In the 20 years he has been an ARB dealer in Papakura, Auckland 4x4’ s Richard Brooks has seen trends come and go. But he says he has enjoyed the ride and is looking forward to the next 20.

The Year was 1999. Papakura Auto Electrical Ltd decided it needed to grow its business. 

Enter ARB 4x4 Accessories. With the help of Autokraft, the North Island distributor for ARB product, Auckland 4x4 was created as a division of Papakura Auto Electrical Ltd. 

1999 was a totally different market than what it is today. Nissan GQ and Toyota 60 and 80 Series’ wagons were the staple diet as far as 4WDs were concerned. Plus there was a whole different club scene with a lot of DIY builds based around  Jeeps, Suzukis and 40 Series Land Cruisers. 

Fast forward

Fast forward to 2019 and Auckland 4x4 is still here and ARB 4x4 accessories have become a major part of the business. Unlike back in 1999, however, the 4WD flavour is Utes; Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Isuzu plus many more. 

Over the past 20 years Auckland 4x4 has  concentrated on growing the ARB brand and staying loyal to ARB product. Big job or small, we’ve done it all, from multi-vehicle fleet kit outs for various companies to single-vehicle builds so that Mums and Dads can go touring NZ in their 4WD.

Behind every build

As well as being 4WD-focused Auckland 4x4 brings a host of other, compatible skills to every job – again big or small – that we tackle.

For instance, Auckland 4x4 owns and runs a Dyno Dynamics’ chassis Dyno. This valuable tool gives us the ability to re-map and tune all brands of vehicles, petrol as well as diesel and one day – maybe – electric! 

Steinbauer, for instance, produces a fantastic diesel tuning product which we use for 90 percent  of our diesel tuning. With power and torque increases of 20 percent it is a good option for heavily loaded vehicles. It can also help your fuel economy by improving driveability on and off-road. 

Auto electrical

The auto electrical side of the business is still also very strong and is an edge we like to have. Especially now that a lot of customers are looking for battery storage and charging solutions for all the wonderful accessories like ARB fridges, winches, work lights, hot showers and the list goes on. 

With top brands like REDARC and products like DC to DC battery chargers and solar technology we have you covered for that month away from home 4WD camping and touring. 

So If its 4WD-related Auckland 4x4 Performance has you covered for the next 20 years. I am looking forward to the adventure.