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Used car dealer companies in the Portsmouth area

339 used car dealer companies have a registered office in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes), and 93 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £20,038 in cash and owed £60,099 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). Covers companies with a registered office in PO postcodes, including Portsmouth, Chichester, Isle Of Wight.

The numbers

Used car dealer companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasurePortsmouthUK
Registered companies33937,612
Formed in 2025 or 202693 (27%)30%
Being struck off or in liquidation34 (10%)14%
Typical cash at year end£20,03899 accounts£18,268
Typical amount owed at year end£60,099190 accounts£38,899
Typical number of employees1185 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

9.1% of used car dealer companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) are currently being struck off, against 6.8% 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

27% of the 339 used car dealer companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 19% of all companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes). 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.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical used car dealer company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 3 or more (185 filings).

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

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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 Portsmouth

All business benchmarks in Portsmouth