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Used car dealer companies in the Southampton area

308 used car dealer companies have a registered office in the Southampton area (SO postcodes), and 70 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £19,416 in cash and owed £42,905 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 SO postcodes, including Southampton, Winchester, Eastleigh.

The numbers

Used car dealer companies in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureSouthamptonUK
Registered companies30837,612
Formed in 2025 or 202670 (23%)30%
Being struck off or in liquidation45 (15%)14%
Typical cash at year end£19,41680 accounts£18,268
Typical amount owed at year end£42,905154 accounts£38,899
Typical number of employees1157 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

12% of used car dealer companies in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) are currently being struck off, against 6.4% 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 these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical used car dealer company in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (157 filings).

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

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical used car dealer company in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) holds £19,416 in cash and owes £42,905; 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 Southampton?

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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 Southampton

All business benchmarks in Southampton