Kiwi car lovers can now get their hands on Australia’s most prized car care products, Bowden’s Own, a family-owned business known for its high-quality, handmade products that don’t shy away from some tongue-in-cheek humour.
Since its inception in 2002, the Bowden’s Own range has expanded to over 100 highly effective car care products, including the much-loved Boss Gloss, Fully Slick, Wheely Clean, Naked Glass, and the cheekily-named Wet Dreams and Snow Job, many of which are still obsessively measured, blended and filled by hand from the family’s Sunshine Coast facility.
Dan Bowden, who founded the company alongside his brother Chris Bowden, said the products aren’t about flashy marketing or false promises, they’re about getting real results.
“We’ve spent years, sometimes over a decade, perfecting some of our formulas. One of our most popular products, Wheely Clean, for example, is an acid-free, super-effective.
The Bowden story dates back to 1925 when Dan Bowden’s grandfather, Frank, began selling Fords, sparking a passion for cars that would be passed down through generations. In 1937, Frank helped his son David, buy his first car, a ‘34 Ford, at just 12 years old, which he restored and traded up several times before getting his hands on a ‘32 Ford Roadster, which he customised into a hot rod and kept for years.
That early love affair with cars only grew, and today the Bowden family has amassed a collection of over 80 classic, sports, muscle, and race cars from Australia and New Zealand, mostly housed within their Queensland property, along with select models displayed in museums and showrooms around the country.
Caring for this collection is what started the Bowden’s Own range, “The business was born out of necessity, and the formulating began as a fun project in 1999 when we realised that many so-called ‘premium’ car care products were packed with cheap, harmful ingredients that didn’t cut it for the long-term care of our car collection.
“We chose to take matters into our own hands, ensuring that every product was developed with the same meticulous care that we put into looking after our own super-loved car collection.”
Today, Bowden’s Own is a cult favourite among Australian car lovers, celebrated for its superior quality and effectiveness as well as its cheeky, no-bulls**t attitude.
Beyond the products, Bowden’s Own is dedicated to the people who use them. With one of the largest Facebook detailing communities in the Southern Hemisphere and a thriving social media following, Bowden’s Own is dedicated to helping its customers get the most out of its gear.
“Whether it’s expert advice, pro tips, or just sharing a laugh or frothing over a clean ride, we’re as committed to our community as we are to our products.
“We’re stoked to finally bring Bowden’s Own to New Zealand. We know the Kiwi car scene is full of true, hardcore car fanatics who love their machines as much as we do, and we know they’ll appreciate a car care brand that’s created by fanatics, for fanatics,” said Dan.
Bowden’s Own is available at Supercheap Auto and Repco stores across New Zealand.
