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PistonHeads.com Cars Search Scraper: Extract UK Car Listings Data for Market Analysis

Introduction

PistonHeads.com stands as one of the United Kingdom's premier automotive marketplaces and enthusiast communities, featuring thousands of car listings ranging from everyday vehicles to rare classics and supercars. For over two decades, the platform has connected car buyers, sellers, and enthusiasts, hosting comprehensive vehicle listings with detailed specifications, pricing, and seller information.

For automotive businesses, dealers, market researchers, and car enthusiasts, accessing this extensive database of vehicle listings provides invaluable insights into market trends, pricing dynamics, inventory availability, and competitive positioning. However, manually collecting data across thousands of listings is impractical, especially when conducting comprehensive market analysis or tracking specific vehicle segments over time.

The PistonHeads.com Cars Search Scraper automates this data extraction process, enabling systematic collection of vehicle listings with complete specifications, pricing information, seller details, and images. Whether you're analyzing the used Audi market, tracking classic car valuations, or building a comprehensive automotive inventory database, this scraper transforms hours of manual research into minutes of automated data collection.

Scraper Overview

The PistonHeads.com Cars Search Scraper is a specialized automotive data extraction tool designed to systematically collect vehicle listing information from PistonHeads' extensive marketplace. This scraper employs advanced web automation to navigate search results and extract detailed car profiles efficiently.

The tool offers several advantages including configurable proxy support for reliable access, retry mechanisms for handling network issues, and flexible controls to manage large datasets. It's particularly valuable for used car dealers analyzing inventory trends, automotive market researchers tracking pricing patterns, classic car collectors monitoring rare vehicle availability, and automotive industry analysts conducting competitive intelligence.

The scraper handles various search parameters including make and model filtering, geographic radius searches, and custom URL configurations. It maintains high data accuracy while implementing best practices for ethical web scraping, allowing users to focus on specific vehicle types, price ranges, or geographic markets relevant to their research objectives.

Input and Output Details

Example url 1: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search?make-id=2207

Example url 2: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search

Example url 3: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search?distance=40&price=0&price=17000

Example Screenshot of automotive list by query page:

Input Format

The scraper accepts a JSON configuration for precise control over the data extraction process:

{
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  },
  "ignore_url_failures": true,
  "max_retries_per_url": 2,
  "max_items_per_url": 20,
  "urls": [
    "https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search",
    "https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search?make-id=2207",
    "https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search?distance=40&price=0&price=17000"
  ]
}

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 for prepared lists. Construct these URLs by performing searches on PistonHeads.com with your desired filters (make, model, location, price range) and copying the resulting URL.

The ignore_url_failures parameter: When set to true, the scraper continues running even if some URLs fail after maximum retries. This ensures one problematic URL doesn't halt your entire extraction job.

The max_items_per_url parameter: Limits the number of car listings to scrape per URL. Default value is 20, balancing data collection volume with processing efficiency.

The max_retries_per_url parameter: Sets retry attempts for each URL if the page fails to load or bot detection occurs. Default is 2, providing a reasonable balance between thoroughness and speed.

The proxy parameter: Essential for maintaining access and avoiding detection. Configure proxy settings to ensure uninterrupted data collection, especially for large-scale extractions.

Output Format

The scraper returns structured automotive data with each field serving specific purposes for market analysis and business intelligence:

• Brand Type: Vehicle brand category classification. Useful for segmenting listings by manufacturer tier (premium, mainstream, luxury) for market analysis.

• Currency Code: Price currency identifier (typically GBP for UK listings). Critical for international price comparisons and multi-currency market analysis.

• Full Size Image URLs: Array of high-resolution vehicle image links. Valuable for visual inventory systems, automated listing creation, and vehicle condition assessment.

• Headline: Vehicle listing title with key details. Provides quick vehicle identification and listing appeal assessment for competitive analysis.

• ID: Unique listing identifier within PistonHeads system. Essential for tracking listings over time, monitoring price changes, and preventing duplicate records.

• Is Favourite: Boolean indicating favorited status. Shows listing popularity and can indicate high-demand vehicles.

