Vince Lombardi is thought by many to be one of the greatest sporting coaches who ever lived.
He is now known as much for his many quotable quotes, as for his sporting record. His statement that “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence” is highly relevant to the business of auto parts supply.
For Transgold, excellence is about quality, service and range. Quality is established by accurate OEM specification, an insistence on ISO:9001 or TS:16949 certification at the manufacturing stage and rigorous quality control. Service is measured by ease of ordering, responsiveness and speed of delivery. Ease of ordering is best exemplified by the online portal where mechanics can ensure they order the right part by searching by vehicle registration or VIN number, as well as the standard manufacturer and model search.
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It is range that is the trickiest of the three elements. Complete vehicle coverage is the holy grail of our world. Repair shops want to know that they can get the right part for both common and uncommon vehicles. Traditionally Australia had more than fifty different car manufacturers selling ranges of models, so it was always a tall order.
Over the past decade the task has become more difficult with the arrival of Chinese brands. Led by MG marque (now owned by SAIC Motor Corporation) in 2007, and closely followed by GWM, LDV and BYD, Chinese branded vehicles made up 14 per cent of vehicle sales in 2024.
Some ten or more brands are lining up to enter the Australian market in 2025. Some of these brands will concentrate solely on the EV market but others will offer traditional petrol, diesel and hybrid models as well.
Traditionally the Chinese brands have offered extensive warranty/serving packages, but a lot of earlier models are now out of warranty and will soon be making their way into Australian workshops.
Transgold’s Managing Director Keith Yong commented “We already operate in a very extensive market. We’ve had over 50 manufacturers here for a while and now with the Chinese brands we’re going to exceed 60.”
“It makes our job more complex as we have to follow our sourcing process for all these new models. We’ve got to be ready with the appropriate range of parts – particularly across engine mounts, rubber suspension and transmission kits.”
Transgold are determined to maintain their reputation for market coverage. Currently it is 99 per cent for transmission kits, 97 per cent for engine mounts and 95 per cent for rubber suspension. They continue to strive for maximum market coverage, fully understanding that 100 per cent is an impossible dream.