Recruitment drive at Car & Classic: diversity of roles, new skills needed and an opportunity for young people

A recruitment drive by Car & Classic that will see its team double to 120 members over the next year highlights the breadth of new skills needed in the classic sector. With eight current vacancies spread across technology, marketing, sales and support roles, Europe’s largest classic and specialist vehicle marketplace is seeking expertise both in the UK and internationally.

Backed up by the HCVA, (Historical and Classic Vehicles Alliance), of which Car & Classic is a Founding Member, it is keen to explain that roles in the sector aren’t just in workshops but span marketing, finance, legal, sales and creative skills, for a sector that continues to grow. Indeed, according to the FBHVC’s latest report (2020), spend on historic vehicles has increased by over 30 per cent, from £5.5Bn to £7.2Bn in the last five years.  

Car & Classic’s online marketplace has grown significantly over the past three years and, in particular, its innovative online auction has found homes for hundreds of classic and collectible vehicles – all transacted exclusively through Escrow. The growth is underpinned by its enthusiastic young team, which is set to expand in order to cope with new opportunities. The average age across its 60 staff is 36 with a third of them under 30. A recent discussion between the HCVA in the UK and its French contacts in the same sector found that the average age of owners and enthusiasts has reduced from 58 to 54, due to the adoption of classic cars by younger generations.   

“Contrary to popular misconception that the classic car industry fails to attract young people, Car & Classic’s technology, fast pace and passionate commitment to match classic vehicles to their ideal owners online is attracting young talent alongside experienced industry colleagues,” says Car & Classic CEO Tom Wood. ”We are constantly on the lookout for more team members. From a team of ten, 18 months ago, we are now at 60 and continuing to grow fast.”

“Marketing, Finance, Sales, Legal, Strategic Planning and Customer Support opportunities have risen out of our expansion, and not only in the UK but also in Europe to keep up with the increased demand and interest in the online auction site and marketplace,” adds Wood.  

Recently, Car & Classic has appointed two new marketing assistants, who join a team of seven, and is still recruiting for three software engineer roles, legal counsel, product managers and – in line with the company’s international expansion – multi-lingual negotiators. A career page can be found here: https://careers.carandclassic.com.

“It’s not just Car & Classic attracting young people,” says Merlin McCormack of Duke of London, one of Car & Classic’s regular dealers. “We, too, have reported an increase in interest from school leavers and newly graduated people entering the industry. It is rewarding to see ‘fresh blood’ being injected in a segment traditionally concerned with finding new generations to pass existing knowledge to.”