What Thurlow Nunn does

Thurlow Nunn is a family-owned regional car dealership group that has operated continuously since 1875 across East Anglia and adjacent counties of England. The company sells new vehicles under five principal franchises — Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Hyundai, and Leapmotor — together with a Honda point in Lowestoft, and retails used vehicles across more than 30 marques with 1,675 vehicles listed in stock across its network. As of late 2024 the group operates more than 20 physical dealership locations spanning Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, and Milton Keynes, complemented by an online storefront for browsing inventory, configuring finance, booking test drives, and arranging service appointments.

Beyond vehicle sales, Thurlow Nunn generates revenue through aftersales activities including routine servicing, MOT testing, accident and body shop repairs, parts and accessories, tyre services, and air-conditioning refresh. It also acts as a credit broker (not a lender) for Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), Personal Contract Hire (PCH), and leasing arrangements via FCA-authorized principal ITC Compliance Limited, earning transaction fees on finance introductions. Recurring revenue is reinforced by the Motability Scheme participation across Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, and Hyundai franchises, and a suite of aftersales products such as "Fix Now Pay Later" payment plans and bundled RAC warranty coverage on service work.

The business model is a vertically integrated retail dealership model: gross profit is earned on new and used vehicle unit sales, finance commissions from third-party lenders, and margin on parts, labor, and warranty products from aftersales. Customer acquisition is multi-channel — physical showrooms, an e-commerce website with vehicle search and finance calculators, active social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn), weekly email newsletter, local SEO, and JudgeService customer reviews reporting a 95% recommendation rate. Primary customers are individual retail buyers, with secondary segments in commercial van buyers (sole traders, local businesses) and Motability-eligible disabled drivers; the customer base is broadly horizontal and geographically dispersed across the dealership catchment.

Name

Thurlow Nunn

Legal name

Thurlow Nunn Ltd

Website

https://thurlownunn.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Thurlow Nunn is a family-owned regional car dealership group operating 20+ multi-brand locations across East Anglia and adjacent English counties, selling new vehicles from Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Hyundai, and Leapmotor franchises, plus 1,675 used vehicles, and providing aftersales servicing, MOT, finance brokerage, and Motability scheme support to retail consumers and local commercial buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beccles

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sale of brand new vehicles from Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Hyundai, and Leapmotor franchises. Includes cars and commercial vans.
2. Used Vehicle Sales: Sale of pre-owned vehicles across multiple brands. Approximately 897-1675 vehicles in stock across locations.
3. Aftersales Services: Vehicle servicing, MOT testing, repairs, parts and accessories. Services include fixed-now-pay-later options and RAC coverage.
4. Vehicle Financing: Finance brokering for Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), Personal Contract Hire (PCH), and leasing arrangements through partner lenders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thurlow Nunn is a family-owned multi-brand automotive dealership group selling new cars from Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Hyundai, and Leapmotor franchises, plus used cars and commercial vans across 20+ locations in East Anglia. The group provides comprehensive aftersales support including vehicle servicing, MOT testing, accident repairs, parts, and tyres, alongside car finance brokering and Motability scheme vehicles for disabled customers. Holding 1,675 vehicles in stock, the company operates a full-service retail automotive model combining showrooms, online vehicle discovery, and finance solutions.

Product overview

Thurlow Nunn is a family-owned regional car dealership group operating across Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire since 1875. The company operates as a multi-brand dealership representing Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Hyundai, and Leapmotor for new vehicles, alongside selling used cars and vans. The core offering consists of new and used car sales (1,675+ vehicles in stock) and commercial van sales, supported by comprehensive aftersales services including vehicle servicing, MOT testing, accident repairs, parts, and tyres. Additional services include car finance (PCP/PCH), the Motability Scheme for disabled customers, vehicle valuation tools, and various aftersales offers. The company operates 23+ dealership locations across the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Car Sales Sale of brand new vehicles from Vauxhall, Peugeot, MG, Hyundai, and Leapmotor franchises, including cars and commercial vans, with competitive pricing, finance packages, and Motability support for individual consumers and businesses.
• Used Car Sales Sale of approved used vehicles across multiple brands with 897 vehicles in stock, covering various body types, fuel types, and price ranges from approximately £4,000 to over £37,000.
• Commercial Van Sales Sale of new and used commercial vans from Vauxhall and Peugeot brands, including panel vans, combi vans, box vans, and pickups, targeted at sole traders and local businesses.
• Vehicle Servicing and MOT Comprehensive vehicle servicing, maintenance, and MOT testing with online booking, free 12-month RAC cover, and fully trained technicians across the dealership network.
• Aftersales Services Range of aftersales offerings including Fix Now Pay Later payment plans, service plans, air-con refresh, emissions control, tyre services, accident repairs, and body shop services.
• Car Finance Vehicle financing through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Personal Contract Hire (PCH) arrangements brokered through partner lenders, with Thurlow Nunn acting as a credit broker not a lender.
• Motability Scheme Motability programme offering vehicles suitable for disabled customers through Vauxhall, MG, Peugeot, and Hyundai brands, with insurance, servicing, and breakdown cover included.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Lings GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Thurlow Nunn acquired Lings Hyundai in Lowestoft from the Lings Group, expanding its dealership network and product offerings in East Anglia. This acquisition adds to Thurlow Nunn's brand portfolio in the region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caffyns: Family-owned UK regional car dealership group in southern England with multi-brand franchises; directly comparable size, family-ownership structure and operating model.
• Lookers: Major UK multi-brand franchised car retailer offering new and used vehicle sales, finance, servicing and parts; directly comparable operating model with broader geographic coverage.
• Sytner: UK premium franchised car retailer (part of Vertu Motors); comparable franchise dealership model for premium and volume brands with similar aftersales offering.
• Marshall Motor Group: One of the UK's largest family-founded multi-brand dealer groups operating across many regions; comparable franchise model, new/used vehicle mix, and aftersales offering to Thurlow Nunn, though larger in scale.
• Stoneacre: UK regional multi-brand car dealer group with new and used vehicle sales, servicing and parts; similar size and operating model to Thurlow Nunn's regional footprint.
• JCT600: Long-established family-founded UK regional dealer group operating multi-brand franchises; highly comparable regional, multi-franchise operating model to Thurlow Nunn.
• Pendragon: UK-headquartered multi-brand franchised automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships and used vehicle operations; directly comparable in product offering and customer base.
• Vertu Motors: UK multi-brand franchised dealer group operating new and used car sales plus aftersales; comparable business model and product/customer overlap with Thurlow Nunn across the UK.

Regional players

• HR Owen: UK luxury and premium car retailer; comparable franchised dealership operations, though focused on premium/luxury brands versus Thurlow Nunn's mass-market franchises.

Broad incumbents

• Inchcape plc: Global automotive distributor and retailer with a substantial UK retail presence; broader incumbent operating multi-brand franchised dealerships across multiple markets, comparable core retail activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ThurlowNunn/?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCORhA_R2MVgvYSG25Rhn7lg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThurlowNunn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thurlow-nunn?originalSubdomain=uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/thurlow_nunn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Thurlow Nunn