After 45 years selling used cars to the people of Lowestoft, John Mitchell stepped away from Stanley Street Motors in June 2025 — not by choice, but because his health left him with no other option. The closure of the family-run dealership drew tributes from customers across Suffolk, many of whom had bought multiple cars from the same team over the years.
The forecourt has not stayed empty. But more on that shortly.
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A Lowestoft Used Car Dealership That Ran for Four and a Half Decades
Stanley Street Motors opened in 1980 on Stanley Street in Lowestoft, positioned close to the town centre and roughly 500 metres from the train and bus stations. For the first 33 years, Mitchell ran it as an independent operation before formally incorporating the business as a private limited company in April 2013.
The dealership sold used cars only, stocking family, sports and prestige vehicles priced between £3,000 and £30,000, covering most manufacturers. Nigel Youngs, one of the core members of the team, sourced every car personally and prepared each one to showroom standards before it went on sale. Youngs, alongside colleague Jo, became well-known to the many repeat customers the business built up over the decades.
At the point of closure, Stanley Street Motors held a 4.6-star rating on Google from 62 customers and was ranked second out of 13 dealerships in Lowestoft on Car Dealer Reviews. Verified buyers repeatedly mentioned the same thing: no pressure, fair prices, and a team that listened.
One review read:
“Superb dealership — small company with so much more of a personal touch and no pushy salesman. Will return for my next vehicle.”
Another customer noted they were buying their third car from the same dealership, describing the experience from start to finish as straightforward and honest.
Why Mitchell Closed the Dealership
On 2 June 2025, Mitchell posted a notice on the Stanley Street Motors Facebook page confirming the business had stopped trading. The statement was direct:
“Stanley Street Motors has now ceased trading, due to ill-health and retirement. For over 40 years we have bought and sold cars from Stanley Street. Over the years we have had tens of thousands of lovely customers, many of whom became, not just repeat customers, but friends. We will miss you all. Thank you and goodbye.”
The dealership’s website was updated separately, confirming the business was “in the process of being closed down,” with emails being monitored for a short period following the announcement.
No financial difficulties, no manufacturer pressures, no takeover. Mitchell made a personal decision after four and a half decades, and the business he had run since 1980 came to a close within days of that announcement.
The Showroom Is Listed for Auction
With trading finished, the freehold property at Stanley Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2DY was placed with Auction House East Anglia, with an online sale scheduled for Wednesday, 18 June 2025.
The guide price was set at £250,000 to £300,000 plus fees.
The site offered a substantial commercial footprint:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Showroom | Generous, purpose-built |
| Workshop | Included |
| Offices | Two |
| Presentation suite | Included |
| Kitchen and cloakroom | Included |
| Forecourt capacity | Up to 30 vehicles |
| Power supply | Three-phase electricity |
| Security | Alarm system fitted |
| Tenure | Freehold |
Auction House East Anglia described it as a “former car sales showroom and forecourt with development potential,” noting the site was vacant and ready for a new operator, or available for change of use subject to planning permission.
The auction never reached 18 June. The auctioneers confirmed the property was sold prior to the scheduled auction date for an undisclosed sum.
The Same Street, a Different Name
The site did not get converted into housing or retail. By late 2025, Stanley Street Vehicles LTD was trading from the exact address Stanley Street Motors had occupied since 1980. The same street, the same building, the same phone number — 01502 512685 — that Mitchell’s team had used for decades.
Stanley Street Vehicles LTD has an active website at stanleystreetvehicles.co.uk and lists used cars for sale. No planning application has been submitted to East Suffolk Council to change the use of the site. Whoever purchased the property kept it in the motor trade.
The Wider Pressure on Independent Car Dealers
The closure of the Lowestoft dealership came against a difficult backdrop for independent and family-run car businesses across the UK. In March 2025 alone, Marshall Motor Group axed six sites nationally and Group 1 Automotive shut three, following a string of closures from former Pendragon sites after Lithia acquired that group’s UK network.
Carl Smith of Zeus Capital identified three factors driving the wave of closures:
- Underperforming sites being cut after North American takeovers of dealer groups
- Weak conditions in the private new car market, worsened by ZEV Mandate targets
- Rising employment costs from national living wage increases and higher employer National Insurance contributions, which he described as “a material headwind”
Phil Nothard of Cox Automotive told Car Dealer Magazine that further closures were likely, with dealer profitability continuing to fall short of expected levels and upcoming corporation tax changes adding further pressure on operators.
Robin Luscombe, who runs Luscombe Motors in Leeds, put the position of independent dealers plainly:
“If you’ve got an independent, family-owned business in there, he’s got skin in the game. He’s got passion. He’s got everything tied up. Then he has to make it work. He’s committed to it and he can’t just go and do something else.”
For Mitchell, none of those wider pressures were cited as the reason for closing Stanley Street Motors. The decision came down to 45 years of work and a health situation that made carrying on unrealistic.
Where Things Stand Now
Nine months after the announcement, the forecourt on Stanley Street in Lowestoft is still selling cars under a new name. The business Mitchell built from scratch in 1980 is gone, but the site itself has continued in the trade it was built for.
For the customers who bought their first, second, or third car from Nigel Youngs and the team over the years, the closure of Stanley Street Motors marked the end of something genuinely local. Whether what came after carries the same reputation will take time — and repeat customers — to find out.
Sources: Car Dealer Magazine, Automotive Management (AM-Online), Lowestoft Journal, Stanley Street Motors Facebook, Car Dealer Reviews, Companies House (GOV.UK)
