A planning application has been submitted to change a High Street car showroom into six flats and a shop.
Ray Corbett of Brown’s Motors said he is looking at retiring if permission is granted by Telford & Wrekin chiefs.
“I am tentatively looking into it,” he said. “It will ultimately mean me retiring but at the moment it’s business as usual.
“Once the planning permission has been granted I’ll be coming out.
“The workshop will carry on under new ownership, but the showroom will close.”
Brown’s Motors has been in Newport for more than 51 years.
Mr Corbett himself has worked at the business for around 50 years having started as an apprentice mechanic at the age of 17.
He moved into sales before buying out the previous owners in 1973.
Now 67, popular Mr Corbett, originally from Edgmond, said he is keen to wind down.
The application is for six one bedroom flats with 12 parking spaces.
There would also be a shop with 70 square metres of floorspace. The shop would be created by adding a brick wall down one side of the current showroom.
That would create a passageway to the new accomodation. Folding doors currently on the front of the property would be replaced with a normal brick shop frontage.
The offices currently above the showroom and the workshop at the back would remain. The property - 23 High Street - has been on the market with Tempertons estate agents since February 2009.
In a letter as part of the application, Tempertons confirmed that there had been no interest or offers so far.
All neighbours have been consulted about the plans and so far there have been no objections.
Shropshire Council, however, has requested a programme of archaeological work as part of the development to establish whether there is any medieval remains on the site.
By Sean Wozencroft