NextGear Capital is the first vehicle stock funder to add Japanese imports to stocking plans

Used car Japanese imports into Ireland overtake UK for the first time

While the industry still faces the challenges of Covid-19 including volatile car prices and decreased demand, it can be easy to forget the impact of Brexit on the used car market – which for Ireland, has advanced the number of Japanese imports by a whopping 757%. 

Despite the UK seeing huge increases in imported vehicles to Ireland over the last 20 years, 2019 saw the numbers peak and slowly decline following new Brexit rules around trading vehicles. Five years on, Japan is now officially the number one driver for second hand imported cars into Ireland, knocking the UK off the top spot. 

Breaking down the figures, 2018 saw 2,621 vehicles imported from Japan into Ireland, compared to 2024 which has seen 22,482 used cars imported to date.  

For Cóilín Garvey, Sales Manager at The Automatic Motor Car Centre (AMCC) which specialises in Japanese imports, this is down to a few key factors:  

Bureaucracy changes  

Garvey explains: “With Brexit came mounds of extra bureaucracy and time needed to successfully bring used cars into Ireland from the UK.  

“Naturally this impacts dealers’ decision to continue trading with the UK, while opening up the potential for trade between other countries, like Japan.” 

Attitude towards Japanese second-hand vehicles 

Garvey continues: “Years ago, customers may have been wary of purchasing second hand Japanese cars, as the quality was less known. But it’s clear now, as time has gone on, that Japanese imports are high spec with the latest technologies that help ensure fuel efficiency, as well as being super reliable.  

“A lot of that comes from the cultural differences. For example, Japanese motorists generally take better care of their vehicles, and the country has one of the most advanced road infrastructures in the world, which helps improve the longevity of the cars.”  

For businesses like AMCC, 75% of their stock goes onto used car dealer forecourts across Ireland and until now, there’s been no funding support for these vehicles – which is where NextGear Capital comes in.  

To help facilitate this increased demand for Japanese imports, NextGear Capital are proud to announce they’ll be the first vehicle stock funder to allow both registered and non-registered Japanese imports to be added to dealers’ stocking plans.  

See how NextGear Capital can help support your dealer funding needs, book an appointment today.