‘I sold more than 100 cars before I knew how to drive’
‘I sold more than 100 cars before I knew how to drive’
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When most teenagers were worrying about their GCSEs or saving for their first bike, Morgan Wilce was already buying and selling cars – despite being years away from passing his test.
By the time he turned 17, he had sold close to 100 vehicles. Today, he owns Birchwood Motors, a Cardiff dealership that has grown from a business based at his parents’ house into a business turning over millions of pounds a year.
“It all started when I was 14,” he said. “After a bit of experience working in a local dealership, I bought my first car. I just kept going from there.”
Wilce’s first break came when he stopped at a local dealership on his way home from school. He had passed the showroom many times before and admired the cars on display.
“I went in and spoke directly to the owner, Tim,” he recalled. “I asked him for a job, and I think he saw something in me because he offered me one on the spot.”
At the time, Wilce wasn’t even concerned about earning a wage. “I said I didn’t want to be paid, I just wanted to learn the trade,” he said. “In fairness, Tim was very fair with me. He gave me a Saturday job cleaning cars – and paid me anyway.”
That modest start gave him valuable hands-on training. “I started learning the ropes and quite quickly moved on to test drives with customers, talking to them, learning the sales process and the buying process. We even went to auctions together,” he said. “I realised pretty quickly that I could do it on my own.”
The opportunity came through his paper round. In the newsagent’s window was a green Volkswagen Polo for £1,200.
“I thought, if I sold my mountain bike and added the money I’d saved from working for Tim, I could probably buy it – and I reckoned I could sell it for a profit too,” Wilce said.
As he couldn’t yet drive, the elderly seller took him round the block, and a colleague later delivered the car home for him. Then Wilce set to work. “I cleaned it myself, polished it myself and then listed it for sale,” he said. “Within two or three days, I’d sold it for a £500 profit.”
That deal was the turning point. “As you can imagine, I was instantly hooked,” he said. “For a 14-year-old to make £500 in a matter of days was unbelievable money. I just haven’t looked back since.”
By the time he passed his driving test, Wilce was already an established trader.
“I did my theory test as soon as I could, and then the practical,” he said. “By that point I’d definitely sold dozens, if not nearly 100 cars. I’d been trading a lot.”
He believes he always had the instincts of a salesman. “Even in school, I was buying sweets and selling them to other kids. I sold mountain bikes, I sold Xboxes. I’d always bought and sold things, usually buying locally and then advertising them in a way that appealed to more people,” he explained.
“Cars were just a bigger version of that – and I’d always had a passion for them, which made it easier.”
Wilce initially ran Birchwood Motors from his parents’ home. But it didn’t take long before neighbours became frustrated at cars lining the street. “The neighbours were pretty upset, so I thought I needed to get a site,” he admitted.
The gamble of going it alone quickly paid off. “Within a year, I’d outgrown the site and had to move again,” he said. “Now we’re on our third premises, and the business has grown really quickly.”
Birchwood Motors takes its name from the area where Wilce grew up. The company colours are green – a decision that links both to his first Polo and his environmental commitments.
“My first car was green, and our branding is green,” he said. “We also plant a tree for every car we sell. I think green sets us apart – most dealerships use red or blue, but green is different.”
From selling ten cars a month from his parents’ driveway, Birchwood now shifts more than 80 a month.
“The growth has been phenomenal, and turnover is now in the millions because of the high-value cars we sell.”
Wilce is proud of how far the business has come – but says he’s only just getting started. “I see things growing exponentially,” he said. “I don’t want to stop here. I’d love to open a second premises in South Wales, then expand nationwide and compete to be one of the biggest dealerships in the country.”
One of Birchwood’s strengths has been focusing on affordable used cars – a part of the market where demand has grown as new vehicles have become more expensive.
“I’m glad those are the ones we offer,” Wilce said. “The cost of new cars nowadays is ridiculous – they’re so overpriced. I’m proud that we sell eight to ten-year-old vehicles, and we make sure they’re properly warranted and prepped so people can buy safely at a reasonable price.”
Most of what he has learned mechanically has been through trial and error. “You have an issue with a particular type of car, you fix it, and you learn,” he said. “Over time you start checking for those common issues before they come up again.”
That hasn’t stopped him from dreaming big. “I’m a bit of a Ferrari fan,” he said. “The LaFerrari is probably the best car of all time in my opinion. I was fortunate enough to drive one once, and I was very impressed.”
From a schoolboy flipping a green Polo to running one of Cardiff’s fastest-growing dealerships, Morgan’s story is a lesson in ambition, persistence, and a passion for cars.
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