Fast Start Auto

What Fast Start Auto does

Fast Start Auto is a privately-held Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) used vehicle dealership operating three retail locations across Utah, in Midvale (headquarters at 7755 State St), Pleasant Grove (767 S State Rd), and Ogden. The company sells pre-owned cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans spanning brands such as Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan, with current listed inventory of 22 vehicles and price points ranging from under $5,000 to over $33,000. It also operates a Service Center and uses the dual brand identity "Fast Start Auto | RMMC (Rocky Mountain Motor Cars)." The firm is founder-owned (Troy Long) with 11-50 employees.

The company's core product is the integration of used vehicle sales with in-house installment financing, allowing customers with FICO scores below 600, damaged credit, no credit history, or prior repossessions to obtain vehicle financing without traditional bank approval. Customers can complete a pre-approval application online in under three minutes, then finalize purchases at one of the three physical Utah locations. The dealership does not offer an online purchase-and-deliver channel; all transactions require in-person interaction at a lot. Supporting services include vehicle locating (sourcing cars not in current inventory), test-drive scheduling, and a "Sell Your Auto" trade-in/buyout service.

The revenue model is transaction-based: gross profit on vehicle sales plus finance charges collected on in-house installment contracts. Marketing is concentrated on the company's website (faststartauto.com, with 12.6 million+ cumulative visits), Google Reviews reputation management, a Facebook page (RockyMountainMotorCars), and a customer referral program. The firm maintains minor memberships with industry trade bodies NIADA and NABD, and offers a Spanish-language website version to reach Utah's Spanish-speaking subprime buyer segment. No technology platform, SaaS offering, app, or API is provided; this is a traditional brick-and-mortar retail auto finance business.

Name

Fast Start Auto

Legal name

Fast Start Auto

Website

https://faststartauto.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fast Start Auto is a Utah-based Buy Here Pay Here used car dealership operating three locations (Midvale, Pleasant Grove, Ogden) that sells pre-owned vehicles with in-house financing targeted at subprime, bad-credit, and no-credit borrowers across Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, and Weber counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Car Dealerships

NAICS

Used Car Dealers (44112), Sales Financing (52222), Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

New & Used Auto Purchase Loans (FSAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auto Loan Servicing & Collections (FSAKADAK)

Keywords

• Buy here pay here
• Used car financing
• Subprime auto loans
• Pre-owned vehicles
• In-house auto financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Midvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales with In-House Financing: Fast Start Auto generates revenue primarily through the sale of used vehicles combined with in-house financing arrangements. As a Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealer, they finance customers directly rather than through third-party lenders, allowing customers to make payments directly to the dealership. This model generates revenue through vehicle sales margins and finance charges on installment agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fast Start Auto is a Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) used car dealership that sells pre-owned vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, vans) directly to consumers and finances those purchases in-house. Financing is extended to subprime borrowers, including those with FICO scores below 600, no credit history, or damaged credit, without requiring traditional bank approval. Sales are completed across three Utah dealership locations supported by an online pre-approval application.

