Trade Centre Wales will develop Europe’s largest used car showroom in Coventry as part of growth plans outside its home territory of Wales.

The used car supermarket group, Trading as Trade Centre UK in its new more Easterly territory, will create around 140 jobs as part of its plans to create the new dealership in the sprawling former premises of Leekes furniture store.

A total of 1,000 cars will be held at the new site, with 400 housed in the giant indoor showroom.

“Local, enthusiastic individuals with a flair for dealing with people” are now being sought to staff the business, which is situated alongside the A444 on the Amphion Business Park, the Coventry Telegraph reported.

Trade Centre UK, which operates Neath, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff North sites in Wales, spread its influence into England with the opening of a Wednesbury in April last year.

The planned facility in Coventry will be its fifth showroom.

Quoted in the Coventry Telegraph, Trade Centre UK chairman, Mark Bailey, said: “We are proud and excited to be launching the latest Trade Centre UK outlet in Coventry.

“Thousands of Midlands car shoppers each month already choose The Trade Centre UK to provide their new car and we are looking forward to providing the same great value as we open in Coventry in May 2018.

“We are very impressed with the local candidates recruited so far and look forward to welcoming more to the Trade Centre UK team.”

In August last year The Trade Centre Wales reported pre-tax profits £10m ahead of 2016 in a trading update for the first two-thirds of this year.

The Neath-based car supermarket operator achieved a record £17m turnover in July last year and sales director Andy Wildy claimed at the time that the business was on track to more than quadruple profit over a four-year period, adding that 2018 will see the business deliver over £25m pre-tax profit, compared to £5.6m in 2014.

Wildy said: “Everyone is working very hard here to make that happen.”