Independent used car dealer in New Milton, Hampshire
Small Cars Direct was founded by Alex Bradley in October 2016 and has grown from six affordable used cars at a family home in Minstead to an independent, award-winning dealership in New Milton with a team of four and typically around 60 vehicles in stock.
We specialise in small cars, automatic cars and electric vehicles, including Fiat 500, Fiat 500e, Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y, alongside carefully selected family, SUV and prestige vehicles.
We normally stock a broadly even mix of conventional petrol vehicles and hybrid or fully electric cars. Part exchange, finance, online reservation and nationwide delivery are available.
Before starting Small Cars Direct, Alex completed a Business Studies degree, including a placement year at Lexus head office. The 2008 financial crisis also gave him the opportunity to spend six months working within Lexus marketing.
After university, he worked at Mitsubishi head office as a sales analyst and planner before moving to Nissan, where his roles covered aftersales, sales operations and product marketing.
Alex later joined an automotive marketing agency in Bournemouth, working directly on its Volkswagen Group account. When the agency lost the contract during a retendering process, he chose not to wait out his redundancy period. Instead, he cut the cord and used all his savings to buy four cars and started selling them from the rather unusual location of a late family members home in rural Minstead in June 2015.
The first attempt was not a success. Alex let his heart rule his head, the cars were niche, relatively expensive, sales were slow and the business showed little sign of growing. Rather than giving up, Alex completely changed the model.
The name Small Cars Direct emerged during nothing but a casual track-day conversation with friends. Alex was explaining his frustration with the original business and the lack of demand for the more interesting, expensive and aspirational cars he had chosen.
The answer was to stop trying to stock impressive cars and start stocking cars that ordinary people genuinely needed: affordable vehicles that were easier to own, easier to insure and suitable for first-time drivers.
In October 2016, Small Cars Direct was formally founded with six cheaper, carefully selected cars. Avoiding auctions like the plague, Alex travelled throughout the country by foot, bike and train, inspecting vehicles personally before buying them.
At the beginning, Alex handled every part of the operation himself: buying cars, collecting them, arranging repairs and MoTs, cleaning them, taking photographs, writing adverts, dealing with customers and delivering them himself.
Running the business from rural Minstead created some unusual logistical problems. There were occasions when Alex had to drop and collect cars for MoT and had no choice but to walk through boggy marsh land and sometimes snow and ice across the open Forest towards the nearest MoT testing station in Cadnam, no lifts, no bike, no pavements, cycle paths or public transport.
At the time, it simply felt like the only option to make the business work. Looking back, it was an extreme and very inefficient way to operate a small dealership, but the persistence required during those early years still influences how Small Cars Direct is run today.
The business remained at the family property until 2019. By then, the number of vehicles had grown to the point where there was little space left and the arrangement was no longer practical.
Small Cars Direct moved approximately 20 minutes away to its first industrial unit in New Milton, with room for around 15 cars. The business survived the disruption of the COVID period and made its first full-time hire in 2022.
In 2023, the business moved to a larger New Milton site. Today, we normally hold around 60 vehicles, employ a team of four and sell approximately 350 cars each year. Nearly 2,000 vehicles have been sold since launch.
The focus on small cars came from practical experience rather than a corporate marketing exercise. The higher-value cars stocked during 2015 were slow to sell. The smaller, cheaper and easier-to-own cars introduced in 2016 were far more relevant to real customers.
Automatic cars then became increasingly important. As electric vehicles became more common, more new drivers began choosing automatic-only licences because they expected automatic and electric cars to become dominant.
Many of those drivers were younger buyers or people working with limited budgets, but genuinely affordable automatic cars were difficult to find. Small Cars Direct developed particular experience in sourcing and supplying that type of vehicle.
We buy very few vehicles from open auction. A large proportion of our newer stock comes from an established fleet, leasing and vehicle-hire supplier.
These are typically low-mileage, two-to five-year-old vehicles returning for a legitimate reason at the natural end of a finance, lease or hire agreement. This gives us better visibility over the source and condition of the cars we buy.
We also retain the right to reject and return a vehicle if it does not meet expectations when it arrives. Serious engine, gearbox or structural problems that prevent us preparing a car confidently or within a reasonable timescale may result in it being rejected.
We do not actively source insurance write-offs. Very occasionally, one may be accepted in part exchange. Where that happens, its previous insurance category is made clear and prominent when the vehicle is advertised.
Every car begins with a visual inspection and road test by Alex or Sales Manager Jon Snell. Vehicles being considered in part exchange undergo a detailed appraisal covering key mechanical, cosmetic and servicing points.
This initial assessment gives the workshop an early indication of the repairs, servicing and preventative maintenance likely to be required. It also allows the sales team to begin compiling the vehicle advert while preparation is underway.
Vehicle Technician Dennis then carries out a detailed pre-sale inspection on every vehicle. At around the same stage, the car is MoT tested where appropriate and serviced if required.
Alex authorises the preparation work. Jon and Alex complete the final sign-off before the vehicle is considered ready for sale. Each car is tracked digitally through the different preparation stages so the whole team can see its current status.
Our preparation standard is not based solely on whether a vehicle can pass an MoT. Tyres and brakes need to have some serviceable life left, servicing is reviewed against the car’s mileage and history, and faults identified during inspection are considered before final sign-off.
Most vehicles are sold with at least six months remaining on the MoT. There may be sensible exceptions where a car has covered very little mileage since a recent MoT and has also undergone a current pre-sale inspection and service. In those circumstances, repeating the MoT purely to create a newer date would add little practical value.
