Motorway

Motorway is an online marketplace dedicated to helping private owners sell used cars to professional dealers. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the company operates a digital auction platform through which verified dealers compete to purchase vehicles directly from consumers.

Unlike broader automotive marketplaces that support both buying and selling, Motorway focuses exclusively on the car-selling process. Its service is designed to help sellers secure a competitive price while avoiding many of the inconveniences associated with private advertising, dealership visits, and traditional part-exchange negotiations.

Summary

Motorway was founded in July 2017 by Tom Leathes, Alex Buttle, and Harry Jones. Before launching the company, the founders had worked together on Top10, a broadband comparison website that was later sold to uSwitch.

Drawing on their experience in digital comparison services, the founders set out to create what they described as the UK’s first online platform built specifically around selling cars. Rather than attempting to serve both buyers and sellers, Motorway concentrated on one part of the transaction: connecting private vehicle owners with professional dealers willing to compete for their cars.

The platform reverses the traditional car-selling process. Instead of a seller approaching individual dealers and negotiating separately with each one, Motorway presents the vehicle to a large dealer network through an online auction. Dealers place competing bids, and the seller is shown the highest available offer.

Motorway expanded rapidly following its launch. In 2021, the company reached a reported valuation of $1 billion, giving it so-called unicorn status. By 2023, it was estimated to be processing approximately £2.2 billion in used-car sales each year.

Today, Motorway connects private sellers with thousands of verified dealers throughout the United Kingdom. Its service combines online vehicle profiling, competitive bidding, home collection, and fast payment into a single digital process.

Company Background

Motorway was founded in July 2017 by Tom Leathes, Alex Buttle, and Harry Jones.

The company is headquartered in London, with an additional customer support operation based in Brighton. This support team assists sellers throughout the valuation, auction, collection, and payment stages.

Motorway reached a valuation of approximately $1 billion in 2021 following a period of significant investment and growth. Its investors have included BMW i Ventures and ICONIQ Growth, reflecting wider investor interest in technology-driven automotive marketplaces.

The company operates exclusively as a consumer-to-business, or C2B, marketplace. This means that private individuals sell their cars to professional motor dealers through the platform.

Motorway does not provide a marketplace where consumers can browse and purchase vehicles. Its business remains focused entirely on improving the experience of selling a used car.

The platform has also developed a substantial independent review base. It is rated “Excellent” on Trustpilot, with an average rating of approximately 4.4 out of 5 stars across more than 100,000 reviews.

How Motorway Works

Motorway’s selling process is built around three main stages: valuation and vehicle profiling, dealer bidding, and collection and payment.

1. Get a Free Valuation

The process begins when a seller enters the vehicle’s registration number on Motorway’s website or mobile application.

Motorway then provides an initial estimated valuation based on the available vehicle information and market data. This figure is intended to give the seller an indication of what the car may achieve when presented to dealers.

The seller is then guided through the process of creating a detailed vehicle profile. This normally involves confirming information such as the car’s mileage, service history, specification, condition, and any outstanding finance.

Motorway’s application also provides instructions for taking photographs of the vehicle. Sellers are typically asked to photograph the exterior, interior, wheels, dashboard, mileage, documentation, and any visible damage or imperfections.

Accurate photographs and descriptions are important because dealers base their auction bids on the information provided.

2. Receive Competing Dealer Offers

Once the vehicle profile has been completed and approved, the car is entered into one of Motorway’s daily online auctions.

Thousands of verified dealers can view eligible vehicles and submit bids. The dealers compete against one another, which is intended to help produce a stronger price than the seller might receive by approaching only one dealership.

After the auction ends, Motorway sends the seller the highest offer. The seller can then decide whether to accept or decline it.

There is no obligation to proceed if the highest offer does not meet the seller’s expectations. However, accepting an offer begins the process of arranging payment and collection with the successful dealer.

3. Collection and Payment

The winning dealer normally contacts the seller to arrange a suitable collection time.

Collection is generally completed from the seller’s home at no additional cost. This removes the need to transport the car to a dealership or vehicle-buying location.

Before completing the transaction, the dealer may inspect the car to confirm that its condition matches the information and photographs provided in the listing.

