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ClassicCars.com Cars Search Scraper: Extract Vintage & Classic Car Listings with Complete Details

Introduction

ClassicCars.com stands as one of the world's premier online marketplaces for classic, vintage, and collector automobiles. With tens of thousands of listings spanning everything from pre-war classics to modern collectibles, the platform serves as a vital resource for automotive enthusiasts, dealers, collectors, and investors seeking rare and valuable vehicles.

For automotive dealers conducting competitive pricing research, collectors tracking specific makes and models, or market analysts studying classic car valuations, accessing this extensive database efficiently is essential. Manual data collection from ClassicCars.com is time-consuming and impractical when analyzing hundreds or thousands of listings across different vehicle categories, price ranges, and time periods.

The ClassicCars.com Cars Search Scraper automates this process, enabling systematic extraction of vehicle listings with complete specifications, pricing information, seller details, and high-quality images. Whether you're monitoring market trends for specific models, building inventory comparison databases, or conducting valuation research across vintage automotive segments, this tool provides the data extraction capabilities needed for comprehensive market analysis.

Scraper Overview

The ClassicCars.com Cars Search Scraper is a specialized automotive data extraction tool designed to systematically collect vehicle listings from ClassicCars.com's extensive marketplace. The scraper navigates through search results and extracts detailed vehicle information including specifications, pricing, seller information, and imagery.

Key advantages include configurable retry mechanisms for reliable data collection, flexible pagination controls for managing large result sets, and proxy support for avoiding detection during high-volume extractions. The tool is particularly valuable for classic car dealers performing competitive analysis, automotive market researchers tracking valuation trends, private collectors monitoring specific models, and investment analysts evaluating classic car market dynamics.

The scraper handles various search parameters including keyword searches across vehicle descriptions, sorting options for price and date, and pagination controls for systematic coverage. It maintains data accuracy while implementing respectful scraping practices suitable for automotive marketplace research.

Input and Output Details

Example url 1: https://classiccars.com/listings/find?description=suv&p=11&s=price

Example url 2: https://classiccars.com/listings/find/all-years/amc

Example url 3: https://classiccars.com/listings/find/all-years/ford/mustang

Example Screenshot of automotive list by query page:

Input Format

Scrape with URLs:

{
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  },
  "ignore_url_failures": true,
  "max_retries_per_url": 2,
  "max_items_per_url": 20,
  "urls": [
    "https://classiccars.com/listings/find?description=suv&p=11&s=datelisted",
    "https://classiccars.com/listings/find?description=mustang&s=price",
    "https://classiccars.com/listings/find?description=corvette&s=year"
  ]
}

The urls parameter: Add URLs of car search result pages you want to scrape. You can paste URLs one by one, or use the Bulk edit section to add a prepared list. This is ideal when you have specific search pages targeting particular vehicle types, makes, or price ranges.

The ignore_url_failures parameter: If set to true, the scraper continues running even if some URLs fail after maximum retries. Essential for large-scale scraping where individual URL failures shouldn't stop the entire job.

When providing URLs, all "Scrape with search filters" options are disabled.

Scrape with Search Filters:

{
  "keyword": "porsche 911",
  "sort_by": "price",
  "page": 1,
  "max_items_per_url": 20,
  "max_retries_per_url": 2,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}

The keyword parameter: Enter search terms to find specific vehicles (e.g., "mustang", "corvette", "porsche 911", "classic suv", "muscle car"). Searches across vehicle descriptions and specifications.

The sort_by parameter: Sort results by:

• "" - Recommended (default)
• "datelisted" - Date: New to Old (recent listings first)
• "year" - Year (organize by vehicle year)
• "makemodel" - Make/Model (alphabetical)
• "price" - Price: High to Low (most expensive first)

The page parameter: Specify starting page number for scraping. Useful for resuming interrupted scrapes or targeting specific result ranges.

When using search filters, leave the urls field empty.

General Options:

The max_items_per_url parameter: Limit items per URL or search. Default is 20, balancing thoroughness with efficiency.

The max_retries_per_url parameter: Maximum retry attempts if scraping fails or bot detection occurs. Default is 2.