Preparation ideally takes between five and fourteen days, depending on the amount of work required and the availability of parts.
Customers are welcome to arrange an independent inspection of a vehicle before purchase.
Founder
Alex founded Small Cars Direct and remains closely involved in buying, pricing, preparation, workshop workflow and the continued development of the business.
He approves preparation work and works with Jon to complete the final vehicle sign-off. Loves Jaffa Cakes, dislikes intermittent faults that like playing hide and seek.
Sales Manager
Jon is usually the first person customers speak to. He manages enquiries, appointments, vehicle handovers and post-sale communication.
Before joining Small Cars Direct, Jon held senior customer-service roles with Chase Manhattan bank, working with demanding high-net-worth clients. His approach is based on clear communication rather than traditional motor-trade sales patter.
He drives a Tesla Model Y, although he retains a curious interest in two-wheeled machinery. Likes Alaskan Malamute, Terriers and Clipper Tea.
Vehicle Technician
Dennis joined the business in May 2024. He carries out the detailed pre-sale inspection on every vehicle and completes servicing, repairs and mechanical preparation.
He is particularly skilled in detailed mechanical diagnosis and engine strip-down work, although we deliberately try to avoid buying cars that require major engine reconstruction. Likes fried chicken feet and dislikes ‘find the elusive locking wheel nut key’ game.
Dennis drives a BMW i3 and has developed firm opinions (and an impressive expletive vocabulary) about Range Rovers and MINIs after working on them.
Valeter and Driver
Arjan joined Small Cars Direct in March 2023. He handles interior and exterior valeting which includes scratch removal and minor cosmetic repairs.
He is particularly skilled at restoring heavily neglected alloy wheels and bringing tired vehicles back to a clean, presentable standard.
Arjan also collects and delivers vehicles using our single-car transporter. His preferred car is a Mitsubishi Pajero, and his preferred preparation-day fuel is pork belly.
Small Cars Direct has produced high-definition vehicle walkaround videos since 2016. We are not bad at it either, with 10 years of practise being recognised at the Car Dealer Magazine Awards in 2025 as we picked up Best Use of Video.
Video allows customers to see a vehicle in more detail, understand its condition and hear the person they are likely to meet explaining it in ordinary language. It removes much of the tension from the traditional dealer-and-customer meeting.
Customers travelling from a distance can review imperfections, ask informed questions and decide whether the car is right for them before setting off. This approach has supported unseen purchases and nationwide deliveries, including vehicles delivered to customers in Scotland.
Fixed pricing makes the process clearer for everyone. We review the market, compare equivalent vehicles and price each car to offer fair value from the outset.
Customers do not need to negotiate against an artificially inflated asking price. The advertised price reflects the current market, the condition of the vehicle and the preparation carried out.
A cheaper example may sometimes exist hundreds of miles away, but price alone does not show how accurately it has been described, how it has been prepared or what support will be available after purchase.
A good sale is usually a straightforward one. The customer has reviewed the photographs, watched the video, read the description and asked any important questions before travelling.
By the time they arrive, they already understand the vehicle and feel comfortable with the process. There is no need for pressure or prolonged sales theatre.
Small Cars Direct is intended to be an easy place to buy a car. Customers are not pushed into finance, warranties or additional products they do not want. We are normal people dealing with other normal people.
Small Cars Direct was named the UK’s Best Car Dealer Stocking Under 50 Cars at the 2024 Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards.
In 2025, the business received the Best Use of Video award at the Used Car Dealer Awards and was named Best Micro Business in the New Forest at the Brilliant in Business Awards.
We are also supported by customer feedback across Google, Facebook and Auto Trader. Awards are appreciated, but accurate descriptions, straightforward communication and customers who are happy to recommend us remain more important.
Finance is available from 8.9% APR, subject to status and lender approval. Eligible vehicle pages provide access to an Admiral soft-search pre-acceptance, allowing customers to check likely eligibility without affecting their credit score. The available APR is confirmed during pre-acceptance.
Vehicles can be reserved for three days with a £100 non-returnable reservation fee. This removes the vehicle from sale while the customer arranges a viewing, collection or finance.
Part exchange is welcome and nationwide delivery is available for customers who cannot collect from New Milton.
Viewings are held at:
Small Cars Direct
Viewings are by appointment because Alex and Jon may be away from the site collecting, delivering or inspecting vehicles. An appointment allows us to confirm that the car is available, prepared and ready for you to inspect properly.
Small Cars Direct was founded by Alex Bradley, who remains involved in its day-to-day operation, vehicle buying, preparation and development.
Small Cars Direct was formally founded in October 2016 following Alex’s initial attempt to establish a used-car business in 2015.
Yes. Small Cars Direct is an independent, owner-led used car dealership and is not part of a national dealer group or franchise.
We are based at The Yard, rear of 5–7 Queensway, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 5NR.
We normally hold approximately 60 used vehicles, although the exact number changes as cars are sold and new stock arrives.
We specialise in small cars, automatic cars and electric vehicles, including Fiat 500, Fiat 500e, Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y, alongside selected family, SUV and prestige vehicles.
Every vehicle receives an initial assessment by Alex or Jon, a detailed pre-sale inspection by Technician Dennis, and cosmetic preparation by Arjan. Alex and Jon complete the final sign-off.
We buy very few cars from open auction. Much of our newer stock comes from an established fleet, leasing and vehicle-hire supplier.
We do not actively source insurance write-offs. Very occasionally, one may be accepted in part exchange. Its previous insurance category will be made clear and prominent in the vehicle advert.
Copyright © 2026 Small Cars Direct
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