We want to highlight an exciting opportunity for our UK and Ireland dealers. Nichibo has partnered with NextGear Capital, the UK’s leading wholesale funding specialist, to offer stocking funding to UK and Republic of Ireland dealers sourcing vehicles with Nichibo through their Stocking Plan. This makes NextGear Capital the first stock funder in the UK to support imports from Japan. Finally, a funding solution that actually understands this market.

If you’ve been importing vehicles from Japan to the UK or Ireland, you know the funding challenge all too well. You spot the perfect vehicle at auction, but your capital is already tied up in three other shipments that won’t arrive for another month. You want to bid on that Grade 4.5 Golf that you know will fly off your forecourt, but you’re waiting for last month’s stock to sell. Every import dealer knows this juggling act. It’s what limits your growth potential.

We’ve heard this story countless times from dealers across the UK and Ireland. You’re running a successful operation, but funding keeps putting you on the back foot. Great opportunities arise and you end up passing on vehicles you know would sell quickly. The timing simply never aligns with your available capital.

That’s exactly why this partnership matters. With it now in place, dealers using Nichibo’s platform can load vehicles imported from Japan as trade source vehicles within their NextGear Capital Stocking Plan. Crucially, they can fund purchases without tying up capital upfront. Unregistered vehicles sourced from overseas often take longer to retail, with longer wait times for shipping, customs and registration.

Why NextGear Capital Changes Everything for Dealers

Here’s the reality we’ve observed working with hundreds of dealers: most funding solutions simply don’t understand sourcing vehicles from Japan. They see “imported vehicles” and either run away completely or offer terms that make no sense for your business model. They don’t understand why a vehicle imported from Japan is generally better than the same model sourced locally.

“As competition for quality stock continues to intensify, our new partnership with Nichibo opens up a new and desirable source of vehicles for dealers across the UK and Ireland. By enabling imports from Japan to be funded through their existing Stocking Plan, we’re giving dealers the freedom to diversify their stock mix and access global inventory without tying up their own capital, helping dealers to stay agile in an increasingly competitive market.” Zoe Sutton, Head of Partnerships and SBS, NextGear Capital. 

What makes this NextGear Capital opportunity work:

• The only specialist import from Japan funder – no other stock funder focuses specifically on vehicles imported from Japan
• Complete sourcing freedom – buy locally or from any auction with Nichibo
• Full purchase coverage – up to £75,000 per vehicle, they fund 100%* of your hammer price plus auction and shipping costs
• Flexible payment structure – have vehicles stay on plan for up to 120 days for independent dealers and 150 days for franchise dealers
• Always-on access – check your account and manage your plan anytime, day or night

*100% of vehicle cost and disbursements (shipping and buyer fees) excluding Car Custom Agent fees on registered and unregistered vehicles, up to the value of £75,000.

NextGear Capital is the first stock funder in the market that funds imports from Japan as their core business, not as a side service. They are not distracted by retail customers. Instead, they focus purely on helping dealers access more stock and grow faster. With over 900,000 vehicles funded and £8 billion in vehicle value behind them, they have proven they understand the wholesale business. Furthermore, they work with more UK auction houses than any other funder. Funding facilities start from £50K in the UK and €60K in Ireland, sized right for serious import dealers.

What This Means for Your Dealership

We’ve always been focused on helping dealers buy the right vehicles with complete confidence. Our inspection process, our market intelligence, our logistics management, everything we do is designed to eliminate the uncertainty and risk from sourcing vehicles from Japan. Now, with this NextGear Capital imports from Japan funding opportunity available, you can access more of the right vehicles without the traditional capital constraints.

Think about your current operation for a moment. If you’re currently importing 15 to 20 vehicles per month, what would 25 to 30 do for your business? The vehicles are certainly available, with 140,000+ across Japan’s auction network each week. Additionally, the market demand is there. Vehicles imported from Japan continue to be popular with UK and Ireland customers.

Ready to explore what’s possible?

Contact us to learn more about how NextGear Capital imports from Japan funding can work with your Nichibo imports, or speak directly with NextGear Capital about their stocking plans. After 36 years in this business, we’ve seen what happens when dealers have the right vehicles and the right funding structure. Together, they form a powerful combination that can transform a good dealership into a great one.

Your success is our success. We’re always looking for opportunities that can help you build the dealership you want.

NextGear Capital is a product brand of Cox Automotive, providing flexible stock funding to independent used vehicle dealers across the UK and Ireland. Credit facilities start from £50K (UK) / €60K (ROI). Visit NextGear Capital website for more information about their funding solutions.