Garage visit 19 www.aftermarketonline.net APRIL 2026 undertaken at the garage includes coolant, brake pads, and brake fluid replacement, with one member of staff having received relevant EV training to date. The garage is located in a former car showroom, with the workshop at the back and what is now a neighbouring scooter shop occupying what previously served as the showroom. Situated on Beaconsfield Road, a busy commuter route in and out of the seaside town, Brighton MoT Centre lies in the shadow of the imposing London Road Viaduct – a magnificent 27-arch Victorian railway structure dating back to the mid-1800s. The business also has ‘celebrity status’, having served as the setting for a fictional crime scene in an episode of the TV detective series Grace. Scheduling of the shoot was organised around quieter periods to minimise disruption, and the production team compensated the garage for its starring role. Adam is low-key about the garage’s brush with TV stardom, but said feedback was good from some customers who recognised the location and later mentioned the appearance on television. Back in the real world, present-day issues facing the business include the debate swirling around the MoT price cap. Adam said he supports increasing the cap, noting that the current rates have not kept pace with inflation. “We have to be realistic and understand that £40 charged in 2008 would not buy you the same in 2026.” As reported by Aftermarket previously, nearly two-thirds of garage owners are in favour of increasing the MoT price cap, according to analysis published earlier this year by BookMyGarage. However, the comparison site also noted that tests performed by workshops on the BookMyGarage platform had been discounted over the past two years. MoT pricing at Adam’s garage has increased from £40 pre-pandemic to £50 in recent years, reflecting higher costs and the impact of COVID-19related business disruption. But Adam said the garage no longer offers bundled discounts on MoT and servicing, a practice discontinued in the last decade. Meanwhile, free on-street parking that was available outside the garage in the early days of the business is no more. Over the years, parking restrictions have increased, and the situation has become increasingly challenging for customers dropping off their cars – and for Adam and his team getting vehicles into the workshop. “Stricter enforcement by the council is a key operational challenge for us in terms of customers being able to visit without incurring parking fines. It’s a shame, really, because if you’re busy and you’re popular and you’re doing the right thing as a business, it would be good to see the local council taking that into account,” Adam concluded. The business also has celebrity status
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