Once the vehicle has been approved, payment is typically made on the same day. In many cases, payment can be completed within minutes through Motorway’s in-house payment service, Motorway Pay.

Sellers should confirm that the full payment has arrived securely before handing over the vehicle, keys, and documentation.

What Makes Motorway Stand Out

Competitive Dealer Bidding

One of Motorway’s main selling points is the level of competition created by its dealer network.

More than 8,000 verified dealers may have access to vehicles listed through the platform. Rather than receiving a single valuation from one dealership, sellers can benefit from multiple dealers competing to purchase the same car.

Motorway states that 84% of sellers receive more than the estimated market price for their vehicle. It also claims that sellers achieve approximately £1,600 more on average than they would through a traditional part-exchange.

The final result will vary depending on factors such as vehicle condition, age, mileage, specification, location, demand, and the accuracy of the listing.

No-Sale, No-Fee Structure

Sellers do not pay an upfront fee to request a valuation or submit a vehicle for auction.

A service fee is charged only after a sale has been completed. If the vehicle does not sell or the seller chooses not to accept an available offer, no fee applies.

This structure allows owners to explore the price their vehicle could achieve without committing to a sale from the beginning.

Speed and Convenience

Motorway is designed to reduce the time and effort involved in selling a car.

The majority of the process can be completed online, including the valuation, vehicle profile, document submission, photographs, and acceptance of the dealer offer.

Free home collection means that sellers do not usually need to travel to a dealership. Same-day payment, where available, can also make the transaction considerably faster than many private-sale arrangements.

Additional Vehicle Tools

Motorway offers several free online tools in addition to its car-selling service.

These include a car value tracker, MOT checker, vehicle tax checker, and Ultra Low Emission Zone checker.

The car value tracker can help owners follow changes in the estimated value of their vehicle over time, while the other tools provide useful information about roadworthiness testing, tax status, and potential emissions-related charges.

These tools allow Motorway to support vehicle owners even before they are ready to sell.

Large Independent Review Base

Motorway has received more than 100,000 reviews on Trustpilot and maintains an “Excellent” overall rating.

The volume of reviews gives prospective sellers a substantial amount of independent feedback to consider before using the service.

Positive reviews commonly highlight clear communication, helpful customer support, a straightforward listing process, convenient collection, and fast payment.

As with most car-selling platforms, some more critical feedback relates to inspections, collection arrangements, or attempts to adjust the agreed price where a vehicle’s condition differs from the original description.

Selling a Car with Outstanding Finance

Motorway supports the sale of vehicles that are still subject to Hire Purchase or Personal Contract Purchase finance agreements.

Sellers do not necessarily need to repay the full agreement before listing the car. However, they will usually need to obtain a settlement letter from the finance provider.

The settlement letter confirms the amount required to close the agreement. This figure is important because any outstanding finance must normally be settled as part of the vehicle sale.

Depending on the arrangement, the dealer may pay the settlement amount directly to the finance company and send any remaining balance to the seller.

For example, if a vehicle sells for more than the outstanding settlement figure, the finance provider receives the amount it is owed and the seller receives the difference.

If the settlement figure is higher than the vehicle’s sale price, the seller may need to pay the shortfall before the transaction can be completed.

Sellers should request an up-to-date settlement figure and confirm the exact payment process before handing over the car.

Fees and Pricing

There is no upfront charge to receive a valuation, create a vehicle profile, or enter a car into Motorway’s online auction.

A service fee is calculated according to the final sale price and becomes payable only when the transaction is successfully completed.

In many cases, the dealer pays through Motorway Pay. When this happens, the relevant service fee may be deducted automatically before the remaining balance is transferred to the seller.

Where a dealer pays by direct bank transfer instead, the seller may be required to pay the service fee separately through a secure payment link.

Sellers should review the applicable fee and expected final payment before agreeing to complete the sale.

Preparing a Car for Sale

The accuracy of the vehicle profile can have a significant effect on how smoothly the collection process proceeds.

Sellers should disclose scratches, dents, wheel damage, warning lights, mechanical issues, missing service records, or any other known problems. Clear photographs should be provided for both the overall condition and individual imperfections.

Before collection, sellers should gather all available documentation, including the vehicle registration certificate, service records, MOT information, finance settlement letter, receipts, manuals, and spare keys.

