- Mecum Auctions: Mecum is a major collector car auction company that provides an alternate distribution channel for PCW's vehicle resale business. It is comparable as a downstream outlet rather than a competing picture car supplier.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Picture Car Warehouse social profiles
Digital presencePicture Car Warehouse financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Picture Car Warehouse leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Picture Car Warehouse funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Picture Car Warehouse 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 Picture Car Warehouse
What does Picture Car Warehouse do?
Picture Car Warehouse rents custom-built, period-correct, and specialty vehicles to film, television, and commercial productions. The company also designs and constructs specialized vehicles such as Mad Max-style cars, jump cars, pre-damaged vehicles, and stunt-ready vehicles. Operations are run from a 44,000+ sq ft Northridge, California facility with in-house body shop, upholstery, fabrication, graphic design, and mechanical capabilities, supported by a fleet of 700+ vehicles spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Is Picture Car Warehouse a public or private company?
Picture Car Warehouse is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Picture Car Warehouse founded?
Picture Car Warehouse was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Picture Car Warehouse based?
Picture Car Warehouse is headquartered in Northridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Picture Car Warehouse make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Vehicle Rental is the primary driver. The others are custom Vehicle Builds, vehicle Sales and vehicle Modification Services.
Who are Picture Car Warehouse's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Movie Cars Central, VFX Vehicle / Reel Cars Studios and Westside Customs. Direct peers are Action Movie FX / Action Vehicle Builders, Cinema Vehicle Services, Hollywood Picture Vehicles / 10 Western Vehicle Services and Eagles Nest Transportation Services. Culver City Classics / Hollywood Trucks is listed as a regional player. Others are Barrett-Jackson Auction Company and Mecum Auctions.
Does Picture Car Warehouse have an API?
No public API is recorded for Picture Car Warehouse.