From modest beginnings and a handful of stock to a colour-coordinated Newtownards showroom known for everything from practical daily drivers to high-performance dream machines, Mark Stewart’s Elite Autos NI is a family-run business built on focus, mistakes, resilience and a lifelong love of cars.

From Quarry Heights to Glenford Road

Mark Stewart, owner of Elite Autos NI, did not begin with a vast forecourt or a corporate blueprint. The business started around eight years ago at Quarry Heights with what he recalls as roughly £20,000 in start-up money and a determined appetite to make something work. From there, the company moved first to Donaghadee Road, later expanded to Eddie Irvine’s with a second site, and eventually came together under one roof at 3 Glenford Road in Newtownards.

Today, Elite Autos NI presents itself as a quality used car dealership with a broad stock profile, customer care at the centre of its approach, and services including vehicle warranty, part exchange and finance options. The dealership’s public contact details list its base as 3 Glenford Road, Newtownards, BT23 4AU.

Yet behind the polished showroom and recognisable branding is a story that Stewart describes in three ideas rather than three neat words: success, focus and mistakes. “You have to make mistakes to learn,” he says. “We’re still learning every day.”

Learning the Hard Way

Stewart is quick to admit that the motor trade is not an easy business. Staffing has been one of the biggest tests, particularly finding and keeping good mechanics. Over the years, capable people have moved on for understandable reasons — one to the fire service, another back into a family business — leaving the team to adapt and rebuild.

The move to Glenford Road also brought a major challenge: change of use for the building. What had once been storage needed approval for its new purpose, and the process with the council proved expensive, time-consuming and stressful. “When you get a letter to say you have to close in 30 days, it’s not ideal,” Stewart says. The matter is now close to being resolved, but it remains one of the toughest periods in the company’s development.

Through it all, the name and ownership have stayed the same. Elite Autos NI has remained Stewart’s business from the beginning, with a strong visual identity and a very deliberate sense of brand consistency. As he jokes, the operation is “very colour coordinated”.

Family, Trust and the Five-Person Sweet Spot

Elite Autos NI is, at its core, a family-run and close-knit business. Stewart brought his father into the company early on, drawing on decades of motor trade experience. His brother Chris later joined after working as a chef, having always had an interest in buying, selling and working around cars. Mitchell, who originally came in to help clear out the premises for a couple of weeks, became part of the furniture. Johnny joined as mechanic after the business had worked through a few different people in the role.

The current team numbers five, a size Stewart believes works best. It is lean enough to stay personal, but experienced enough to cover sales preparation, mechanical work, valeting and day-to-day customer care. Holidays and absences can stretch the team, but he sees that as part of running a tight operation.

Taking family members out of secure jobs and into a young business was not a small decision. Stewart remembers the pressure of asking people close to him to leave regular wages behind and help build something uncertain. That gamble has become part of the company’s story.

A Stocklist with Two Personalities

In the early days, the stock reflected the reality of a young business trying to turn limited capital into momentum. Stewart remembers everything from everyday Nissan Micras, Renault Méganes and Hyundai i10s through to more unusual enthusiast machinery, including an R34 four-door Nissan Skyline.

That mix has remained part of the Elite Autos NI identity. Stewart says the business now usually carries around 60 to 65 cars, with a target stock level closer to 70 to 75 once vehicles in preparation, bodywork, warranty work and trade-ins are taken into account. The range can stretch from a fully built 1968 Mini Clubman to performance icons such as a Peugeot 106 Rallye, high-powered BMW M5, Mercedes-AMG C63 and even a G-Wagon.

But Stewart is clear that the business is not only about sporty or special cars. Its bread and butter remains practical, desirable used vehicles: diesel Mercedes C-Class models, BMW 4 Series cars, Volkswagen Tiguans, Micras and other everyday choices that suit real customers and real budgets.

Social Media and the Modern Forecourt

One of the biggest changes in the business has been the rise of social media. TikTok has become a major platform for awareness, while YouTube gave the team space to experiment with power reviews and other content. Stewart says YouTube did not necessarily generate sales in the way he might have hoped, but it built recognition and, importantly, was fun.

The public-facing version of Elite Autos NI reinforces that customer-focused message. Its website describes the business as passionate about delivering high-quality service, building trust and preparing cars to a high standard. Review summaries and customer feedback also point repeatedly to friendly staff, transparent service and a non-pressured approach.

The Services Behind the Sales

While customers regularly ask whether Elite Autos NI offers servicing to the public, Stewart says the workshop is kept focused on warranty work and sales preparation. With a small team and limited mechanical capacity, the priority is making sure stock is ready and customers are supported after purchase.

The company does, however, offer the services customers expect from a modern used car dealership, including finance options, warranty support and part exchange. Elite Autos NI is listed as authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking, working with selected credit providers rather than acting as a lender.

