H&H Classics
H&H Classics is a UK-based specialist automotive auction house, founded in 1993, that auctions classic cars, motorcycles, scooters, and automobilia via live events at five UK venues and a global online bidding platform serving 70,000+ clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersWarrington, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What H&H Classics does
H&H Classics is a UK-based specialist automotive auction house founded in 1993 and headquartered in Warrington, England. The firm conducts live auctions of classic and collector motorcars, classic motorcycles and vintage scooters, automobilia and memorabilia, and registration plates, positioning itself as the longest continually trading specialist automotive auction house in the UK and Europe. Its platform combines physical live auctions at five UK venues — National Motorcycle Museum (Solihull), Pavilion Gardens (Buxton), Imperial War Museum (Duxford), Kelham Hall (Newark), and Sandown Park (Esher) — with a global online bidding platform (auctions.handh.co.uk) plus telephone and commission bidding options to enable remote participation.
The supporting product set extends beyond auctions into private sales, expert vehicle valuations, classic car and motorcycle insurance, and digital catalog and virtual-viewing infrastructure. The auction calendar currently comprises 11 annual events, and the firm has scaled bidder engagement to approximately 11,000 registered bidders in 2024 with winning bids originating from 37 countries and a global client network of 70,000+. Specialist staff (Senior Motor Car Specialist Paul Cheetham, Senior Motorcycle Specialist Ian Cunningham, Motor Car Specialist Lucas Gomersall) support category-specific expertise, and the Chairman (Simon Hope) and Managing Director (Colette McKay) lead the senior team.
Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based fees: buyer's premium (12.5%-25% depending on category), vendor's or seller's premium (5%-20%), entry fees (£10-£250 + VAT), storage fees on unsold lots, and commissions on private treaty sales. Customer segments span classic car collectors and enthusiasts, classic motorcycle collectors and riders, automobilia collectors, private sellers, and sellers of vehicles with royal or celebrity provenance (the firm has handled vehicles previously owned by King Charles III, Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Elton John). The company is privately held as H&H Classics Limited (company number 02852199), employs 11-50 people, has no disclosed institutional investors, and operates from a registered office in Barnsley and operational HQ in Warrington.
H&H Classics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- H&H Classics
- Legal name
- H&H Classics Limited
- Website
- https://handh.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- H&H Classics is a UK-based specialist automotive auction house, founded in 1993, that auctions classic cars, motorcycles, scooters, and automobilia via live events at five UK venues and a global online bidding platform serving 70,000+ clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
H&H Classics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Classic Vehicle Auction Services
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), Motorcycle, ATV, and All Other Motor Vehicle Dealers (441227), Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)
Keywords
Where H&H Classics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Warrington
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
H&H Classics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Buyer's Premium: Commission charged to buyers on hammer price. For cars: 12.5% (min £250 + VAT) on first £250,000, 10% + VAT on balance. For motorcycles: 15% + VAT on first £100,000, 12.5% + VAT on balance. For automobilia: 25% + VAT on first £50,000, 20% + VAT on balance.
- Vendor's/Seller's Premium: Commission charged to sellers on hammer price. For cars: 5% + VAT (min £250 + VAT). For motorcycles: 10% + VAT (min £50 + VAT). For automobilia: 20% + VAT (min £50 + VAT).
- Entry Fees: Fees charged to enter vehicles into auction. Cars from £250 + VAT, Motorcycles from £50 + VAT, Automobilia from £10 + VAT.
- Storage Fees: Charges for uplifting and storing unsold vehicles. Motor cars: uplift from £185, storage £10/day first 14 days then £30/week. Motorcycles: uplift from £100, storage £5/day then £12/week.
- Private Sales Commission: Private sale and source service offered alongside auction services, providing commission on direct sales outside auction.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cars - Buyer's Premium |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cars - Vendor's Premium |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cars - Entry Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Motorcycles - Buyer's Premium |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Motorcycles - Vendor's Premium |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Motorcycles - Entry Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Automobilia - Buyer's Premium |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Automobilia - Vendor's Premium |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Automobilia - Entry Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Registration Plates - Buyer's Premium |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
H&H Classics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
H&H Classics is the UK's and Europe's longest continually trading specialist automotive auction house (established 1993), conducting physical live auctions for classic motorcars, motorcycles, and automobilia at prestigious UK venues including the National Motorcycle Museum, Pavilion Gardens Buxton, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Kelham Hall, and Sandown Park. The auction platform is complemented by global online bidding, telephone bidding, and commission bid services, alongside adjacent offerings such as private treaty sales, vehicle valuations, and classic vehicle insurance.
Product overview
H&H Classics operates as a specialist automotive auction house offering a unified platform for buying and selling classic and collector vehicles. The core offering consists of physical live auctions held at strategic UK venues (Pavilion Gardens/Buxton, Imperial War Museum/Duxford, National Motorcycle Museum/Solihull, Kelham Hall/Newark, Sandown Park/Esher) for classic motorcars, classic motorcycles and vintage scooters, and automobilia/memorabilia. Supporting the auction platform are ancillary services including private sales for discreet off-auction transactions, specialist vehicle valuations, and classic car/motorcycle insurance. Remote participation is facilitated through online bidding, telephone bidding, and commission bid services. The company also offers registration plate auctions as a specialized product line. Established in 1993, H&H represents Europe's longest continually trading specialist automotive auction house.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Classic Car Auctions
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 83% sell-through rate achieved for both motorcycles and automobilia
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use H&H Classics
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
H&H Classics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
H&H Classics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
H&H Classics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
H&H Classics social profiles
Digital presenceH&H Classics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
H&H Classics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
H&H Classics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
H&H Classics 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 H&H Classics
What does H&H Classics do?
H&H Classics is the UK's and Europe's longest continually trading specialist automotive auction house (established 1993), conducting physical live auctions for classic motorcars, motorcycles, and automobilia at prestigious UK venues including the National Motorcycle Museum, Pavilion Gardens Buxton, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Kelham Hall, and Sandown Park. The auction platform is complemented by global online bidding, telephone bidding, and commission bid services, alongside adjacent offerings such as private treaty sales, vehicle valuations, and classic vehicle insurance.
Is H&H Classics a public or private company?
H&H Classics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was H&H Classics founded?
H&H Classics was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is H&H Classics based?
H&H Classics is headquartered in Warrington, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does H&H Classics make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Buyer's Premium is the primary driver. The others are vendor's/Seller's Premium, entry Fees, storage Fees and private Sales Commission.
Does H&H Classics have an API?
No public API is recorded for H&H Classics.
What industry is H&H Classics in?
H&H Classics's product category is Classic Vehicle Auction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAA, Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online). Its NAICS code is 441 and its SIC code is 5010.