Rugby petrolheads go from selling cars on their driveways to launching brand new showroom

Two Rugby entrepreneurs are celebrating after transforming a used car business during lockdown that’s seen them go from selling vehicles from a driveway to opening their own bespoke showroom.

Best friends Steve Kempster and Richard Turrall had both spent ten years working in dealership chains across the region.

After losing his job at the start of the pandemic, Steve risked everything to fulfil a lifelong dream of having his own independent dealership.

Owner of Klassified Cars, Steve Kempster, 34, said: “I had £2,000 in savings and I invested it all in two cars. At the same time, I built a website myself, started an account with Auto Trader and registered the business. I made the most of every moment and managed to sell 10 cars within the first month, all from my driveway.

“There’s not many car salespeople that can say they worked from home, but the low overheads enabled me to invest in more stock in the early days and I focused on showcasing my range online – which worked particularly well during the pandemic.”

Richard Turrall had always shared his friend’s dream and a few months later he joined Klassified Cars as Director. Together they have sold over 300 cars in three years from Steve’s driveway in Rugby.

After several months of searching, the petrolheads finally discovered a suitable location for their first showroom, based on Somers Road in Rugby. The unit was in a state of disrepair, so the duo spent four months transforming the warehouse into their dream car shop.

With the paint just about dry, Steve and Richard celebrated all that they have achieved in an open day on Sunday, October 22, attended by family, friends and customers.

Director at Klassified Cars, Richard Turrall, 33, said: “As car enthusiasts ourselves, we always wanted our own venue where the vehicles were the star of the show. Our Rugby unit is exactly what we were after – its industrial décor mixes perfectly with the modern artwork we’ve installed, creating a cool yet inviting space for our customers.

“At Klassified Cars, the customer experience is paramount, and our new showroom has helped us elevate that offering. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional service, transparent pricing and tailored solutions, ensuring a hassle-free and enjoyable car buying process.”

The open day crowd was wowed by a fleet of immaculately cleaned and meticulously curated used cars, with the majority being German brands (Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen). Even the youngsters managed to get involved, with a hot pink ride-on Lamborghini Sián being taken for laps around the showroom during the festivities.

Reflecting on their success, Steve, said: “People keep asking me how we’ve managed to achieve so much in such a short space of time and I only have two words: hard work. It really is as simple as that. From buying the first couple of cars to doing most of the renovations to the showroom ourselves, we’ve constantly given it our all.

“I think our open day was the first time we both stood back and took it all in. We’re both so proud, but certainly don’t take anything for granted and we really want expand the company further in the future, offering a wider range of cars to our growing customer base.

“If anyone is thinking of following their passion and setting up a business they’ve always dreamed of, I would say go for it. Being your own boss is incredibly rewarding and I am so lucky to be doing what I truly love day in, day out.”