Community Without the Spotlight

Stewart does not position Elite Autos NI as a company that shouts about every charitable gesture, but he says the business does contribute where it can. Causes close to home matter, including support linked to muscular dystrophy because of his son’s condition. The business has also supported events such as the BlackBall 100 Run and has helped with smaller requests including vouchers and charity initiatives such as Kids for Cancer.

There are also occasional personal gestures: supplying special cars for a wedding where the groom had faced serious illness, or arranging a Rolls-Royce Phantom formal surprise for a young TikTok fan. The line, Stewart says, is that the business cannot do everything. If it sponsored one football team or every formal request, the demand would quickly become impossible to manage.

The Petrolhead Behind the Brand

Ask Stewart what drew him into the automotive world and the answer is simple: he loved cars. While friends were drinking, smoking and heading out to clubs, he wanted to drive. “I just love cars,” he says. “That’s just petrolhead.”

That enthusiasm reaches far beyond any single badge or era. Stewart has driven and owned the sort of machinery many enthusiasts only read about: a twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo, a McLaren 570S, a manual V10 Gallardo, a 1,200-horsepower Nissan GT-R and a 1,000-horsepower BMW M5. Yet when asked to name the best car he has ever driven, he resists the obvious modern supercar answer.

For him, the real magic often lies in older, more analogue performance cars. Retro machinery, particularly something with serious power such as an old Mazda RX-7, offers a buzz that newer cars can struggle to match. The attraction is not just speed. It is surprise, character and connection.

Roads, Dream Cars and Driver Connection

When it comes to favourite road trip destinations, Scotland sits high on Stewart’s list. The roads are close enough to feel accessible yet dramatic enough to make the journey worthwhile. He also points to the scenic coastal routes from the Larne direction towards Portrush, with roads around Torr Head offering the kind of experience drivers remember.

If he had to choose one car for the rest of his life, Stewart would be tempted by something outrageous — perhaps a four-seat Koenigsegg-style hypercar, simply because if the choice is forever, it might as well be special. But there is a practical side too. A BMW M5 Touring, with performance, space and relative understatement, also makes sense to him.

The brand that best reflects his personality is BMW’s M division. Stewart likes the way BMW M cars feel solid, connected and involving, particularly models such as the F90 M5 and G80 M3. He also has deep respect for the R35 Nissan GT-R, calling it “the pinnacle of a supercar that is not a supercar” — a car that delivers extraordinary capability without neatly fitting the traditional supercar mould.

Customers, Reviews and Reputation

For Stewart, the best customer experiences are not always dramatic one-off stories. They are the customers who come back, recommend the business to family, send friends and colleagues, and choose Elite Autos NI again when it is time for another car. “To me, that’s the best,” he says.

He is realistic about the nature of public reviews. Every business, whether it sells cars, houses or buns, will eventually face criticism. What matters to him is the weight of returning customers, positive feedback and evidence that people trust the team enough to keep coming back.

Advice from the Forecourt

Stewart’s advice for first-time car buyers is deliberately grounded. Buy the right car for your needs, stay within your budget, think about running costs and do not get carried away. He cautions against overspending or taking on unnecessary finance for a first car. A first car, he says, should be sensible enough to learn in, live with and even make the occasional mistake in.

His wider business advice is equally practical: listen to people outside your own bubble. Stewart admits he does not always take every piece of advice offered, especially when it comes to reinvesting in stock, but he values outside perspectives from finance contacts and others who can look at the business objectively. His instinct is to keep money moving through metal: cars on the forecourt are what can be sold.

Grounded by Family

When asked about role models, Stewart points first to his father’s work ethic. At 66, his father still prefers to do jobs himself rather than pay someone else, a trait that has clearly influenced Stewart’s own approach. His wife is just as important in a different way, keeping him grounded through the pressures of running a business.

He is open about the burden business ownership can place on a family. If the company struggles, the consequences are not abstract; they can affect the family home, finances, mental health and daily life. That awareness has shaped his respect for the people closest to him.

Not for Show

One thing Stewart believes people misunderstand is the reason he drives distinctive cars. His wife, he says, sometimes jokes that he likes people looking at him. He insists the opposite is true. He enjoys cars because he enjoys cars, not because he wants attention.

The sign written van can draw eyes because it represents the business, but personal cars are different. Whether it is a bright Ferrari, Lamborghini, modified retro machine or carefully chosen set of wheels, the motivation is personal taste rather than performance for an audience. “Just a petrolhead through and through,” he says.

The Road Ahead

Elite Autos NI’s story is not one of overnight success. It is a story of calculated risk, family backing, long hours, hard lessons and a genuine obsession with cars. Stewart has built a business that can sell a practical diesel family car one day and a high-horsepower performance machine the next, while still keeping the conversation personal.

Eight years in, the business continues to evolve, shaped by social media, customer loyalty, a changing stock mix and the realities of running a small but ambitious dealership. For Stewart, though, the foundation remains exactly where it started: a love of cars, a willingness to work, and the belief that every mistake is part of the route forward.