Personal possessions should be removed from the vehicle, and any stored addresses, phone data, or account information should be deleted from the infotainment system where possible.

A dealer may seek to adjust the final price if the car is materially different from the description submitted during the auction. Thorough and honest disclosure therefore reduces the likelihood of last-minute disagreements.

Customer Service

Motorway provides customer support by telephone and live chat.

Its dedicated support team is based in Brighton and assists users with valuations, vehicle profiles, auction listings, dealer communication, collection arrangements, payments, and finance-related questions.

Customer satisfaction appears consistently strong based on the platform’s large volume of independent reviews. Communication, speed of payment, and ease of use are among the most frequently praised aspects of the service.

However, the final stages of the transaction are completed with the winning dealer. As a result, some elements of the experience, such as inspection quality, collection timing, and dealer communication, may vary.

Motorway can provide support when issues arise, but sellers should still keep copies of their photographs, vehicle description, accepted offer, payment information, and any correspondence with the dealer.

Advantages of Using Motorway

Motorway offers several potential advantages for private car sellers:

• Thousands of verified dealers can compete for each listed vehicle.

• Sellers can receive a valuation and create a listing without paying an upfront fee.

• There is no obligation to accept the highest auction offer.

• Most of the process can be completed online.

• Collection is normally arranged from the seller’s home.

• Payment is often made on the same day.

• Vehicles with outstanding HP or PCP finance may still be eligible.

• Free valuation, MOT, tax, and ULEZ tools are available.

• A large independent review base allows sellers to evaluate previous customer experiences.

Potential Drawbacks

Although Motorway offers a convenient alternative to private selling, there are some considerations to keep in mind.

The initial valuation is only an estimate and is not necessarily the amount the vehicle will achieve at auction. The final dealer bids depend on current demand and the details of the individual car.

The highest auction offer may also change if the dealer discovers undisclosed damage, inaccurate mileage, incomplete documentation, mechanical problems, or other differences during the collection inspection.

A dealer offer may be lower than the amount a seller could potentially achieve through a private sale. Dealers must account for vehicle preparation, repairs, warranties, resale risk, and their own profit margin.

The platform is also only suitable for people selling a car. Motorway does not provide a consumer marketplace for purchasing a replacement vehicle.

Who Is Motorway Best For?

Motorway may be particularly suitable for:

• Anyone specifically looking to sell a car rather than purchase one

• Sellers who want professional dealers to compete for their vehicle

• People who want an alternative to traditional dealership part-exchange offers

• Owners who do not want to manage private advertisements, enquiries, and test drives

• Sellers who value free home collection and fast payment

• People with vehicles still under HP or PCP finance agreements

• Owners who want to explore their vehicle’s potential sale price without paying an upfront fee

• Sellers who prioritize convenience and speed over achieving the highest possible private-sale price

It may be less suitable for owners who want to sell directly to another individual or who are willing to invest additional time and effort in order to pursue a potentially higher private-sale price.

Bottom Line

Motorway has established a strong reputation as a specialist online car-selling platform. By focusing exclusively on sellers, it has developed a process centred on competitive dealer bidding, digital vehicle profiling, convenient home collection, and fast payment.

Its network of more than 8,000 verified dealers can give sellers access to a wider range of offers than they might receive by approaching a single dealership. The lack of upfront charges and the ability to reject an offer also allow owners to explore the service without immediately committing to a sale.

Motorway is particularly appealing to sellers who want to avoid private advertisements, repeated negotiations, dealership visits, and the uncertainty of dealing with individual buyers. Its support for vehicles with outstanding finance makes the service accessible to a wider group of owners.

The main consideration is that the auction offer depends on the accuracy of the vehicle description. A dealer may attempt to revise the price if the car’s actual condition differs from the photographs or information submitted. Sellers can reduce this risk by providing complete documentation, clear photographs, and honest details about any faults or damage.

Overall, Motorway is a compelling option for anyone who wants to sell a used car with minimal hassle. While it may not always achieve the maximum possible private-sale price, its competitive dealer auction, home collection, fast payment, and streamlined online process make it a practical alternative to traditional part exchange and private selling.