The proxy parameter: Proxy configuration for avoiding detection. Essential for large-scale extraction jobs.

Output Format

The scraper returns structured vehicle data with each field serving specific purposes:

• Name: Vehicle listing title as it appears on ClassicCars.com. Primary identifier for the listing, typically includes make, model, and key features. Essential for initial vehicle identification and database indexing.

• Model Date: Vehicle manufacturing year. Critical for valuation analysis, market segmentation, and identifying specific production years. Enables trend analysis across different vehicle vintages.

• Manufacturer: Vehicle brand/make (e.g., Ford, Chevrolet, Porsche). Essential for brand-specific research, competitive analysis among manufacturers, and organizing inventory by marque.

• Model: Specific vehicle model name. Key for tracking specific model valuations, comparing variants, and conducting model-specific market research.

• SKU: ClassicCars.com listing identifier. Unique reference for tracking individual listings over time, preventing duplicates, and linking to original listing pages.

• Brand: Vehicle brand information (may include additional brand context). Provides brand classification for premium/luxury vs. mainstream analysis and brand-focused market studies.

• Description: Detailed vehicle description including condition, features, history, modifications, and seller notes. Comprehensive information source for understanding vehicle condition, restoration status, originality, and unique selling points. Critical for quality assessment and valuation context.

• Offers: Pricing and offer information. Contains asking price, price negotiability, auction details, or "Make Offer" status. Essential for competitive pricing analysis and market valuation studies.

• Image: URLs to vehicle photos. Visual documentation for condition verification, listing quality assessment, and creating enriched databases with imagery. Valuable for visual market analysis and inventory presentation.

Each field supports automotive market research workflows, dealer inventory management, collector vehicle tracking, and investment analysis.

Example Output:

[
  {
  "name": "1966 GMC Van",
  "model_date": "1966",
  "manufacturer": "GMC",
  "model": "Van",
  "sku": "CC-2038691",
  "brand": "GMC",
  "description": "Meet the 1966 GMC Carryall, a vintage bruiser that blends classic SUV attitude with modern drivabili",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "url": "/listings/view/2038691/1966-gmc-van-for-sale-in-st-louis-missouri-63116",
    "price": "53000",
    "price_currency": "USD",
    "availability": "n/a"
  },
  "image": {
    "@type": "imageObject",
    "url": "https://photos.classiccars.com/cc-temp/listing/203/8691/57199277-1966-gmc-van-thumb.jpg"
  },
  "from_url": "https://classiccars.com/listings/find?description=suv&s=datelisted&p=1"
}
]

Usage Guide

Option 1: Scraping with URLs

Navigate to ClassicCars.com and perform searches using their interface with filters for make, model, year, price range, or keywords. Copy resulting search URLs into the urls array. This method works well when you have specific vehicle categories or searches already defined.

Best practices:

• Test individual URLs before batch processing
• Use URLs from different search criteria to diversify data collection
• Monitor for URL structure changes on ClassicCars.com
• Keep URLs organized by vehicle category or price range
• Enable ignore_url_failures for large URL lists

Common issues:

• Verify URLs include proper search parameters
• Check for pagination parameters in URLs (adjust as needed)
• Ensure URLs are from current ClassicCars.com structure
• Use proxies if encountering rate limiting with multiple URLs

Option 2: Scraping with Search Filters

Setting Up Vehicle Searches

Step 1: Define Search Keywords

Use keyword parameter for targeted vehicle searches:

• Specific models: "mustang", "corvette", "porsche 911", "ferrari 308"
• Body styles: "convertible", "coupe", "sedan", "roadster"
• Vehicle types: "muscle car", "sports car", "classic suv", "vintage truck"
• Era descriptors: "pre-war", "brass era", "modern classic"
• Brand names: "ford", "chevrolet", "mercedes", "jaguar"

Step 2: Configure Sorting

Select appropriate sort_by value based on research needs:

• "price": For market valuation studies, identify price leaders, analyze premium segment
• "datelisted": Track new inventory, monitor fresh listings, identify market activity
• "year": Organize by vehicle age, study era-specific trends, compare production years
• "makemodel": Alphabetical organization for systematic brand analysis