• Is Featured: Boolean showing premium listing status. Identifies sellers investing in promoted listings, suggesting professional dealers or high-value vehicles.

• Is Price On Application: Boolean for POA pricing. Flags exclusive or high-value vehicles where sellers prefer direct negotiation, common in classic and supercar markets.

• Is Price On Auction: Auction listing indicator. Identifies vehicles sold via auction format, useful for tracking auction market segments.

• Is VAT Omitted: VAT exclusion flag. Important for commercial buyers and accurate total cost calculations for business purchases.

• Price: Listed vehicle price. Core data point for pricing analysis, market valuation trends, and competitive pricing strategies.

• Pricing Model: Pricing structure type (fixed, negotiable, auction). Indicates seller flexibility and market positioning approach.

• Make Analytics Name: Standardized manufacturer name. Ensures consistent brand identification across listings for reliable data aggregation and analysis.

• Model Analytics Name: Standardized model designation. Enables accurate model-level analysis and trend tracking across variants.

• Seller: Seller information and type (dealer, private). Critical for analyzing dealer inventory, identifying professional sellers, and assessing listing source credibility.

• Specification Data: Comprehensive vehicle specifications including:

  • Mileage
  • Engine size and type
  • Transmission
  • Fuel type
  • Body style
  • Color
  • Number of doors
  • Previous owners
  • Service history
  • MOT status

  This detailed data enables deep technical analysis, inventory matching, and buyer preference research.

• Year: Vehicle registration or model year. Fundamental for age-based market segmentation, depreciation analysis, and vintage/classic car identification.

• Badges: Vehicle trim level, special editions, or package identifiers. Helps identify higher-specification variants and limited editions that command premium pricing.

• Auction Details: Auction-specific information if applicable (current bid, reserve status, end time). Enables auction market analysis and real-time bidding opportunity identification.

Each field supports automotive market research, inventory management, pricing strategy development, and competitive intelligence gathering across the UK car market.

Example Output:

[
  {
  "brand_type": "Standard",
  "currency_code": "GBP",
  "full_size_image_urls": [
    "https://img.pistonheads.com/Fullsize/abarth/500c/1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto/abarth-500c-1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto-1363220873-1.jpg",
    "https://img.pistonheads.com/Fullsize/abarth/500c/1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto/abarth-500c-1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto-1363220873-2.jpg",
    "https://img.pistonheads.com/Fullsize/abarth/500c/1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto/abarth-500c-1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto-1363220873-3.jpg",
    "https://img.pistonheads.com/Fullsize/abarth/500c/1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto/abarth-500c-1-4-t-jet-2dr-auto-1363220873-4.jpg"
  ],
  "headline": "Abarth 500C 1.4 T-Jet 2dr Auto",
  "id": "19460113",
  "is_favourite": false,
  "is_featured": false,
  "is_price_on_application": false,
  "is_price_on_auction": false,
  "is_vat_omitted": false,
  "price": 7850,
  "pricing_model": "Visible",
  "make_analytics_name": "Abarth",
  "model_analytics_name": "500",
  "seller": {
    "__typename": "Seller",
    "id": "992198",
    "distance_from_postcode": null,
    "is_online_retailer": false,
    "location": "Carlisle, United Kingdom",
    "name": "MHL Motors",
    "seller_type": "Trade"
  },
  "specification_data": {
    "__typename": "SpecificationData",
    "body_type": "Convertible",
    "colour": "White",
    "engine_power": 138,
    "engine_size": 1368,
    "fuel_type": "Petrol",
    "mileage": 48000,
    "transmission_type": "Auto"
  },
  "year": 2016,
  "badges": [],
  "auction_details": null,
  "from_url": "https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/search?make-id=2207"
}
]

Usage Guide

Setting Up Your Scraping Configuration

Step 1: Define Target Searches

Navigate to PistonHeads.com and use their search filters to find vehicles matching your criteria:

• Make & Model: Select specific manufacturers (Audi, BMW, Porsche) and models
• Location & Radius: Set geographic search area using postcode and distance
• Price Range: Filter by minimum and maximum price thresholds
• Additional Filters: Mileage, year, body type, fuel type, transmission

Copy the resulting URL after applying your filters.

