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Simon Shield Cars Ltd

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Simon Shield Cars Ltd

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Independent used car dealership near Ipswich 🚗
Buying & selling quality used cars since 1996. Friendly, honest advice with 30 years’ experience.

Researching your next used car but not sure where to start? You’re in the right place. Simon Shield Cars is an independent, family-run used car dealership based in Great Bricett, near Ipswich, Suffolk. We’ve been buying and selling quality used cars since 1996, and 2026 marks our 30th year in the trade. Proudly helping customers across Ipswich and the surrounding Suffolk area. Every car is personally handpicked and carefully checked before sale, including HPI checks for stolen, written-off or outstanding finance, so you can buy with confidence. We offer:

Friendly, honest advice with a no-pressure approach

Part exchange (up or down) with fair, transparent valuations

RAC warranties available for added peace of mind

You can view our current stock here on Facebook or on our website. If you’re looking for something specific, feel free to get in touch — we’re always happy to help.

📩 Contact us via Facebook Messenger or Instagram
📞 Or call us on 01473 658091

03/11/2026

Our “weekend off”? Let us tell you how it went. 😅

Saturday afternoon: Simon biked out to collect a car, dropped it at the office, then biked home.

Sunday: Same again. In between, he was on the phone 3 or 4 times, looking up prices, history and MOT details to help a customer buy their next car, so that we could take their lovely Golf convertible into stock. He also confirmed another customer had collected their new car, because there was a train ticket to buy for the morning. 🚆

Monday, 8am: Simon is on the train to Staplehurst to collect a BMW M140i and drive it back to the office. 🏎️

And that’s before the usual customer calls and messages, which Simon is answering until 10pm. 📱

Holidays? Wherever we are, the phone is on 24/7. Not because we have to, but because when you run a family business, your customers aren’t a number, they’re people who trust you.

We’ve been doing it this way in Suffolk since 1996. 500+ five-star reviews later, we wouldn’t change a thing. 💛

To every small business owner who’s spent a weekend like this one: we see you and we salute you.

👇 What did your weekend look like? And when did you last have a proper holiday without your phone ringing?

02/11/2026

Driving is freedom. Let’s keep it that way. 💛 For so many of us in Suffolk, the car is how we see family, get to appointments, pop to the shops and get out and about. And the right car can make every one of those journeys feel easier.

We’ve just put together a friendly guide to choosing a car as an experienced driver:

✅ Easy in, easy out
✅ Great all-round visibility
✅ Why so many people switch to an automatic
✅ Safety tech that quietly looks out for you
✅ Simple checks to make every journey less stressful

We’ve also shared a brilliant local scheme from Suffolk County Council called GrandDriver, with workshops and a practical session with a specially trained instructor.

Whether it’s for you, a parent or someone you love, it’s worth a read. 👇

Blog link in comments.

Know someone who’d find this useful? Tag them or share it with them. 🤝

Family-run, handpicked cars and no pressure, ever. That’s how we’ve done things since 1996. ⭐

31/10/2026

Halloween is the one day a year where being scared is the point.

Buying a used car shouldn’t be. But here’s what genuinely makes us wince when we’re looking at a car to buy: mismatched tyres. A key that’s “around somewhere”. A service book with a few pages mysteriously missing. A car that looks lovely, but something just doesn’t feel right.

Most of the time, we fix it. Sometimes, we walk away. You never see any of that, which is rather the point.

No tricks, just treats. Happy Halloween from all of us at Simon Shield Cars. 🎃

28/10/2026

Everyone’s got an opinion on today’s Budget. We’ve only got one question: what does it mean for your next car?

Fuel duty is frozen until July 2027, so it isn’t going up for now. Nothing has been cut at the pump either, though, so filling up costs what it cost yesterday.

If you charge a hybrid or EV at home, the VAT cut on household electricity has been extended. Public charging hasn’t had the same relief.

And if you drive for work in your own car, the 55p-per-mile business rate is now permanent. That’s for your first 10,000 business miles, and the rate above that goes up from April.

So what does it mean if you’re thinking about your next car? Mostly that the sums you were already doing still stand. What you drive, how far you go and where you charge or fill up matter more than anything announced today.

We’ve been helping Suffolk drivers work that out since 1996. If you’d like a straight, no-pressure chat about what would suit your mileage and your budget, pop in, ring Simon, or message us here.

27/10/2026

Nobody tells you the clocks going back is really a car problem. It’s dark before most of us have finished work now.

On a lot of Suffolk lanes there isn’t a street light for miles, so your headlights are doing all the work.

Before you set off this week, give the car five minutes. It costs nothing and you don’t need to be a mechanic.

1. Check your lights - all of them. Dipped, main beam, indicators, and brake lights. You can’t see your own brake lights, so ask someone to watch while you press the pedal, or reverse up to a shop window and look for the glow. Don’t forget the number plate light.

2. Wipers and washer fluid. If they smear, judder or squeak, they’re done. Low sun and wet roads are a rough combination.

3. Windscreen, inside and out. That hazy film on the inside is what makes oncoming headlights dazzle. A clean cloth and two minutes sorts it.

4. Tyre tread. Pop a 20p into the main grooves. If you can see the outer band of the coin, it’s worth getting them looked at. The legal minimum is 1.6mm, but wet autumn roads are when you’ll want more than that.