Step 3: Set Pagination

Use page parameter strategically:

• Start from 1 for complete coverage
• Use specific pages for sampling large result sets
• Resume interrupted scrapes from last completed page
• Combine with max_items_per_url for controlled extraction

Best Practices for Filter-Based Scraping

Keyword Strategy:

• Start with broad terms ("mustang") then narrow with specifics ("mustang fastback")
• Use model-specific terms for precise targeting
• Test keywords on ClassicCars.com first to verify result quality
• Combine make and model for best results ("porsche 356", "ford bronco")

Sorting Selection:

• Use "price" for competitive pricing intelligence
• Use "datelisted" for inventory turnover analysis
• Use "year" for historical market studies
• Use default for balanced, relevance-based results

Pagination Strategy:

• Set reasonable max_items_per_url (20-50 items typical)
• For comprehensive coverage, iterate through pages systematically
• Monitor total result counts to plan complete extraction
• Use page parameter to divide large jobs into manageable chunks

Data Validation

After extraction, verify:

• Vehicle descriptions match search keywords
• Pricing information is current and complete
• Images are properly linked and accessible
• Model years align with expected ranges
• SKUs are unique across your dataset
• No duplicate listings from pagination overlap

Common Issues

Search Returns No Results:

• Verify keyword spelling and terminology
• Broaden search terms if too specific
• Check if vehicle type is available on platform
• Try alternative model names or abbreviations

Incomplete Data:

• Some listings may lack complete information
• Verify fields in your output processing logic
• Consider filtering for listings with complete data
• Track data completeness rates for quality assessment

Pagination Problems:

• Verify page parameter doesn't exceed available pages
• Check max_items_per_url doesn't exceed per-page results
• Monitor for pagination structure changes on site
• Adjust extraction strategy if hitting page limits

Advanced Techniques

Multi-Category Analysis:

• Run separate scrapes for different vehicle categories
• Compare data across muscle cars, sports cars, luxury vehicles
• Build comprehensive market intelligence across segments

Price Trend Monitoring:

• Regular scrapes sorted by "datelisted" track new inventory
• Compare pricing over time for specific models
• Identify market shifts in valuation

Comprehensive Model Research:

• Extract all listings for specific models
• Analyze condition variations and pricing spreads
• Track inventory availability and seller locations

Benefits and Applications

The ClassicCars.com Scraper reduces manual research time from hours to minutes, enabling focus on analysis rather than data gathering.

Primary Applications:

Dealer Competitive Intelligence: Monitor competitor inventory, pricing strategies, and vehicle sourcing. Identify undervalued vehicles and market opportunities.

Collector Vehicle Tracking: Track specific makes and models of interest, monitor pricing trends for investment decisions, identify rare vehicles entering the market.

Market Valuation Research: Analyze pricing across vehicle conditions, years, and configurations. Build valuation models based on comprehensive market data.

Inventory Planning: Understand market supply for specific vehicles, identify gaps in inventory coverage, plan purchasing strategies based on availability data.

Investment Analysis: Track classic car market trends, identify appreciating models, analyze ROI potential across different vehicle categories.

Advantages:

• Comprehensive vehicle specification and pricing data
• High-quality images for visual analysis
• Detailed descriptions including condition and provenance
• SKU tracking for monitoring specific listings over time
• Scalable from single-model focus to market-wide analysis

Output integrates with automotive CRM systems, valuation databases, and market intelligence platforms.

Conclusion

The ClassicCars.com Cars Search Scraper transforms manual classic car market research into efficient automated data collection. By providing structured access to extensive vehicle listings with complete specifications, pricing, and imagery, it empowers dealers, collectors, and analysts to make informed decisions in the classic automotive marketplace.

Whether monitoring specific collector models, conducting comprehensive market analysis, or tracking inventory across multiple vehicle categories, this scraper delivers the systematic data extraction needed for professional automotive market intelligence.

Ready to accelerate your classic car market research? Start extracting valuable vehicle data from ClassicCars.com today.

Your feedback

We are always working to improve Actors' performance. So, if you have any technical feedback about classiccars.com Property Search Scraper or simply found a bug, please create an issue on the Actor's Issues tab in Apify Console.