The family-run business celebrated their Castrol partnership at the Perth Super 440

Nearly 30 years ago, Autobahn wasn’t a franchise. It was a single family-run workshop in Midland, founded by David and Glora Rowe, driven by a belief in hard work, transparency, and doing right by their customers.
“Some of my earlier memories are behind the front desk,” Autobahn General Manager, Josie Martin, said. “Mum would be doing the books, Dad was on the floor, and I would help them out after school. I don’t think I realised at the time how formative that was, seeing the business grow from something small and personal into what it is today.”
Even now, with 23 locations across Western Australia and an impressive network of franchisees, that family spirit hasn’t been lost.
“Some of our franchisees have known me since I was a little girl, and all of them are WA locals,” Josie said.
“That’s what makes Autobahn different. It’s largely been built upon a shared history, set of values, and commitment to great customer service.”
Autobahn has always believed in ‘putting the service back into service centres and its this way of doing business that has helped Autobahn build long-term partnerships, including a relationship with Castrol that goes back to day one.
“We’ve never used anything else because we’ve never needed to,” Josie said.
“It’s one of those quality brands that people trust, and more importantly, that we trust. We have confidence in the quality, and we know it delivers for our customers.”
However, for Josie, the relationship with Castrol goes beyond what’s in the drum.
“Open and honest communication also matter when you’re running busy workshops. We don’t have time for guesswork. We need the right products, on time, every time, and that’s what Castrol delivers,” Josie said.
The long-standing partnership recently reached new hights when Castrol surprised the Autobahn team with a money-can’t-buy experience at the Perth Super 440, topped off with prominent branding on the #55 Castrol Racing Tickford Mustang as a thank you for their loyalty.
“It was completely unexpected, and such a proud moment for the whole team,” Josie said.
“To be recognised like that, aside from being a nice marketing boost, it really brought home how strong the relationship is.”
Now, nearly thirty years on from its humble beginnings, Autobahn is preparing for another strong decade of business, still grounded in family, still focused on quality, and still proudly partnered with Castrol.
“We’ve evolved a lot over the years, but at our core, we’re still the same family business that started around a family dinner table and grew with the support of incredible staff, suppliers, franchisees, and customers,” Josie said,

For more about Autobahn, visit www.autobahn.net.au

To learn more about Castrol, visit www.castrol.com.au