Software
Automotive software development for the motor trade
Automotive software development is what we do when an off-the-shelf DMS, booking plugin or spreadsheet has run out of road. We build bespoke systems for dealers, garages, parts retailers and race teams on top of real vehicle data: VRM lookup, MOT history, fitment and stock. Nobody here needs a K-Type explaining.
Who we do this for
- Car Dealers
- Garages & MOT Centres
- Motor Factors & Distributors
- Race Teams & Motorsport
- Commercial Vehicles & Fleet
- Auctions & Remarketing
Native data integrations
Bespoke means built to your process, not the vendor's. A used car supermarket that prices stock off Auto Trader Retail Check, a motor factor that needs a trade counter screen showing TecDoc fitment and branch stock, a race team that wants lap data in the same place as tyre pressures: none of that exists in a box. We write it as a web application with a proper API, a relational database and a permissions model, hosted in the UK, and we hand you the repository at the end.
The difference between us and a generalist software house is the data layer. We already integrate DVLA VES, the DVSA MOT History API, UKVD, CAP HPI, TecDoc/TecAlliance, Auto Trader Connect and the main dealer management systems, so a new system starts with the vehicle already identified from a VRM rather than a free-text make and model field. That one decision removes most of the bad data a motor trade system collects over its life.
We scope before we quote. A fixed-price discovery phase produces a written specification, wireframes of every screen, a data model and an integration list with the licensing caveats spelled out (some data providers restrict caching or resale). You can take that document to anyone. Most clients take it back to us, and the build is then priced per milestone with a support retainer once it is live.
Sound familiar?
You probably need this if
- Your DMS or garage software does most of the job and the rest lives in three spreadsheets and a WhatsApp group.
- Staff re-key the same vehicle into the website, the DMS and the finance portal, and the three rarely agree.
- You have a workshop process that no off-the-shelf booking system can model without workarounds.
- Your trade customers phone for stock and prices because there is no portal to log into.
- A software vendor has quoted you a per-user licence forever for something you would rather own.
- You run a race team or series and results, telemetry and sponsor reporting live in six different tools.
Deliverables
What you get
- Written specification, wireframes and data model from a fixed-price discovery phase
- Web application with role-based permissions, audit trail and a documented REST API
- Vehicle identification by VRM on every relevant screen (DVLA VES, UKVD or CAP HPI as licensed)
- Integrations with your DMS, marketplaces, accounts package or CRM as scoped
- Automated test suite and staging environment mirroring production
- UK hosting, backups, monitoring and a security review before go-live
- Full source code, repository and deployment documentation handed over
- Support retainer with agreed response times and a change-request process
Dealer and workshop systems
Dealers and workshops come to us when the DMS covers invoicing and stock but not the thing that makes their business different. Typical builds: a stock preparation tracker that follows a car from purchase through PDI, valeting and photography to live advert; a vehicle appraisal tool that pulls VRM data and MOT history before a part-ex is agreed; a courtesy car diary linked to the workshop schedule.
Each one talks to the DMS rather than replacing it. Stock comes in from Keyloop or Dragon2000, prices go back out, and the new system holds only the data the DMS was never designed for.
Garage booking systems
A garage booking system built by us starts from the registration. The customer enters their VRM, we identify the vehicle and its MOT expiry through DVLA and DVSA, and the booking form offers the right services with the right labour time. Bookings drop into the workshop diary, reminders go out by SMS and email, and MOT due dates feed the retention programme automatically.
For MOT centres and fast-fits we add bay and tester capacity, tyre size lookup by reg, and a deposit or pay-on-booking option. For multi-branch groups, one system with per-site diaries and pricing.
Motorsport data tools
We have sponsored Time Attack and spent enough time in the BTCC paddock to know what teams actually track: session times, tyre and fuel logs, setup sheets, parts life and sponsor deliverables. We build results and timing displays for championships, entry and licence management for series organisers, and internal tools for teams that replace the folder of spreadsheets on the engineer's laptop.
Where timing data is available from the circuit or a timing provider we ingest it directly; where it is not, a fast mobile entry form does the job on the pit wall.
Internal tools and portals
Trade portals for motor factors and aftermarket manufacturers, dealer locators for OEMs and brands, fleet driver portals for defect reporting, claims tools for warranty administrators. The common thread is a login, a permissions model and a set of screens that match the job rather than a generic CRM.
Portals are built API-first, so the same back end can drive a website, an app and an export to your accounts package without duplicating logic.
Process
How we approach it
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Discovery
We sit with the people who do the job today, on the forecourt or at the trade counter, and map the current process, the systems it touches and the data each one holds. Output: a written spec you own.
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Data and integration design
We decide which vehicle data source fits your budget and use case, confirm API access with each vendor (Auto Trader, Keyloop and TecAlliance all gate access) and design the data model around VRM and K-Type keys.
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Build in milestones
Two-to-three-week milestones, each ending with something you can click on a staging server. Priorities can move between milestones; scope creep is priced, not absorbed silently.
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Test with real stock
We load your actual vehicles, parts and customers into staging and run the edge cases the trade produces: Q-plates, imports, private plates, superseded part numbers, duplicate customer records.
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Launch and hand over
Cut-over plan, staff training, monitoring and a hypercare period. You get the repository, the infrastructure credentials and documentation. Support continues under a retainer if you want it.
Software Development: common questions
What does bespoke automotive software cost?
It depends on scope, which is why we start with a fixed-price discovery phase that produces a specification and a milestone-priced quote. Small internal tools and portals sit at the lower end; multi-site systems with several integrations at the upper end. No per-user licence fees.
Do we own the code?
Yes. You receive the full repository, infrastructure access and deployment documentation. Third-party components (data APIs, frameworks) keep their own licences, which we list in the spec.
Can you build on top of our existing DMS instead of replacing it?
Usually, and it is often the better option. Keyloop, Pinewood, Dragon2000 and others expose APIs or scheduled feeds; we build the missing piece around the DMS rather than migrating you off it.
Which vehicle data sources do you use?
DVLA VES for tax and MOT status, the DVSA MOT History API for test history, UKVD or CAP HPI for specification and valuation data, TecDoc for fitment. We choose per project based on the fields you need and the provider's licence terms.
How long does a typical build take?
Discovery is normally two to four weeks. A single-purpose tool such as a booking system or trade portal is typically three to four months from spec to launch; larger platforms are phased over longer.
Do you support the software after launch?
Yes. A monthly retainer covers hosting, monitoring, security updates, data-provider API changes and a bank of development hours. You can also take the code in-house or to another supplier at any point.
Sectors
Who we do this for
Car Dealers
Car dealer marketing that does not rent all your traffic from Auto Trader.
View servicesGarages & MOT Centres
Garage marketing that fills the diary: local SEO, garage website design with online booking and MOT reminders from DVSA data.
View servicesMotor Factors & Distributors
Motor factor website and trade ordering portal with VRM lookup, TecDoc catalogue, MAM Autopart, branch stock and account pricing.
View servicesRace Teams & Motorsport
Motorsport website design by a team that sponsored Time Attack and worked in the BTCC.
View servicesCommercial Vehicles & Fleet
Commercial vehicle dealer website design with payload filters, Auto Trader Vans feeds and B2B quoting for van, truck and fleet firms.
View servicesAuctions & Remarketing
Car auction website and bidding platform build for remarketing, dealer-to-dealer and enthusiast auctions.
View servicesRelated services
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Hosting & Support
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Read moreTalk to the pit wall
Talk to us about software development
Tell us what you sell, fix, break or race and what is getting in the way. We will come back within one working day with a straight answer and, if it fits, a fixed-price scope.