Bells Crossgar

What Bells Crossgar does

Bells Crossgar (legal entity: Bells of Crossgar Limited) is a privately held, family-run automotive retail and aftersales business founded in 1962 by Kevin Bell and currently operated by his son Charles Bell as Dealership Principal. The company is headquartered at 1 Downpatrick Road, Crossgar, County Down, Northern Ireland (BT30 9EQ), approximately 20 minutes from Belfast, and is structured as a UK private limited company (FCA Appointed Representative No. 798692, regulated via Automotive Compliance Ltd) with a stated headcount of 51–100 employees. It operates three OEM franchise authorisations — Peugeot, Renault and Dacia — alongside an independent used car operation, and reports a sister-site ecosystem comprising Budget Cars NI, Fastfit NI and Bells Accident Repair Centre.

The core product set spans new vehicle sales across the three franchises, a used car inventory of more than 150 approved vehicles with HPI checks, multi-point inspection, and a 180-day warranty, plus an integrated aftersales offering that includes manufacturer servicing, MOT testing, an all-makes-and-models service priced from £189, an accident repair and SMART repair centre, a parts department, and a tyre/Fastfit facility. The company is FCA-registered as a credit broker (commission-based) and appointed representative for insurance distribution. Adjacent product lines include the Motability Car Scheme (with four on-site specialists and £0 advance payment options on selected Peugeot models), an NHS Pride and public sector discount programme, and business contract hire for sole traders and limited companies. Technology is delivered through the third-party GForces automotive ecommerce platform, supporting online browsing, finance calculators, online service booking, and a £99 fully refundable 48-hour online vehicle reserve. No proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, or in-house data assets are disclosed.

The business model is diversified across five revenue streams: (1) new and used vehicle sales at margin, (2) finance and insurance brokerage commissions from a panel of lenders, (3) aftersales servicing under fixed-price and subscription service plans (£450/3yr-30k, £650/4yr-40k) plus 0% finance over 4–6 months on repairs, (4) accident repair and SMART repair professional services, and (5) Motability scheme transaction fees. Go-to-market is omnichannel — physical showroom plus ecommerce — with a heavy local community and family-heritage brand positioning reinforced by Renault UK Dealer of the Year wins in 2018 and 2019. Customer segments are intentionally broad: individual retail consumers, Motability beneficiaries, NHS and public sector employees, sole traders, and small-to-mid limited companies, all served within a single Northern Ireland catchment area.

Name

Bells Crossgar

Legal name

Bells of Crossgar Limited

Website

https://bellscrossgar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bells Crossgar is a family-run automotive dealership in Crossgar, County Down, Northern Ireland, selling new Peugeot, Renault, and Dacia vehicles and 150+ used cars, with integrated servicing, accident repair, parts, Motability scheme, and FCA-regulated finance brokerage serving retail, Motability, NHS, and SME customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Crossgar

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: Sale of new cars (Peugeot, Renault, Dacia franchises) and used cars. Revenue from the margin on vehicle transactions. Zero deposit finance options available.
2. Financing and Finance Brokerage: Credit broker introducing customers to lenders. Receives commission from lenders for introductions (fixed fee or fixed percentage of amount borrowed). Acts as appointed representative of Automotive Compliance Ltd.
3. Aftersales and Servicing: Car servicing, repairs, MOT, parts sales. Service plans available (3 years/30,000 miles for £450, 4 years/40,000 miles for £650). 0% finance over 4-6 months for repairs.
4. Accident Repair Centre: Accident repair services and SMART repairs for all makes and models.
5. Motability Scheme: Accredited Motability car dealer providing vehicles through the Motability Car Scheme in Northern Ireland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bells Crossgar is a family-run franchised car dealership selling new Peugeot, Renault and Dacia vehicles alongside over 150 approved used cars, supported by an all-makes servicing and MOT centre, a manufacturer parts department, an accident repair and SMART repair centre, and a Fastfit tyre/fast-fit centre. It also acts as an FCA-authorised credit broker and an accredited Motability dealer, with finance brokerage and Motability commissions as additional revenue streams.

Product overview

Bells Crossgar Motors is a family-run car dealership (established 1962) operating as a multi-franchise dealer network in County Down, Northern Ireland. The core offering centers on new and used car sales across three franchises (Peugeot, Renault, Dacia) plus an independent used car operation (Budget Cars NI). These are supported by integrated aftersales services including all-makes servicing, accident repair (Bells Accident Repair Centre), tyre services (Fastfit NI), and vehicle financing. The company operates approximately 150+ approved used cars in stock with online reservation capability (£99 deposit). The portfolio forms a vertically-integrated car retail operation where the franchise brands drive new car sales while the independent used car and service centers provide recurring revenue and customer retention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New and used car sales (Peugeot, Renault and Dacia franchises)
• Approved Used Cars
• Car Servicing, MOT and Repairs
• Bells Accident Repair Centre (including SMART Repairs)
• Fastfit NI (Tyre and Fast-Fit Services)
• Motability Scheme Vehicles
• Car Finance Brokerage
• Budget Cars NI (Budget Used Car Sales)

Quantifiable outcome

• 180-day warranty on used cars as standard
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Motability Car SchemecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBells Crossgar is an accredited Motability car dealer in the County Down and Belfast area with four expert Motability specialists on site. They offer vehicles through the scheme with £0 advance payment options and special EV benefits including free home charger.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lookers: Major UK franchised dealer group with multi-OEM representation and integrated aftersales. Comparable in multi-franchise retail model but operates at significantly greater scale across GB and would be a relevant comparable for valuation multiples.
• TrustFord: UK-wide Ford franchised dealer group operating across multiple sites with new, used, servicing, and Motability offerings. Comparable in franchised dealership structure and aftersales model, but significantly larger and single-OEM focused.
• Marshall Motor Group: Large UK franchised dealer group operating across multiple OEM brands with sales, servicing, and fleet services. Comparable multi-franchise dealership structure but at materially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Arnold Clark: UK's largest independently owned car retailer, operating new and used sales plus servicing across many OEM brands nationwide. Comparable in independent family-run dealership DNA, but vastly larger scale and geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Donnelly Group: Northern Ireland multi-franchise car dealer group operating new and used vehicle sales plus aftersales across multiple OEM brands. Directly comparable in geography, multi-franchise model, and vertically integrated service offering, but at meaningfully larger scale.
• Charles Hurst Group: Northern Ireland's largest franchised dealer group, operating across multiple OEM brands with sales, servicing, and accident repair. Comparable as a direct competitor in the same NI catchment, sharing the multi-franchise retail model and aftersales integration.
• Mullan Auto Group: Mid-sized franchised dealer based in Northern Ireland selling new and used vehicles across multiple brands with servicing. Directly comparable family-run multi-franchise model serving a similar NI customer base.
• Agnew Group: Multi-franchise dealer group headquartered in Belfast serving Northern Ireland with new and used car sales plus aftersales. Closely comparable in regional footprint, OEM breadth, and family-run heritage dating back decades.

Emerging players

• Carwow: Online car marketplace connecting consumers to franchised dealers for new car purchases. Not a direct competitor but increasingly important channel partner and adjacent competitor that affects how dealers like Bells Crossgar reach online car buyers.

Others

• Auto Trader UK: UK's leading online automotive marketplace where Bells Crossgar advertises inventory and acquires leads. Critical ecosystem enabler rather than competitor, but defines the digital demand funnel for used vehicles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bellscrossgar
• Facebookfacebook.com/BellsCrossgarMotors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bells-crossgar

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bells Crossgar