See all Motoring NewsIreland’s leading importer of quality Japanese second-hand cars, the Automatic Motor Car Centre (AMCC.ie) based in Lusk, Co. Dublin, says that a ‘perfect storm’ of Brexit, ever increasing new car prices across Europe and Irish consumers’ more stringent demands for value for money are all contributing to the phenomenal growth in sales of second-hand cars imported here from Japan. Since 2018, when 2,621 vehicles were imported from Japan, that figure has grown to 22,482 vehicles year to date for 2024, meaning we are on course to finish the year with well in excess of 10 times the 2018 total.
Japan is now the number one source for second-hand imports in Ireland, displacing the UK which in the last 20 years saw huge increases in imported vehicles here. However, that all changed in 2019 when the number of UK imports peaked and then witnessed a sustained decline ever since, in large part, due to Brexit rules kicking in.
According to Cóilín Garvey, Sales Manager of AMCC.ie: “Brexit, with the mounds of extra bureaucracy and time involved in bringing in cars from the UK, is the number one reason which helped to boost the number of cars imported from Japan. Perhaps, in those early years, customers here may have been a bit wary of purchasing such second-hand Japanese cars as they were an unknown quantity, but very quickly motorists here cottoned on to the fact that Japanese imports are very well specced cars, much better than the average equivalent here in Ireland.
“Over time, the Japanese imports have proved to be super reliable and that is down to the fact that, in general, Japanese motorists look after their cars better than Irish drivers do and what’s more, Japan has one of the most advanced road infrastructures in the world, that all helps to improve the longevity of these cars. Another factor in the attractiveness of Japanese imports is that the models we bring in are generally packed with the latest technologies and that helps to make the cars top performers in terms of safety and fuel efficiency”.
Garvey added: “Approximately 25 percent of the cars we sell go to retail customers and the majority find a home at second-hand car dealers across the island of Ireland. For our trade customers, we are thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership with NextGear Capital, the largest provider of stock funding facilities for used vehicle dealers”.
Ireland Manager of NextGear Capital, Peter Molloy said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cóilín and the team at AMCC.ie to bring our expertise and tried and tested stock funding models for the benefit of AMCC’s car dealer customers. Our exclusive deal with AMCC.ie marks a significant milestone for the Irish market, as we are the first vehicle stock funder in Ireland to allow both registered and non-registered Japanese imports to be added to dealers’ stocking plans. We provide a cost effective, flexible and simple way for our car dealer customers to buy and manage their stock with 100 percent of the purchase price or market value funded”.
“Ultimately with a NextGear Capital Stocking Plan, our car dealer customers can increase, upgrade or diversify their stock, helping them to grow their business in a profitable and sustainable way”.
For more information on AMCC and to see their array of quality second-hand models, please visit amcc.ie and to find out more about how NextGear Capital’s stock funding plans can help bring car dealer business to the next level, please visit nextgearcapital.ie.