Bristol TV & Film fleet goes to auction

Bristol TV & Film’s outside broadcast and production services fleet is being offered at auction by Hickman Shearer on 4 February. 

The company formally went into administration in September, with administrators Sam Talby and Rob Coad of Undebt naming the cause as wider economic issues in the film and TV industry causing a reduction in the number of ongoing productions. At the time of administration, it was over £2m in debt, including over £1.3m to Close Brothers Asset Finance and over £500,000 to HMRC. After a restructure in 2024, the company only had one employee on its roster. 

Bristol TV & Film had 161 vehicles in its fleet, including motor vehicles, trailers and specialist support units, with 73 of these to be repossessed as they were financed. 49 are available at the auction, including approximately 20 tractor units and rigid wagons from leading manufacturers such as Mercedes, Iveco, Scania and MAN, alongside a variety of specialist vehicles including mobile production offices, cosmetic and artiste units, a vacuum tanker, and a distinctive converted Dennis double-decker dining bus.

There is also a range of support, make-up, costume and artiste trailers, adapted specifically for film and television use. These units are built on chassis from well-known manufacturers including Crane Fruehauf, Don-Bur, Cartwrights and Corus, and include General Coach Canada artiste trailers. The wider fleet is supported by a selection of generator, utility and additional support trailers. 

Viewing will take place on 3 February by appointment only, with the auction taking place online on 4 February. You can view the catalogue here. 

Tim Howard, managing director of Hickman Shearer, said: “This is a genuinely rare opportunity to acquire a fully established, production-ready fleet of assets that have been purpose-built for the film and television sector. Opportunities of this scale and quality do not come to market often, and we expect strong interest from across the industry.”