AvailableCar
UK used car supermarket founded in 2002 operating two East Midlands showrooms (Castle Donington, Sutton In Ashfield) selling 2,000+ vehicles from 30+ brands via online and in-store channels, with HP/PCP finance, RAC extended warranties, part-exchange, and accessory attach for individual consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersCastle Donington, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What AvailableCar does
AvailableCar (legal entity: Available Car Ltd) is a UK-based used car supermarket founded in 2002, operating two physical showroom sites in Castle Donington and Sutton In Ashfield within the East Midlands. The company sells 2,000+ used vehicles from 30+ brands spanning economy through premium and electric, targeting individual consumer buyers across the East Midlands region. Its go-to-market combines physical retail (unlocked forecourts with unlimited test drives, indoor showrooms, click-and-collect) with a digital storefront at availablecar.com that supports browsing, filtering, £99 vehicle reservation, home delivery, part-exchange valuation, and direct car-selling.
The underlying technology is a proprietary e-commerce platform enabling online vehicle discovery, finance origination, and part-exchange flows; the company is also FCA-authorized (FRN 309871) to act as a credit broker. Revenue is generated through one-time used vehicle sales augmented by attached finance commission (HP/PCP via a broad lender panel led by Evolution Funding with 15+ lenders including Black Horse, MotoNovo, and Santander Consumer UK), subscription-style RAC Extended Warranty products (12-48 months, including an EV-specific variant), part-exchange arbitrage, and accessory attach (IROADUK dash cams, Diamondbrite paint protection, S7 trackers, Executive Mat Packs). Pricing spans vehicles under £10,000 through premium stock, with finance from 9.9% APR representative and reservation at a flat £99.
AvailableCar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AvailableCar
- Legal name
- Available Car Ltd
- Website
- https://availablecar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- UK used car supermarket founded in 2002 operating two East Midlands showrooms (Castle Donington, Sutton In Ashfield) selling 2,000+ vehicles from 30+ brands via online and in-store channels, with HP/PCP finance, RAC extended warranties, part-exchange, and accessory attach for individual consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AvailableCar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Car Retail
- NAICS
- Used Car Dealers (44112)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- New & Used Auto Purchase Loans (FSAKADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Vehicle Protection & Add-on Product Financing (Warranties, GAP, Service Plans) (FSAKADAL), Automotive Parts & Accessories Online Retailers (CRAFADAK)
Keywords
Where AvailableCar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Castle Donington
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
AvailableCar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Used Vehicle Sales: Primary revenue from one-time sale of used vehicles to consumers. Customers purchase vehicles outright or through financed arrangements. The company acts as a credit broker earning commission from lenders on financed purchases.
- Extended Warranties (RAC Partnership): Revenue from sale of RAC Extended Warranty packages (12, 24, 36, or 48 months) with optional 0% interest financing. Covers mechanical/electrical failures with RAC breakdown assistance.
- Finance Commission: AvailableCar acts as credit broker introducing customers to panel lenders (Black Horse, MotoNovo, Santander, etc.). Receives commission (fixed fee or percentage of amount borrowed) from lenders for financed purchases.
- Accessories and Add-ons: Sales of accessories including IROADUK dash cameras, Executive Mat Packs (carpet/rubber mats, boot liner), Diamondbrite Paint Protection (ceramic paint, fabric, leather protection), and S7 Vehicle Trackers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Used Vehicle |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Finance Options (HP/PCP) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | RAC Extended Warranty |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vehicle Reservation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
AvailableCar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AvailableCar is a family-run used car supermarket that sells over 2,000 pre-owned vehicles from 30+ brands through two physical showrooms in the East Midlands (Castle Donington and Sutton-In-Ashfield) and an online platform. Core offerings include used vehicle sales outright or via Hire Purchase / Personal Contract Purchase finance (brokered through a lender panel from 9.9% APR representative), part-exchange with price promise, a standard 3-month/3,000-mile warranty, RAC Extended Warranty (12–48 months), and accessories such as dash cameras, mat packs, paint protection, and vehicle trackers.
