BUSINESS – Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations

Photos: Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations

Rarely in life do you get the opportunity to combine your passion with your profession, but if your passion is classic cars – particularly classic Mustangs – just such an opportunity is now available, as the owners of Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations have decided to sell their business.

Regular readers of JUST CARS will be familiar with Griffs, as they’ve been advertisers for more than a decade. While they’re based in Ballarat (in regional Victoria), Griffs has customers for their Mustang parts from all over Australia and New Zealand, as well as customers looking to purchase their first (and sometimes second, third or fourth!) Mustang.

The restoration side of Griffs has been a big part of the business, also, and it was through restos that the founders, brothers Chris and Tim Griffin, turned their shared hobby for classic cars into a successful business.

However, retirement is on the horizon for the pair, so they’ve decided now is the time to sell Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations, ideally to someone who’s as enthusiastic about serving the classic Mustang community as they’ve been for the past 15+ years.

Turning a Hobby into a Business

Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations officially opened in 2007, but founders Chris and Tim Griffin have a history with cars going back much further. Both bought and restored their first classics as teenagers, then served long tenures in the automotive and related industries: Chris in the service department of Ballarat Toyota for more than two decades; and Tim as a toolmaker and engineer at various businesses, including Ford Australia’s Geelong Plant and Harwood Engineering in Ballarat.

After buying and restoring several cars himself, Chris’s first “client build” – a Mustang convertible with Shelby touches - saw him bring Tim in to help. The time spent together on this project went a long way to convincing the brothers that they could turn what had been a hobby – importing and restoring classic Mustangs and supplying spare parts for same - into a business.

It took some time and assistance to start the business from scratch, but Griffin Brothers Pty ltd, trading as Griffs American Auto Parts and Restorations, officially came into being in July, 2007, with the doors of a 500 square metre site in Delacombe (on the fringe of Ballarat) opening in December of the same year.  

Rapid Growth

Great word of mouth from those early customers and advertising in national magazines like JUST CARS saw the business soon expand.

By mid-2008, the brothers had secured an LMCT to sell cars and a USA car shipping service and customer loyalty programme was added.
The restoration projects were rolling in, too, so it wasn’t long before the Delacombe premises proved to be too small, leading to a relocation to the current 850 square metre site at Wendouree in 2010.

Mustang Specialists

While Griffs’ restoration projects and car sales have covered many makes and models, the focus has always been on Mustangs, especially with the parts sales.

Initially, the parts inventory covered 65-70 models only, but Chris said customer demand saw 71-73 Mustang parts added, thus covering the full spread of first-generation Mustang production.

There’s now somewhere in the region of 5,000 line items available through the Griffs online store. As some of these parts are transferable to other Ford family models, including Mercury Cougars and Aussie Falcons, Griffs are able to service these customers, as well as owners of early Mustangs.

When it comes to popularity, first-generation Mustangs are THE classic car and a favourite with enthusiasts, so there’s no shortage of customers. Go to any classic car show and you’re sure to see a Mustang or three, while the Mustang Owners Club Australia is one of the largest in the country, with over 2,500 members in Victoria alone.

Chris adds that, since the Gen 6 Mustang's arrival here as a factory RHD model, they’ve received an abundance of requests from customers wanting Gen 1 Mustangs.  

Almost 3 million Mustangs were built over the 1964 ½ to 1973 period, so there’s a near-limitless supply of cars available. There’s also an entire industry devoted to reproduction parts - everything from badges to complete replacement bodies.

This all means that, not only will the next owner of Griffs have a good customer base thanks to the Mustang’s ongoing popularity, but also the cars and parts supply to keep those customers happy.

The Right Fit

With its car sales, parts sales and restoration shop, Chris explains that Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations is structured similarly to a new car dealership, so someone with experience in this area would be able to slot into the business fairly easily.

Unlike the new car market, the competition isn’t as ferocious with classic cars and the margins aren’t as razor thin, so someone who’s a smart operator and understands the value of customer service should do well.

While good business acumen is key, Chris says that someone with an interest in classic cars in general and classic Mustangs specifically would be the best fit for the business. In an “enthusiast” market like this, passion can't be underestimated and would certainly be a plus.

There’s potential for expansion, too. The existing showroom allows for up to seven cars to be displayed at any one time, but with larger premises (or possibly dropping the restorations), the new owner could store and sell more cars, with the same applying to the parts inventory, as Chris says there is potential to expand this area.

The restoration side of the business in important, though, as there’s currently more than a dozen cars on the go and a waiting list for new projects of more than twelve months.

Business Benefits

Across the three key elements of Griffs – car sales, parts sales and restorations – there’s an enviable client base, with many repeat customers for their restorations and classic car sales.

If the new owner needs time to adapt, Tim, Chris and Chris’s wife Wendy (who handles everything in the background) would be prepared to stay on for a period after the handover. The three-man full-time restoration team at Griffs are all locals, so they could all stay on if the business remains in Ballarat.

On the resto side of things, all specialty services (work that can’t be done on-site at Griffs) are available in Ballarat, so that saves time as outsourced elements can be completed locally.

Griffs is actively involved in local car shows and also supports car clubs in the region; something that’s been great for the business’s reputation.

The final point that should be noted is Griffs’ location. Being outside of the major cities, Ballarat avoids sky-high rent and other costs, while still being big enough to have all the automotive-related specialty services that a business like this requires. Of course, the online parts store means Ballarat is no barrier to supplying Mustang parts throughout Australia and overseas.

Ballarat also has the school options, medical facilities and all the other services a young or growing family needs, but with the benefits of a more relaxed, regional lifestyle.

To simplify, here are some of the positives this business offers.

• Established and operating successfully for 15 years
• Customers (including many repeat customers) throughout Australia & NZ
• US parts/car supply chain in place
• Fully computerised/located spare parts inventory
• Fully active website for car sales and online parts sales
• Gen1 Mustang specialists (one of the most popular models, ensuring ongoing business)
• Shipping and customs assistance available for OS car buyers
• Overseas travel opportunities (US car/parts buying trips)
• Regular car shows in region and beyond (to promote business and attract customers)
• Regional location business benefits (big city conveniences without big city prices)
• Regional location lifestyle benefits (away from big city, but with all amenities)

Find Out More

Griffs American Auto Parts & Restorations has been operating successfully for more than 15 years.  Chris and Tim see no reason for this to change under new owners.

To find out more, see the advert below, call Owen Mitchell on 0419 900 271, or Chris Griffin on (03) 5338 2427.