Imperial Motor Company

What Imperial Motor Company does

Imperial Motor Company Limited is an independently owned used car dealership founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hastings, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The company sells pre-owned vehicles from its showroom at Unit 2b Chichester Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, holding on average over 150 vehicles in stock at any time with current claims of 200+ units spanning 23 manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Ford, MINI, Toyota and Nissan, priced from approximately £6,495 to £25,995+.

The business is FCA-authorised (No: 676805) as a credit broker, not a lender, and supplements vehicle sales with HP and PCP finance brokerage through selected credit providers, part exchange of trade-in vehicles, and a car sourcing service for specific stock requests. The technology stack is a standard automotive dealership website with searchable inventory, finance calculator, part exchange enquiry forms, social sharing integrations (WhatsApp, Facebook, X), and Google Analytics — there is no proprietary platform or AI capability disclosed. Distribution is through a single physical showroom open seven days a week, the company website, and direct phone sales, serving primarily individual consumers in East Sussex and the wider Hastings/Ashford/Tunbridge Wells catchment.

Revenue is generated from one-time used vehicle transactions, introductory commissions on finance introductions, and transaction fees on part exchange and sourcing activity. The business is privately held with no external investment, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed financial figures. Founded and owned by Kevin Freed, the operation runs with 11-50 employees.

Name

Imperial Motor Company

Legal name

Imperial Motor Company Limited

Website

https://imperialmotorcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Imperial Motor Company is an independently owned used car dealership founded in 1999 in Hastings, East Sussex, selling pre-owned vehicles across 23 brands and supplementing sales with FCA-regulated finance brokerage, part exchange, and car sourcing services for individual consumers in the Sussex region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hastings

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: One-time sale of used vehicles directly to consumers. Vehicles range from budget-friendly options (£6,495) to premium models (£25,995+). Revenue is generated per transaction with no recurring component.
2. Finance Brokerage: Imperial Motor Company acts as a credit broker, arranging vehicle financing (HP and PCP) on behalf of customers through carefully selected credit providers. They receive an introductory commission for finance introductions arranged.
3. Part Exchange: The company accepts vehicles as trade-in against purchased vehicles, providing value to customers while acquiring inventory for resale.
4. Car Sourcing Service: Specialist service to source specific vehicles not currently in stock, generating additional revenue through this premium service offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Imperial Motor Company is an independently owned used car dealership that sells pre-owned vehicles from more than 20 manufacturers out of a showroom in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex. The company carries an average of over 150 vehicles in stock (with current claims of 200+), ranging in price from £6,495 to £25,995+. It supplements vehicle sales with HP/PCP vehicle finance arranged as an FCA-authorised credit broker, part exchange of customer trade-ins, and a car sourcing service for vehicles not currently in stock.

Product overview

Imperial Motor Company is an independently owned used car dealership operating since 1999, offering a portfolio of over 150 quality used vehicles in stock. Their core product is the sale of pre-owned vehicles spanning more than 20 manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Ford, MINI, Vauxhall, Nissan, Renault, and Toyota. The business supplements vehicle sales with ancillary services including vehicle finance (HP/PCP), part exchange, and car sourcing. The company is FCA regulated and operates from locations in Hastings and Ashford, East Sussex.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Vehicle Sales Sale of pre-owned passenger vehicles from over 20 manufacturers to individual consumers, with prices ranging from £6,495 to £25,995+ and dealer warranty provided.
• Vehicle Finance (HP and PCP) Arrangement of Hire Purchase (HP) and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) financing for vehicle purchases through partner credit providers, available from £129/month; the dealership acts as an FCA-regulated credit broker.
• Part Exchange Acceptance of customer trade-in vehicles as partial payment toward the purchase of another vehicle from stock, providing convenience for buyers and inventory for the dealership.
• Car Sourcing Service Bespoke procurement service that locates specific vehicles not currently in the dealership's stock for individual customers seeking particular makes, models, or specifications.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Perrys: Family-owned UK dealer group with multiple franchised and used car locations across the Midlands and South. Comparable independent ownership model and multi-brand used vehicle offer with finance broker arrangements.
• JCT600: Large Yorkshire-based UK dealer group with multi-brand used vehicle offerings. Comparable in franchise and used vehicle retail with finance brokerage, though at significantly larger scale and with a deeper aftersales/services layer.
• Marshall Motor Group: UK dealer group with significant new and used vehicle operations across multiple brands. Comparable in offering multi-brand used cars with finance options, though at substantially larger scale and with more diversified revenue streams including fleet and aftersales.
• Arnold Clark: UK's largest independently owned car retailer, operating multi-brand new and used vehicle dealerships across the country. Comparable in offering multi-brand used vehicle sales with finance brokerage, though at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Evans Halshaw: Large UK dealer group with multiple franchised and used car locations. Comparable in offering new and used vehicle sales with finance, though operates at much larger scale with a broader geographic footprint across England, Scotland and Wales.
• Bristol Street Motors: Vertu Motors subsidiary operating franchised and used car dealerships across the UK. Comparable in being a multi-brand used vehicle retailer with finance brokerage capability, though at significantly larger scale and brand breadth.

Emerging players

• Cinch: Online-native UK used car retailer offering home delivery with prices overlapping Imperial's £6,000–£26,000 range. Represents the digital competitive threat to traditional depot-based dealerships in the same mid-market segment.

Direct peers

• AvailableCar: Mid-sized UK used car supermarket with multi-brand inventory and an online finance calculator. Directly comparable business model to Imperial Motor Company, competing in the same fee-and-finance-driven used vehicle retail segment.
• CarShop: UK used car supermarket retailer (part of Sytner Group) with large multi-brand inventory and finance offerings. Directly comparable specialty retailer competing head-to-head in the mid-market used vehicle segment with a similar online-plus-showroom model.

Others

• Carwow: Online car marketplace connecting buyers with dealers, with a growing used car inventory channel. Adjacent to Imperial rather than a direct competitor — functions as an enabling channel that independents like Imperial can opt into to source leads rather than a substitute dealer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/imperialmotorcompanyltd

Compliance1 record

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 Imperial Motor Company