NK Motors opens used car showroom 25 years after acquisition

Derby-based NK Motor Group, one of the UK’s top-performing car dealerships, is set to open a new showroom in Long Eaton, 25 years after acquiring the site.

Located on Tamworth Road, the Long Eaton showroom was leased to Pidcock Motorcycles from 2014 until that company entered administration last year.

Branded as ‘NK Motors - The Used Car Centre,’ the new site will provide space for 80 used vehicles, with an additional overflow showroom for 40 more cars planned at another nearby NK Motors property.

NK Motors operates one of the UK’s best-performing Kia dealerships, with its flagship showroom in Orient Way, Pride Park, and a second site at Eldon Road Business Park, Chilwell. Both locations handle significant new and used Kia sales.

Sanj Kumar, commenting on the reopening the Long Eaton site, said: “It’s an incredible feeling to see the place where I started my career come back to life as our latest showroom. Back then, we were selling just 60 cars a month, and now we’ve grown into a major dealership, particularly through our partnership with Kia. Having outgrown this site in 2014, we’re eager to restore it as a key hub for used cars.”

The newly recruited staff are undergoing training at NK Motors’ existing sites in Pride Park and Chilwell to prepare for the opening. The Long Eaton showroom will feature vehicles ranging from £5,000 to £50,000, and the group is offering above-market rates to sellers to build inventory ahead of the opening in early April.

Since regaining possession of the site in November 2024, NK Motors has invested around £100,000 in refurbishments and repairs.

“It was unfortunate to see Pidcock Motorcycles go into administration,” said Sanj. “But the timing aligned perfectly with our growth plans, making it the right decision to reclaim the site. Initially, we considered re-opening it as a motorbike franchise, but due to market challenges, we opted to return to our roots with a dedicated used car centre.”

NK Motors, which employs 80 staff, generated approximately £80 million in revenue in 2024 and is aiming for a milestone £100 million turnover in 2025. The company leases over 1,000 fleet vehicles to business clients annually, sells around 1,000 new Kia cars each year, and has set a target of 3,500 used car sales for 2025

NK Motor Group’s Kia dealership in Derby reached a major milestone with its 35,000th car driven off the forecourt since relocating to its Pride Park site in 2005.

The dealership, which also sells around 200 used cars monthly from its Derby and Chilwell locations, exceeded 2,500 new Kia sales last year despite undergoing a major refurbishment at its Pride Park site.