Product overview
AvailableCar is a family-run used car supermarket (established 2002) operating two showroom locations in Castle Donington and Sutton-In-Ashfield in the East Midlands. The core product is the sale of quality used vehicles from over 30 brands including Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Audi, and electric vehicles. The business model centers on a hassle-free car buying experience with vehicles available for in-store browsing or online purchase. Supporting products include finance services (Hire Purchase and Personal Contract Purchase), standard 3-month/3,000-mile warranty, and RAC Extended Warranty options (12-48 months). Additional offerings encompass vehicle accessories (dash cameras, mat packs, paint protection, vehicle trackers), part exchange services with a price promise guarantee, and free test drive opportunities. The company also sells electric vehicles including Tesla, MG EVs, and plug-in hybrids from various manufacturers, with dedicated EV warranty products available.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Used Car Sales Sale of over 2,000 quality used vehicles from 30+ brands (including Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Audi, Tesla, MG EVs) to individual consumers through two physical showrooms and an online platform with reservation and home delivery.
- Vehicle Finance (HP and PCP) Credit-brokered Hire Purchase (HP) and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) finance from 9.9% APR representative, arranged through a panel of lenders including Black Horse, MotoNovo, Santander Consumer UK, Startline Motor Finance, and Evolution Funding's broader lender panel. Available to individual consumers purchasing vehicles.
- Part Exchange Service Part-exchange trade-in service allowing customers to use their current vehicle as payment toward a new purchase from AvailableCar, backed by a Part Exchange Price Promise to beat any like-for-like quote, with online valuation in under a minute.
- Standard 3 Month/3,000 Mile Warranty Standard warranty included with every used vehicle purchase from AvailableCar, providing coverage for unexpected mechanical or electrical failures for 3 months or 3,000 miles.
- RAC Extended Warranty Optional extended warranty covering mechanical and electrical failures, with RAC Breakdown Assistance, Roadside Recovery, Home Start and Onward Travel included, available in 12, 24, 36, or 48 month terms with 0% interest financing and no excess to pay. Sold to vehicle purchasers as an upgrade to the standard warranty.
- RAC Extended EV Warranty Specialized extended warranty for electric vehicles covering EV systems, electrical components, regenerative braking, and lithium-ion traction battery, with Europe coverage for up to 60 days per 12-month period. Sold to consumers purchasing EVs or hybrids.
- Premium Dash Cameras (IROADUK) IROADUK front and rear Full HD 1080p dash cameras with Wi-Fi, built-in GPS, iOS and Android app support, parking modes with up to 48 hours recording, and 32GB SD card included. Sold as a vehicle accessory to AvailableCar customers.
- Executive Mat Pack Tailored luxury car mat set in carpet or rubber options, including PVC boot liner and waterproof bumper protector, backed by a 3-year or 60,000-mile warranty. Sold as a vehicle accessory to AvailableCar customers.
- Diamondbrite Paint Protection Advanced ceramic paint, fabric, and leather protection coating preserving vehicle appearance against environmental conditions, backed by a Lifetime Guarantee. Sold as a vehicle accessory to AvailableCar customers.
- S7 Vehicle Tracker Thatcham-approved vehicle tracking system with remote management, up to 5 years rechargeable battery life with low charge alerts, and optional recovery service with 98% recovery rate. Sold as a vehicle accessory to AvailableCar customers.
Companies that use AvailableCar
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
AvailableCar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AvailableCar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- RAC (Royal Automobile Club)coreAvailableCar partners with RAC to offer extended warranty products including mechanical/electrical coverage, RAC Breakdown Assistance, Roadside Recovery, Home Start and Onward Travel. Warranty available in 12, 24, 36, or 48 month terms with 0% interest financing.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AvailableCar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lookers: UK motor retailer group with new and used car sales, aftersales, and finance across multiple franchises. Overlaps with AvailableCar on used car retailing and finance brokering but operates broader franchised portfolio.