5. Dashboard. Any warning light that stays on after you start up is worth a phone call, not a “I’ll sort it later”.

We’ve put the full version on our website, including the battery, antifreeze and what to keep in the boot in case you get stuck. Link in the first comment.

If you check something and aren’t sure whether it matters, ask us. We’ll tell you straight, even if it means you don’t need to buy anything.

Simon: 07702 410254

23/10/2026

Well, that didn’t take long. 🎄😩 Okay, I need to confess something.

I was flicking through the radio in the car, minding my own business, and I stumbled across Heart Xmas. Apparently it’s been on DAB since the middle of September (which nobody warned me about!). And what was playing? Wham! “Last Christmas.” Of course it was. 🙈

So that’s me officially OUT of the Last Christmas game. It’s 23rd October. We haven’t even had Halloween yet. The clocks haven’t gone back. I had a perfectly good run going and it’s over before it began.

So come on, be honest with me... who’s still in, and who’s already heard it? 👇

And while we’re at it, what’s the earliest you’ve ever caved and put the Christmas music on? Is there a date in the year that’s just too early, or are you a “bring on the tinsel” person? 🎅

I’ll start: I’m firmly in the “not before December” camp, in theory at least. In practice, well, see above. 😄

Let us know in the comments, and I promise I won’t judge (much)!

Caroline

20/10/2026

Some sellers get nervous when a buyer asks for an inspection. We don’t.

We’ve just put a new blog on our website: should you get a health check or inspection before you buy a used car?

It’s an honest answer from a family-run dealership that’s been doing this since 1996. In it, we cover:

✔ What a health check or inspection actually looks at
✔ When it’s really worth having one (and when it might not be)
✔ What to do if you’re buying from a long way away
✔ Five questions to ask any seller

We think a car you’re happy to put in front of an expert should never have a problem with it. A seller who is open about that is usually one worth buying from.

Blog link in comments.

Thinking of buying, or just want a second opinion on a car you’ve seen? Call Simon on 07702 410254 or message us here.

19/10/2026

“Genuinely honest.” That’s how the new owner of Simon’s Lexus described him. This Lexus LC 500 in Naples Yellow was Simon’s. He bought it for himself, and it was meant to stay that way. Then, after last week’s car show, he changed his mind and put it up for sale.

Within days, a buyer from Devon had asked for a Lexus health check before going any further. It came back fine, and on Saturday they made the journey to Suffolk and drove it home.

Congratulations to its new owners. We hope it gives you as much pleasure as it gave Simon.

We like it when buyers ask for a check. We’d rather someone feels completely sure than just hopeful. We’ve been doing this since 1996, and it’s still the way we like to do it: handpicked cars, honest answers and nothing to hide.

If you’ve got a car you’d like us to look at, or you’re after something special that hasn’t made it onto our website yet, call Simon on 07702 410254 or message us here.

16/10/2026

We’ve just taken in a 2018 (68) Škoda Karoq 2.0 TDI SE L. Four-wheel drive, six-speed manual, and 23,800 miles from new.

It came to us directly from its second owner, a retired customer who bought it from Underwoods in Colchester when it was a couple of months old. It’s been looked after properly, and it shows.

Simon’s walked around it so you can see for yourself. The highlights:

Rear seats that slide, recline and lift out completely
A removable Brink tow bar that’s professionally fitted, locks in place, and disappears when you don’t need it
A proper space saver spare wheel, which isn’t on every one.
Keyless entry and start, with mirrors that fold themselves.
Active cruise control, 18" alloys, heated seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Front and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera.

There’s also a detachable boot light that doubles as a torch. Typical Škoda.

Video’s above. Full photos and service history are on the website, or ring Simon on 07702 410254.

£13,995

14/10/2026

Most SUVs come with a spare wheel. This one comes with an umbrella and a torch.

That’s the thing about Škoda’s “Simply Clever” thinking. It’s all the little details you don’t notice until the first rainy school run, when you’re very glad of them.

2018 (68) Škoda Karoq 2.0 TDI SE L 4WD, 6-speed manual, with 23,800 miles and two owners.

Here’s what we love about it:

🔹 4WD and a 2.0 TDI, so it’s properly capable when the Suffolk lanes turn muddy
🔹 A detachable towbar with a 1,800kg braked towing capacity (740kg unbraked), so the caravan, trailer or bike rack is sorted, and the towbar is out of sight when you don’t need it
🔹 Alcantara upholstery that looks and feels a cut above
🔹 Rear seats that remove completely, so it can be a family car on Monday and a van on Saturday
🔹 A detachable torch in the boot, for the moments you’ll be glad of it
🔹 That umbrella (we did mention it)

It has a space-saver spare wheel, and we’d always rather tell you that now than have you find out later.

£13,995. Handpicked, the way we’ve done it since 1996.

Come and have a look, take it for a drive and ask us anything. Simon, 07702 410254. Click on the product tag on the image or go to our website.

Address

Simon Shield Cars Ltd, Great Bricett
Ipswich
IP77DR

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm
Saturday	9am - 6pm

Telephone

+441473658091

Website

http://www.simonshieldcars.co.uk/

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