Step 2: Configure JSON Input

Add your copied URLs to the urls array. For multiple search queries (different makes, regions, or price ranges), include all URLs in the array.

Step 3: Set Extraction Limits

Adjust max_items_per_url based on your needs:

• Set to 20-50 for quick market snapshots
• Increase to 100+ for comprehensive market analysis
• Use multiple URLs with lower limits for diverse sampling

Step 4: Configure Error Handling

Enable ignore_url_failures to ensure robust data collection across multiple searches. Set appropriate max_retries_per_url (2-3 recommended) for reliable extraction.

Best Practices

Search Strategy:

• Create focused searches rather than overly broad queries
• Use multiple specific URLs rather than one very large dataset
• Segment searches by make, model, or price range for organized data
• Include geographic variations to understand regional pricing

Data Collection Planning:

• Start with smaller item limits to validate configuration
• Monitor extraction progress for any access issues
• Schedule regular extractions to track market changes over time
• Store extracted data with timestamps for trend analysis

Proxy Configuration:

• Use UK-based proxies when possible for optimal access
• Enable residential proxies for large-scale extractions
• Rotate proxies to avoid rate limiting on high-volume jobs

URL Construction Tips:

• Test URLs manually before adding to configuration
• Ensure search parameters are properly encoded
• Include all necessary filters in URL rather than relying on defaults
• Keep backup of working URLs as site structure may change

Common Troubleshooting

No Results Returned:

• Verify URL is accessible and returns results in browser
• Check if search parameters are too restrictive
• Ensure URL format matches current PistonHeads structure
• Try simplifying search filters

Incomplete Data:

• Some listings may have limited information available
• Increase max_retries_per_url for better data capture
• Check if specific fields are unavailable for certain listing types

Access Issues:

• Enable proxy configuration if encountering blocks
• Reduce extraction speed by limiting concurrent requests
• Verify proxy settings are correctly configured

Benefits and Applications

The PistonHeads.com Cars Search Scraper delivers significant efficiency gains for automotive professionals and researchers. Manual data collection that would require days of work is reduced to minutes of automated extraction.

Primary Applications:

Used Car Dealer Inventory Analysis: Track competitor pricing, identify inventory gaps, monitor market availability of specific models, and optimize your own pricing strategy based on current market data.

Automotive Market Research: Analyze pricing trends across makes and models, study geographic price variations, track depreciation patterns, and identify emerging market preferences.

Classic Car Investment: Monitor rare vehicle availability, track valuation trends for collectible cars, identify undervalued opportunities, and build comprehensive databases of classic car sales.

Fleet Management: Research replacement vehicle options, analyze total cost of ownership across makes, monitor used fleet vehicle values, and optimize fleet purchasing decisions.

Automotive Journalism & Analysis: Gather data for market reports, track new model releases in used market, analyze pricing impacts of new releases, and provide data-driven automotive insights.

The scraper provides competitive advantages through:

• Comprehensive vehicle specification data for detailed analysis
• High-resolution image URLs for visual inventory management
• Seller information enabling dealer network analysis
• Pricing data supporting valuation models and forecasting
• Auction details for alternative market channel insights

Structured output integrates seamlessly with automotive CRM systems, inventory management platforms, pricing tools, and business intelligence dashboards.

Conclusion

The PistonHeads.com Cars Search Scraper transforms automotive market research from manual, time-intensive work into efficient, systematic data collection. By automating access to one of the UK's largest automotive marketplaces, it empowers dealers, researchers, and enthusiasts to make data-driven decisions about pricing, inventory, and market opportunities.

Whether analyzing used car market trends, tracking classic car valuations, or researching competitive dealer inventory, this scraper provides the systematic extraction capabilities needed for comprehensive automotive intelligence.

Ready to streamline your automotive market research? Start extracting valuable insights from PistonHeads.com's extensive vehicle listings and transform your approach to automotive data analysis.

Your feedback

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