Back in 1950, there was one name you turned to when it came to anything to do with suspension and steering systems.
Today, 71 years later, that hasn’t changed. Autolign is still recognised as New Zealand’s leading suspension and steering specialist.
For many of the customears that you’ll see coming into your shop, what they think they know about suspension systems could be written in four-foot-high letters on the head of a pin.
Not their fault; for most people, suspension systems falls into the category of ‘I know its there and I sort of know what it does, but I can’t see it, so I don’t need to worry about it.’
These customers are the ones which you are going to have a ‘bit of a long conversation with’ and they’re not easy to identify.
Their vehicles could be anything from an early 60s to 2022 model and the reason they are coming to you – more often than not – is because a testing station or a tyre shop has said something like, “mate, we can’t do anything with it. You need to go and see a specialist.”
And this is the how and why this person turned up on your doorstep. Nice to know they think of your shop as a ‘specialist’ isn’t it?
And therein lies the rub; most workshops don’t really have the suspension knowledge of every vehicle right there to hand, so there may be times when you need a well, let’s not say “real specialist’’ but a specialist with more knowledge of the dark art of suspension than you might have.
Autolign has an extensive history in dealing with suspension and steering systems and in that time, the Autolign brand has been the front of mind brand when it comes to shocks, struts, swaybars and expert knowledge on all of the above.
Exclusive experts in the field, Autolign has been following the ups and downs – and side to side – trends and materials of the suspension and steering industry, it’s fair to say there has been quite a bit of movement and technological advancement in the field.
All of which of course, Autolign has kept abreast of, but there have been some changes of fortune for the Autolign brand as well.
Today, Autolign trade outlets and the public facing Shock Shop franchises, make up the suspension and steering arm of the BnT group, which is in turn, part of Australasian auto giant Bapcor.
This goes a long way to ensuring Autolign has access to the latest technology and know-how from major suspension and steering industry names including, but not limited to: Bilstein, Monroe, Rancho, Tein, Powerdown and Superpro suspension parts.
Furthermore, the brand has a nationwide footprint which means whenever you need the right advice or the right component, there’s an Autolign expert handy to you.
Part of the Autolign mission – other than providing a first-class specialist service delivering top quality parts and expertise to the trade and wholesale market – is to educate its customers, and through them, their customers or the general motoring population – on how crucial it is to learn more about their vehicle’s suspension.
Oh yes, there will be some who know a lot about suspension setups and they’re usually driving some heavily modified ute or SUV – they’re the ones who would use Autolign’s specialist within a specialist brand, Racelign.
In general terms however, the average Kiwi motorist does need a little help when it comes to the dark art of steering and suspension.
As part of the business model of doing one thing and doing it well, Autolign has gone from being an expert supplier, to an expert educator and frequently offers free training course to upskill those in the industry so that their knowledge can be passed onto the customer.
Did you know, the average Australian motorist is educated enough to replace their shock absorbers three times as often as New Zealand motorists?
It’s alarming to think we are so far behind the 8-ball when it comes to automotive knowledge and just look at the business that’s obviously being missed.
“It’s stuff like this,” says Autolign’s business manager Bevan Killian, “which tells us how valuable an asset Autolign is and – factoring in the brand’s expansion over the last 70 years, the solid service and the business intelligence, Autolign is a business which will continue to serve New Zealand motorists for a long time into the future.”
And part of that business intelligence Bevan alluded to comes to light in the form of kiwi ingenuity and practicality, with a great example being the Lift Junkie product, something Bevan and division manager Kris Taunt have taken from a cradle concept to a rampant success.
“We saw the trend of the ute replacing the family car when it first started to have an impact on car sales,” explains Kris “and as time went on, Kiwi’s – in their usual fashion – kept asking for this component or that component to personalise their utes.
“Gradually, it became obvious that a lot of the things being asked for were quite commonly requested and ordered together, so we came up with the Lift Junkie program.”
Effectively, Lift Junkie kits are a bespoke collection of quality components which could be packaged together to make an everything you need to improve ground clearance, enhance handling and driveability and allow additional GVM load carrying solution.
And because Lift Junkie kits are supplied through Autolign, you know the components have been carefully selected and will meet the requirements of OEM manufacturers.
“The program has surprised us,” adds Kris. “We knew it was good because we know the quality of the components and we have the expertise and experience to develop the kits, but even so, we have been surprised by the popularity of the Lift Junkie kits. It’s actually a very strong reflection on the trust our trade customers have in us to provide the right components for their customers.”
So, while all the noise in the industry at present seems to be around electric/hybrid/hydrogen powered vehicles, all of which have their ground-breaking developments, what keeps our vehicles safely on the roads remains a constant: the suspension.
And looking after that constant, just as it has for 71 years, is Autolign.
