24/08/2026

Classic car hotspots in Birmingham: where are the most classic cars?

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Written By Faryal Raza Bhatti, Marketing Manager, Heritage Car Insurance
Expert commentary by Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director. Heritage Car Insurance
Last updated: August 2026

Birmingham is home to 23,188 classic cars. We analysed the latest DVLA data to find the exact postcode districts where the most historic vehicles are registered — and how many are still being driven.

At Heritage Car Insurance, we’ve spent more than 60 years insuring classic and specialist vehicles, so we know how much where you live shapes classic car ownership. To map it properly, we obtained a Freedom of Information response from the DVLA covering every vehicle in its historic tax class, cars 40 years or older, and broke Birmingham down to postcode-district level.

The result is a clear ranking of the classic car hotspots across Birmingham, showing not just where the most classics are kept, but whether they’re taxed and on the road or tucked away off it.

The top spot goes to B77 (Tamworth), with 998 classic cars, ahead of B90 (Solihull) (930) and B60 (Bromsgrove) (886).

Which postcode has the most classic cars in Birmingham?

B77 (Tamworth) leads Birmingham with 998 historic vehicles. Of those, 483 are taxed and on the road and 515 are declared off the road on a SORN. The full top 20 is below.

The top 20 classic car hotspots in Birmingham

Rank Postcode district Taxed SORN Total
1 B77 (Tamworth) 483 515 998
2 B90 (Solihull) 432 498 930
3 B60 (Bromsgrove) 540 346 886
4 B61 (Bromsgrove) 381 375 756
5 B98 (Redditch) 388 367 755
6 B78 (Tamworth) 373 332 705
7 B97 (Redditch) 376 312 688
8 B79 (Tamworth) 359 299 658
9 B62 (Halesowen) 298 289 587
10 B31 (Northfield) 275 298 573
11 B91 (Solihull) 312 259 571
12 B92 (Solihull) 266 297 563
13 B93 (Solihull) 292 269 561
14 B74 (Sutton Coldfield) 319 237 556
15 B49 (Alcester) 291 240 531
16 B63 (Halesowen) 255 276 531
17 B45 (Rednal) 249 260 509
18 B94 (Solihull) 254 195 449
19 B75 (Sutton Coldfield) 221 219 440
20 B96 (Redditch) 231 196 427

Source: DVLA (FOIR13488), Heritage Car Insurance analysis. Figures combine taxed and SORN vehicles per postcode district.

Are Birmingham’s classic cars driven or stored?

Across Birmingham, 48.5% of classic cars are taxed and on the road, while 51.5% are declared off the road on a SORN. That’s a higher off-road rate than the UK average of 47.6%, pointing to a strong local culture of restoration and long-term storage. Nationally, the split between taxed and SORN classics is almost exactly even, and it shifts noticeably from place to place.

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Why do these areas have so many classic cars?

In our experience, classic car hotspots share a few things in common. They tend to be more rural or suburban than inner-city, because classics need space — a garage or off-street parking to keep them dry and secure. They often have quieter, more scenic roads that make ownership rewarding, and long-established local car clubs and specialists that keep older vehicles on the road. That’s why the leading districts in Birmingham are rarely the busiest town centres, but the areas around them.

Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director, Heritage Car Insurance said:#

“For the city that put Britain on wheels, it’s fitting the classic scene is so strong, though it’s the outer areas like Tamworth and Solihull that lead. With more than half kept off the road, often mid-project, laid-up cover is well worth considering, so a restoration isn’t left uninsured just because the car isn’t being driven yet.”

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Which area has the most classic cars in Birmingham?

B77 (Tamworth) has the most classic cars in Birmingham, with 998 historic vehicles, according to the May 2026 DVLA snapshot.

How many classic cars are there in Birmingham?

There are 23,188 vehicles in the DVLA’s historic tax class (cars 40 years or older) registered across Birmingham, based on the May 2026 DVLA snapshot.

 

What counts as a classic car?

For DVLA purposes, a vehicle becomes a historic (classic) vehicle once it is more than 40 years old, based on its date of manufacture. Historic vehicles can be exempt from vehicle tax and, in most cases, the annual MOT.

Do I need insurance if my classic car is SORN?

No, UK law does not require you to insure a vehicle declared SORN and kept off the road. However, a stored classic can still be damaged, stolen or lost to fire, so many owners choose laid-up insurance for protection.

Protect your classic in Birmingham

Wherever in Birmingham you keep your classic, it deserves cover built around it. Heritage offers specialist classic car insurance with agreed value protection, plus laid-up cover for cars kept off the road. You can also explore where classics live across the country in our guide to where Britain keeps its classic cars, or browse our other classic car guides.

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Ben Sewell
4 June 2026

Great service. Efficient and savvy.

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Steve Simpson
26 May 2026

Great service, very good price, Emilie was very helpful and friendly!

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Hugh Blackburne
27 May 2026

Excellent.

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Kevin McGrath
27 May 2026

Very good price for my classic VW campervan. New quote was the same as last year so can't complain at all. Added breakdown and recovery for a good price that beat AA by a long way. Very helpful staff on the phone. Excellent service.

Methodology

Figures are drawn from a DVLA Freedom of Information response (FOIR13488, May 2026 snapshot), covering vehicles in the DVLA’s historic taxation class, those 40 years or older with a recorded date of manufacture of 1985 or earlier (where the manufacture date is unavailable, the year of first registration is used). Vehicles are shown by postcode district and by whether they are taxed (on the road) or declared off the road under a SORN. Birmingham figures combine the relevant postcode area; rankings reflect total historic vehicles per district.