Tucked away on a road alongside the A52, a community has spoken of life next to a “campus of automobiles”, where neighbors cannot help but look through the windows of supercar dealers. Neighbors and traders on Lenton Lane, which is a popular destination for car buyers, said the location is the city’s ‘centre of gravity’ when it comes to luxury automobiles.
Some of the car dealers that lay here include big names like Ferrari, Maserati and BMW. Matthew Kidd, head of business at the Sytner group, welcomed Nottinghamshire Live inside the BMW showroom.
Prospective customers were enjoying a coffee while others were examining luxury cars spread across the showroom. Mr Kidd said: “The location is like a campus of automobiles, and people drive here to have the full experience. We will feed you, we will treat you and some people spend the whole day here.”
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He said the showroom used to be located on Huntingdon Street in the city centre. “We were the first ones to come here in Lenton”, Mr Kidd added.
“And then everyone followed. It has become a center of gravity in Nottingham when it comes to cars. One of the benefits is that people come here knowing what they are looking for.
“There is a number of reasons for choosing this location. You will need a big space for a car showroom, you will need a large parking space for example – and that would be difficult if you are located in the city center.
“The land is also generally a lot cheaper in a suburb than in the city centre. We transformed this area completely, and we welcome everyone here, even if they just want to have a look.”
Christian Cowlishaw, a cleaner in the area, said he cannot help but look through the showroom’s window when he passes by. The 29-year-old added: “It is a bit strange because the majority of people living here could never afford to buy a car like this. I do not know many people who come here.
“It is not a rich area, the people here are not rich. So it is a bit strange.
“But it is nice to walk near it. I sometimes look through the window at the cars. The reality is that rich people usually live in the city centre.”
Tom Walks, a student living in Lenton, added: “I think it is a bit odd. I do not think it is a rich area, but the people who can really afford to buy a car like that would actually drive here.”
The 22-year-old added: “It shows that the welfare of the city can look very different depending on where you live. But I would not think that this is a rich area. It is a bit strange.”
Nicole Brown, a student living near the car retail park, added: “I always notice them when I drive on the highway and I think it is really strange.”
The 20-year-old said: “It is more like a student area, so I do not understand who they are targeting. We are clearly not the buyers they are looking for. It is not like the people living here could ever afford those cars.”
