Devonport Car Co and their staff

Devonport Cars, established in 1995, is a locally-owned and operated pre-loved car yard directly importing Japanese cars. We source directly from our trusted suppliers in Japan. For your peace of mind, all our cars are AA appraised when we receive them and any faults are rectified and your vehicle is given, at minimum, a basic lube.  Our staff are friendly and approachable and will help you find the best vehicle for your needs.  If we haven't got the car you want on our lot, or in our storage yard, we can even source it for you either direct from Japan or from elsewhere in New Zealand.  Because we are committed to the wellbeing of the community and aim always for repeat business, we only offer quality vehicles you can trust and warranties are always available. 

Browse through our online selection of cars or contact us to talk through your used Japanese car needs today.

Derek Rountree Owner of Devonport Car Co

After 14 years owning Devonport Car Company I still love it! The used car industry throws curve balls at dealers all the time but I keep battling on and my formula must be more right than wrong. I started in retail in 1978 at Brian Pickworth Sports in the Strand Arcade, Queen St. I was head-hunted (I like to think so anyway??) by Tisdalls Sports Shop and worked there until 1984 when I went on my big OE to London.
Returning in 1986 besides a lawn mowing round, my first effort in retail (a share in a ski shop) was a bit of a failure, due mainly to a lack of snow in the late 80s. However, I got a break to work at Point Cars in 1989 and then bought a share in the business in 1990.
In 1994 I set up Shore Cars and sold out in 1995 to set up Devonport Car Company.

I remember being very nervous setting up in Belmont because the previous dealer there had run down the yard and it looked tired and shabby. However, soon after starting in May 1995 it became obvious that Belmont was going to be a good spot for a car yard and I've never looked back. We sell about 25 cars a month, which amazes a lot of people, but we have always had regular good repeat customers at Belmont which carries us through lean times.
I directly source my stock from Japan and I use two export companies there whose staff carefully appraise vehicles I select before bidding on them. All our cars odometers are checked before shipping too.
With new emission laws now in place, it is now impossible to import most vehicles older than 2001/02. I think it a great idea as we have sufficient "second time around imports" from the mid to late 90s to satisfy demand for this price range and we don't need to import more. Consumers are demanding more airbags and safety options not available in vehicles from 10 years ago.
Import figures for the first half of 2009 are dramatically down on 2007/8 numbers, which will help stabilise prices in the market. An over-supplied market is no good for buyers or sellers in the long term. With a downturn in the NZ and world economy and a negative trend in the Kiwi dollar, the industry has never been more interesting. On a positive note, many of the part-time cowboy dealers are getting out because it's become too hard, which in theory makes it better for Devonport Car Company and other traders in it for the long haul.

Bruce Aitken Sales and Reco manager