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Used car dealer companies in Brighton

280 used car dealer companies have a registered office in Brighton, and 51 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £21,567 in cash and owed £60,177 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles” (SIC 45112).

The numbers

Used car dealer companies in Brighton compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureBrightonUK
Registered companies28037,612
Formed in 2025 or 202651 (18%)30%
Being struck off or in liquidation34 (12%)14%
Typical cash at year end£21,56787 accounts£18,268
Typical amount owed at year end£60,177166 accounts£38,899
Typical number of employees1167 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

11% of used car dealer companies in Brighton are currently being struck off, against 5.7% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 92% of UK industries.

Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.

Brighton has fewer of these businesses than most places

Used car dealer companies are 0.40% of companies registered in Brighton, against 0.69% UK-wide (0.6× the national share).

That could be a gap or a sign of weak demand. The register cannot tell which.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical used car dealer company in Brighton reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (167 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

Planning a business like this in Brighton?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Used car dealer in other places

Other businesses in Brighton

All business benchmarks in Brighton