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Used car dealer companies in Bristol

482 used car dealer companies have a registered office in Bristol, and 134 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £26,684 in cash and owed £53,249 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 Bristol compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureBristolUK
Registered companies48237,612
Formed in 2025 or 2026134 (28%)30%
Being struck off or in liquidation68 (14%)14%
Typical cash at year end£26,684116 accounts£18,268
Typical amount owed at year end£53,249233 accounts£38,899
Typical number of employees1239 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

13% of used car dealer companies in Bristol are currently being struck off, against 5.8% 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.

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

28% of the 482 used car dealer companies in Bristol were formed in 2025–26, against 18% of all companies in Bristol. Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 89% of UK industries.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical used car dealer company in Bristol holds £26,684 in cash and owes £53,249; that cash figure is lower than 66% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

Planning a business like this in Bristol?

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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 Bristol

All business benchmarks in Bristol