Product overview

Fast Start Auto operates as a Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) used car dealership with exclusive in-house financing options. The company offers a single integrated service combining pre-owned vehicle sales (cars, trucks, SUVs, vans) with in-house financing specifically designed for customers with damaged credit, no credit history, or subprime credit scores (FICO below 600). The product portfolio centers on the BHPH financing model, supplemented by vehicle locating, test drive scheduling, and sell-your-auto services. No technology platform, SaaS product, or API is offered—this is a traditional brick-and-mortar dealership business model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) Used Cars Pre-owned vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, vans) sold directly to consumers with bad, damaged, or no credit, financed in-house without requiring traditional bank approval.
• In-House Auto Financing Dealership-financed installment loan program enabling customers with FICO scores below 600 to purchase a vehicle by making payments directly to Fast Start Auto rather than a third-party lender.
• Vehicle Inventory (Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Vans) Used vehicle inventory spanning body styles and manufacturers including Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan, browsable online and purchased in person.
• Vehicle Locating Service Assistance for customers seeking a specific vehicle not currently in on-lot inventory, with dealership staff sourcing the desired vehicle.
• Online Pre-Approval Application Secure online application that returns a financing pre-approval decision in less than three minutes for prospective buyers.
• Sell Your Auto Service enabling customers to sell their current vehicle directly to the dealership.
• Vehicle Test Drive Scheduling Scheduling service that allows prospective buyers to book a test drive of vehicles at any of the three Utah dealership locations.
• Vehicle Service Center On-site vehicle maintenance and repair service staffed by an expert service team, supporting customers who purchased vehicles from the dealership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pre-approval available in less than 3 minutes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NIADA - National Independent Auto Dealers AssociationminorOthersListed as a Nexus link on Fast Start Auto website. NIADA is the National Independent Auto Dealers Association, representing independent automobile dealers. Connection appears to be industry membership/association rather than formal partnership.
• NABD - National Alliance of Buy Here Pay Here DealersminorOthersListed as a Nexus link on Fast Start Auto website. NABD is the National Alliance of Buy Here Pay Here Dealers, an industry organization for BHPH dealers. Connection appears to be industry membership/association.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CarMax: CarMax is the largest used-vehicle retailer in the United States, with nationwide superstores and an in-house financing arm that serves near-prime and prime credit buyers. It overlaps Fast Start Auto on the used-vehicle sales platform and financing model, though it serves a higher credit-quality band.
• Asbury Automotive Group: Asbury Automotive Group is a large U.S. dealership group operating franchised new- and used-vehicle stores across multiple states. Comparable as a multi-state used-vehicle retailer with a financing arm; though its stores skew toward franchised new-car business, not BHPH.
• AutoNation: AutoNation is one of the largest U.S. automotive dealership groups, operating hundreds of franchised new- and used-vehicle stores across multiple states. It is comparable through its used-car segment and captive financing partnerships, though at much larger scale than Fast Start Auto.
• Lithia Motors: Lithia Motors is a Fortune 500 dealership group operating new- and used-vehicle stores plus the Driveway online retail platform. Comparable as a multi-state used-vehicle retailer with embedded finance, though its scale and store footprint dwarf Fast Start Auto's three Utah lots.
• Sonic Automotive: Sonic Automotive is a Fortune 500 dealership group with franchised new- and used-vehicle stores and EchoPark as its used-only banner. Comparable through used-vehicle retail operations and embedded financing offerings, though at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• DriveTime: DriveTime is the largest U.S. BHPH used-vehicle retailer, operating dedicated dealerships that finance subprime buyers in-house. It is the closest national analog to Fast Start Auto's BHPH model, with the same customer segment (FICO below 600) and same combination of used-vehicle sales and captive financing.

Others

• Credit Acceptance Corporation: Credit Acceptance Corporation is a NASDAQ-listed subprime auto lender that funds dealers to originate installment contracts on used vehicles. It is an enabling/financing partner in the BHPH ecosystem rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same subprime auto-finance value chain as Fast Start Auto's in-house lending.
• Westlake Financial Services: Westlake Financial Services is one of the largest U.S. indirect subprime auto lenders, providing floor-plan financing and buy-side loans to independent and BHPH dealers. Comparable to Fast Start Auto as an ecosystem participant serving the same subprime dealership channel through complementary wholesale and indirect retail lending products.

Emerging players

• Carvana: Carvana pioneered online-only used-vehicle retail with its own in-house financing. It competes for the same end-buyer (subprime-inclusive) with a fundamentally different delivery model (vehicle delivery vs. dealership walk-in), making it an emerging threat for organic-traffic-driven leads Fast Start Auto currently captures.
• EchoPark: EchoPark is a used-vehicle-only retailer spun off from Sonic Automotive, operating experiential retail stores and online sales. It competes with Fast Start Auto for used-vehicle shoppers but with a less subprime-skewed credit profile and broader vehicle selection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FastStartAuto
• Xx.com/faststartauto1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fast-start-auto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Fast Start Auto