24/08/2026

Classic car hotspots in Yorkshire & Humber: 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

Yorkshire & Humber is home to 109,447 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 Yorkshire & Humber down to postcode-district level.

The result is a clear ranking of the classic car hotspots across Yorkshire & Humber, 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 DN14 (Goole), with 2,088 classic cars, ahead of YO25 (Driffield) (1,709) and DN22 (Retford) (1,553).

Which postcode has the most classic cars in Yorkshire & Humber?

DN14 (Goole) leads Yorkshire & Humber with 2,088 historic vehicles. Of those, 1,080 are taxed and on the road and 1,008 are declared off the road on a SORN. The full top 20 is below.

The top 20 classic car hotspots in Yorkshire & Humber

Rank Postcode district Taxed SORN Total
1 DN14 (Goole) 1,080 1,008 2,088
2 YO25 (Driffield) 1,042 667 1,709
3 DN22 (Retford) 886 667 1,553
4 YO8 (Selby) 822 725 1,547
5 DN21 720 684 1,404
6 HG3 (Harrogate) 810 559 1,369
7 WF4 (Wakefield) 657 712 1,369
8 HG4 (Ripon) 728 633 1,361
9 YO17 (Malton) 755 524 1,279
10 DN17 615 635 1,250
11 S42 (Chesterfield) 633 578 1,211
12 YO7 (Thirsk) 701 497 1,198
13 HU17 645 535 1,180
14 HU12 647 522 1,169
15 HD9 698 462 1,160
16 HD8 (Huddersfield) 638 499 1,137
17 BD20 (Keighley) 582 544 1,126
18 LS25 (Garforth) 543 566 1,109
19 DN9 570 535 1,105
20 S43 (Chesterfield) 470 543 1,013

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

Are Yorkshire & Humber’s classic cars driven or stored?

Across Yorkshire & Humber, 51.2% of classic cars are taxed and on the road, while 48.8% 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 Yorkshire & Humber are rarely the busiest town centres, but the areas around them.

Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director of Heritage Car Insurance said:

“Yorkshire’s real classic car country is out in the flat lanes of East Yorkshire, around Goole and the Wolds, rather than the cities. With plenty of rural storage and open roads, owners here run the full spectrum from daily-driven to long-term project, which is why matching your policy to how the car is actually used, including laid-up cover when it’s off the road, matters so much.”

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Which area has the most classic cars in Yorkshire & Humber?

DN14 (Goole) has the most classic cars in Yorkshire & Humber, with 2,088 historic vehicles, according to the May 2026 DVLA snapshot.

How many classic cars are there in Yorkshire & Humber?

There are 109,447 vehicles in the DVLA’s historic tax class (cars 40 years or older) registered across Yorkshire & Humber, 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 Yorkshire & Humber

Wherever in Yorkshire & Humber 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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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. Yorkshire & Humber figures combine the relevant postcode areas; rankings reflect total historic vehicles per district.