I am a certifiable car nut. In my stable, I have access to 12 different cars; granted, only seven of them actually run. I am on a first-name basis with all the guys at the local parts store. I can probably spend a good hour at any Kragen or AutoZone and easily drop $100 without breaking a sweat. On any given weekend, I'll wash three different vehicles. Oil changes are pretty much a bi-monthly routine.
So when I heard that Autobacs Seven Co., Ltd. was planning on opening its first U.S. store, you can imagine my overwhelming joy. For those who aren't familiar with the Autobacs name, it's the largest automotive aftermarket parts and accessories retailer in Japan. There are roughly 500 Autobacs and Super Autobacs stores throughout Japan.
The multi-million dollar, 35,000 square-foot U.S. facility in Stanton, Calif., boasts 13 different car bays for on-site installation for stereos, wheels and tires-bolt-on performance parts even.
The main goal of Mr. Yasukiyo Tajima, president and CEO of Autobacs U.S.A., Inc., was to increase the excitement of purchasing aftermarket products. For example, many of your local performance shops don't carry all lines of coil-over suspensions systems. And if you wanted to purchase the systems, you would have to wait days, sometimes weeks before it came in. Autobacs has nearly every single manufacturers' coil-over system on display so the consumer can compare the differences between the systems. Everything is on display, from front-mount intercoolers to different horn sounds. It's the ultimate one-stop shop for car enthusiasts.
I just found my new second home. Sorry, Kragen. If all goes well, Autobacs Seven Co. is planning to expand with more Super Autobacs stores throughout the United States. If you're a true car enthusiast and happen to be in the O.C. area, we recommend you stop by the Super Autobacs store and see a real performance shop.