Meet Stan: the UK's first independent bodyshop AI

Stanways Autobodies team 14 June 2026 5 min read

There's a new face on our website, and his name is Stan. He's an AI built specifically for Stanways, the first of his kind from an independent bodyshop in the UK. Upload a few photos of your damage and he'll give you an honest, indicative repair estimate in minutes, from your phone, for free. Here's what he does, and just as importantly, what he doesn't.

Who is Stan?

Stan isn't a chatbot bolted on to look modern. He's a working tool. Show him photos of accident damage and he assesses what he can see, gives you an indicative repair range, and flags things worth knowing, like whether the damage looks structural, or whether your car will need its driver-assistance systems recalibrating once the repair is done. He lives on our website and he's there whenever you are, including the evening after a knock when the workshop is shut.

Why we built him

Getting a repair estimate has always meant booking the car in, waiting, and finding out later. We thought there was a better way. Stan gives you a sense of the likely cost up front, in your own time, with no obligation and no pushy phone call afterwards. Insurers already use AI to assess damage from photographs. It seemed only fair that our customers should have their own, working for them rather than for the insurer.

What Stan is not

Stan is honest about his limits, and so are we. His estimate is a guide, not a binding quote. He works from photos, and photos don't show everything. Hidden damage behind a bumper or a panel only reveals itself once the car is apart. So every figure Stan gives is checked and confirmed by our estimator in person before any work begins. He will never quietly inflate a number or steer you towards a repair you don't need. And if the damage looks like something that needs a proper in-person look, he'll say so rather than guess.

Always free

Stan is free for everyone, whether you end up booking with us or not. No sign-up wall, no harvesting your email before he'll help, no catch. If all you want is a ballpark figure before you decide what to do next, that is a perfectly good reason to use him.

He talks like a Lancastrian

We gave Stan a personality on purpose. He speaks plain English, no jargon, with a bit of Lancashire warmth. If it's bad news, he'll tell you straight. If it's nothing to worry about, he'll put your mind at rest. He carries the name in the spirit of the family business he represents, here in Lytham St Annes since the workshop first opened.

Want to try him? Stan is waiting on our AI estimate page. Upload your photos and see what he makes of it. And if you would rather talk to a human, we're always on 01253 735544.