- Arnold Clark: UK's largest independently owned car dealer group with new and used vehicle sales across multiple brands and locations. Comparable in used car retailing and finance offerings, but with much larger scale and broader new-car franchise operations.
- Bristol Street Motors: Vertu Motors-owned UK car dealer group with multiple franchise and used car locations across England. Comparable in used vehicle retail, finance brokering, and omnichannel service, though operates broader franchised new car business.
- Marshall Motor Group: UK car retailer operating franchised dealerships and used car operations, now part of Constellation Automotive Group. Comparable used vehicle retail and finance offering, with substantially larger franchise footprint and corporate scale.
- Evans Halshaw: Pendragon-owned UK car dealer group operating franchised new and used vehicle sales. Comparable in used car retail, finance arrangements, and aftersales, though at larger corporate scale with multi-franchise operations.
- Inchcape UK: Global automotive distributor and retailer with UK retail operations across multiple premium and volume brands. Overlaps on used vehicle retailing and finance, but with much broader international and franchised operations.
Direct peers
- CarShop: UK used car supermarket chain owned by Sytner, operating multiple large-format sites with hundreds of vehicles in stock and online reservation. Directly mirrors AvailableCar's supermarket model, multi-brand inventory, and online + physical hybrid customer journey.
- cinch: Constellation Automotive Group's online-first used car retailer offering nationwide home delivery, part-exchange, and finance. Competes directly with AvailableCar on used car retailing and finance brokering, but operates at significantly larger national scale and digital intensity.
Emerging players
- Motorway: UK online marketplace connecting private sellers to a network of dealers for used car sales. Not a direct retailer but competes for both consumer attention and dealer inventory supply; overlaps with AvailableCar's sell-your-car and part-exchange services.
Others
- Auto Trader: UK's largest digital automotive marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of new and used vehicles. Does not directly retail but is the primary customer acquisition channel for AvailableCar and most UK used car dealers, making it an important ecosystem participant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AvailableCar social profiles
Digital presenceAvailableCar compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
AvailableCar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AvailableCar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AvailableCar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AvailableCar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AvailableCar
What does AvailableCar do?
AvailableCar is a family-run used car supermarket that sells over 2,000 pre-owned vehicles from 30+ brands through two physical showrooms in the East Midlands (Castle Donington and Sutton-In-Ashfield) and an online platform. Core offerings include used vehicle sales outright or via Hire Purchase / Personal Contract Purchase finance (brokered through a lender panel from 9.9% APR representative), part-exchange with price promise, a standard 3-month/3,000-mile warranty, RAC Extended Warranty (12–48 months), and accessories such as dash cameras, mat packs, paint protection, and vehicle trackers.
Is AvailableCar a public or private company?
AvailableCar is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was AvailableCar founded?
AvailableCar was founded in 2002. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is AvailableCar based?
AvailableCar is headquartered in Castle Donington, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does AvailableCar make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Used Vehicle Sales are the primary driver. The others are extended Warranties (RAC Partnership), finance Commission and accessories and Add-ons.
Who are AvailableCar's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lookers, Arnold Clark, Bristol Street Motors, Marshall Motor Group, Evans Halshaw and Inchcape UK. Direct peers are CarShop and cinch. Motorway is listed as an emerging player. Auto Trader is listed as an others.
Does AvailableCar have an API?
No public API is recorded for AvailableCar.
What industry is AvailableCar in?
AvailableCar's product category is Used Car Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKADAA, New & Used Auto Purchase Loans, with a secondary code of FSAKADAL, Vehicle Protection & Add-on Product Financing (Warranties, GAP, Service Plans). Its NAICS code is 44112 and its SIC code is 5500.