As part of its mission to provide motorists with cost-effective, reliable, and trusted services, the Automobile Association (AA) has launched its first AA Auto Centre. The first centre is in Gauteng, and the Association plans to open several similar Auto Centres throughout South Africa in future. ​AA Auto Centre performs vehicle servicing and maintenance for all motorists, not only to AA Members. AA Members benefit through a discount of 10% on offerings through AA Auto Centre.  ​The Auto Centre also performs a detailed 128-point check on vehicles, provides Diagnostic Reports (with photographs), and a Multi-Point general vehicle safety check. The centre also checks, repair or replace brakes, batteries, shock absorbers, oil, wheel alignments, and conducts electrical fault finding and repair. AA Auto Centre does vehicle air condition gas refilling. ​“AA Auto Centre is a natural extension of our mission to ensure South Africans are safe on the road, and safe when they are considering purchasing or selling their vehicle by providing them with the honest and correct technical condition of the vehicles. Launching AA Auto Centre is also important to us from an employment and transformation perspective. That one of our former executives owns this first outlet is significant because Noelan understands the ethos and values we subscribe to,” says AA CEO Willem Groenewald. ​All vehicles that pass through AA Auto Centre will receive AA certification confirming the condition of the vehicle, again providing consumers with the level of peace-of-mind only a long-standing trusted brand such as the AA is able to give. ​“We’ve brought in high-end equipment, and all our technicians are industry veterans: everyone’s qualifications are validated and verified. We have partnered with the best equipment suppliers, have seasoned, experienced people on the floor, and all the lubricants are from Motul, one of the world’s leading lubricant providers. We have to give the best to each and every customer because it’s what they expect from the AA. Anything less is unacceptable,” says Noelan Vandayar, the owner of the first AA Auto Centre, and a former long-serving executive at the AA. ​All of this, says Noelan, is long overdue. He notes, “As the custodian of South African motorists we have an obligation to provide these kinds of professional services at reasonable prices. We conducted extensive consumer and market research, and everything pointed in the direction of opening such an outlet. Our goal is to restore trust in the aftermarket space, as well as retain the integrity of the AA through quality workmanship.” ​Fleet Solution ​AA Auto Centre also offers a distinctive service for fleet owners and managers. Located within the shop are two fast service bays reserved for fleet vehicles to ensure minimal downtime – a crushing financial expense of not having a fleet vehicle running. ​“We know that fleet vehicles which aren’t on the road are costing money, so our dedicated bays reduce that risk and assist in keeping the fleet running. We provide fleet owners and managers with detailed service and maintenance reports which help them plan better going forward,” notes Noelan. ​The first AA Auto Centre is located in Strijdom Park, Johannesburg (just off Malibongwe Drive).