With it being Easter weekend as I write this and we’re off to a car boot later, I got curious and thought I would. take a look into the history of them…
While the concept of selling items from a vehicle is likely as old as the car itself, the “official” origin story of the car boot sale as we know it today points to the early 1970s.
Here are the two key milestones in its history:
The Charity “Invention” (Early 1970s)
The credit for introducing the concept to the UK generally goes to Father Harry Clarke, a Catholic priest from Stockport.
- The Inspiration: While on holiday in Canada, he saw a “trunk fair” and thought it was a brilliant way to raise money for charity.
- The Launch: Upon his return, he organized a similar event for his parishioners. Though the exact date of his first sale isn’t recorded in a formal ledger, it is widely accepted as the birth of the “car boot” tradition in the British Isles.
The First Commercial Sale (1980)
The moment the car boot sale became a massive, organised public event rather than a small church fundraiser happened on September 20, 1980.
- Location: Nepicar Farm in Wrotham Heath, Kent.
- The Event: Organised by an antique dealer named Barry Peverett, it was billed as the “Grand Boot Fair and Car Boot Sale.”
Despite the typical British weather, about 200 stalls and 2,000 people showed up, cementing it as a weekend staple for decades to come. Sat here in 2026 we now have people who class themselves as ‘professional car booters’ and travel long distances to attend them in search of both bargains and making a quick buck.
