Motorway acquires vehicle provenance platform Total Car Check

Motorway, the UK used car marketplace, has acquired vehicle provenance check provider Total Car Check for an undisclosed sum.

The business said Total Car Check will strengthen its focus on vehicle data accuracy and transparency for its consumer and car dealer customers.

Total Car Check was founded by David James in 2009, in response to a family member having purchased a stolen vehicle.

This experience led James to create an online platform to instantly find out information about any used car.

Total Car Check's product now offers vehicle background checks, with data points including the car's previous owners, any accidents or damage it has sustained, MOT and plate change history and more. 

Total Car Check has experienced rapid growth, generating over 42 million UK vehicle checks in 2022 alone and increasing revenue by 30% year on year.

As part of the deal, James will join Motorway as director of vehicle data, and Total Car Check’s employees will all join Motorway’s growing team of over people across their London and Brighton offices.

Motorway had a record year in 2022 with sales more than doubling to a value of £1.7 billion. It said the volume of cars in its daily online sales has grown by 100% year-on-year and the platform lists over 1,000 cars a day.

Tom Leathes, co-founder and chief executive of Motorway, said: “We want to continue pushing forward on what’s possible with vehicle data accuracy and transparency online, and to strive to delight our customers at every step in our product experience.

“The Total Car Check technology and data platform is incredibly powerful, and it will help power some amazing new features to the Motorway experience.”

Leathes described James as a “world class vehicle data expert and a very inspiring entrepreneur”.

He added: “From working together over the past few months, it’s clear his experience building Total Car Check, his deep subject matter knowledge, and his strong values will be a huge asset to Motorway and our customers.

“Working with David and his team, we’ll now be able to offer an even greater customer experience, backed by market leading vehicle data.”

David James, managing director of Total Car Check, said it was clear that Motorway and Total Car Check will create “a powerful driving force in the market”.

James said: “Tom, Harry and Alex have a clear vision for the future of Motorway and have made incredible strides in such a short period.

“I’d like to thank the Total Car Check team and my family for supporting me throughout the years of building Total Car Check. We cannot wait to get started.”