If we can just spark a conversation so staff can help inform customers of what’s available in store then we’ll be delighted

We were delighted to see such a loyal customer’s name drawn out of the hat for the car

I was absolutely over the moon when I heard I’d won the car too. I was astounded.”

Although many garages use more and more digital systems it still seems there’s no substitute for the convenience of having a job diary near the phone or in reception!

It was an amazing night with brilliant support from the suppliers and we’ve had numerous emails of thanks from garages already

With a couple of raffle prizes still to be sold which will increase the total, the amount raised already stands at nearly £4,100. Thank you ever so much to everyone who got involved and helped us raise this huge amount!

We’ve had a huge number of garages register already and the value of September vouchers given away will be much more than we’d expected as it’s well over £100,000 already with claims still coming in. This is exciting news and of course, the structure of the promotion now offers a clean slate for both October and November, so garages can work towards achieving those targets to win more rewards.

Combining the publications will both extend the range of deals available, and make them more easily available to garages through a wider network of factors

We’re already hearing the concept of an extended distribution throughout The Parts Alliance makes Garage Essentials even more attractive for suppliers

The ‘Cars and Stars’ promotion follows a format which we know from customer uptake is a winning formula

We can monitor the vans to discover potential for route or workload optimisations that may boost efficiency. Also, in the unfortunate event of any road traffic accidents the cameras can provide valuable information.

Customers can now buy the parts and tools needed all together on a single order

I entered the Car Mechanics competition because the opportunity to get my hands on some start-of-the-art Sealey equipment was just far too good to miss. I used to work as a mechanic, so I’m well aware of the quality of the Sealey product range. I’m sure that I’ll be able to put them to good use!

I’d like to offer each of the winners my congratulations and thank everyone who took the time to participate in the competition. As a welder and fabricator, we’re sure Mr Clay has the practical skills to make the most of the Sealey tools he’s bought!

We love helping to get classics like this running again

Having two disabled children makes it very difficult to afford repairs on our family car. Now, the money I have been saving to get the repair work done can go towards a day out for my kids.

It has been off the road for a while, but with the parts I’ve won from GSF it can take its MOT and respond to emergencies again.

We’re delighted to have been able to help our winners get their much-loved cars back on the road.

This partnership with Volkswagen Driver and Audi Driver will help us to generate meaningful coverage with a really important community for GSF. This competition helps us to forge a closer relationship with the two readerships and deliver media content which resonates further than the traditional route of standard display ads.

Keeping classics on the road is a passion of mine. I love being able to share this with the kids that I teach. Our project track car is a real labour of love, and the voucher that I’ve won from GSF is a huge help for this fantastic venture.

The romantic in me wants to go out in the Beetle on a sunny Sunday afternoon for a picnic in the country with my wife, but this has been put on hold for the last two years. Now I’ve had help to get my old Beetle up and running, maybe, just maybe, I can start to prepare the picnic after all.

It’s been great to give something back to our loyal customers and thank them for their ongoing support.

My company vehicles do some really big mileages, all at my own cost. As a one-man enterprise, the current economic situation means that I always have to give 110%, as you never know what’s just around the corner. This kind of help makes a huge difference to a small business owner like me.

Before the Mazda I owned a Peugeot 206 GTI, but it developed a BSI (Built-in Systems Interface) issue, which just wasn’t financially worth repairing. You’d need to be a millionaire to fix all the of the car problems I’ve had recently, so this voucher has come at just the right time!

This competition has been a great opportunity to give something back to our loyal local customers.

We know garages are thinking about the recent economic changes, all the European-made products featured were priced before the recent weakening of sterling, so our advice is don’t delay any purchases you’re considering

I entered GSF’s competition because so that I could put the key in the ignition without having to cross my fingers and hold my breath to see if the car would start!

My girlfriend has told me that I’m now only allowed two cars on the driveway at a time”, said David. “The money I make from selling one of the cars, plus the money that I save in buying parts is to be spent on taking her on holiday! So this voucher from GSF will definitely help with the holiday fund.

The Swindon branch would like to extend their congratulations to each of the deserving winners.

Having two disabled children makes it very difficult to afford repairs on our family car. Now, the money I have been saving to get the repair work done can go towards a day out for my kids.

I’m going to spend the money getting my VW Camper back on the road, as it’s the reason that I met my wife and it holds special memories. As soon as the Camper is repaired we can enjoy a holiday away in it.

My girlfriend suffers with anxiety, and struggles with leaving the house. We really need our car back so that she and my 18-month old son can get about.

On behalf of the Southampton branch, I’d like to congratulate each of the deserving winners. It’s been a pleasure to help them get their much-needed cars back in working order again.

The Discovery has over 200,000 miles on the clock, but as a response vehicle it’s invaluable. It has been off the road for a while, but with the parts I’ve won from GSF it can take its MOT and respond to emergencies again. I can also use it to teach my kids how to drive!

With this win I can replace a lot of the parts and make this a really eye-catching car to take to Vauxhall shows across the country.

We’re really thrilled that we’ve been given the opportunity to help our local customers out. The Bedford team would like to congratulate everyone who won in this exciting competition.

Since we bought the van, so far I’ve spent a lot of time on my back on the driveway underneath it in the damp, trying to remedy all of the issues. £1,000 should certainly help, particularly to make it more cosmetically pleasing!

My Dad works shifts so I often don’t see him much during the week. Restoring cars together gives us the chance to catch up with each other. I think we’ll be using the money on lots of service parts, as the MOT is due on two of our Beetles soon.

I take great pride in the high standard of customer service the Cardiff team consistently delivers, enabling us to nurture relationships with our customer base which can span years. It’s exciting to be able to give something back to these customers and thank them for their loyalty to us.

Lots of people like to maintain their vehicles. These ‘How To’ guides take into account the varying degrees of knowledge, encouraging even those who have never tried to change a wiper blade before to give it a go.

We’re committed to developing the Vetech multi-fleet oil range. What we’re trying to do ultimately is simplify stocking for garages so they can reduce costs and increase their profits.

GSF Car Parts have added a new Valeo branded Fiat Fiorino delivery van to their UK delivery fleet of over 400 vehicles. The van’s sides prominently feature Valeo’s latest ‘multi-specialist’ livery, designed to remind garages of the extensive range of components available to the aftermarket from the tier one parts manufacturer. Pictured ranges include clutch, rotating electrics, engine cooling, braking, lighting and wiper blades. Valeo Service UK operates from Redditch to supply these ranges -and more – along with garage equipment, training and support to leading motor factors like GSF Car Parts. GSF Car Parts invite key Original Equipment partners to showcase their brands on the delivery fleet to remind garages of the national motor factor’s commitment to supplying best quality components to their national trade customer base through their national network of over 60 branches. “This van helps demonstrate our belief the independent garages are best-served by fitting quality parts,” said Amanda O’Reilly Head of Marketing at GSF Car Parts. “We’d like to thank Valeo for their support in communicating this message.” The van has joined the delivery fleet at the Glasgow branch of GSF Car Parts. We'd like to thank Valeo for their support.

Stoke’s signage upgrades help the store to better reflect the quality of the stock carried within the branch. It is our intention to ensure that the corporate identity is represented in each branch across the country to help give each location far greater visual impact.

These problems have been getting worse lately. Diagnostics are now more main-stream, with lots of suppliers tending to compete on price

Given its popularity, many suppliers are selling C3 on price which leads to some clever marketing that unfortunately can easily be misleading. The fact is, not all C3 is the same.

The response has been incredible from the garages that have tried it. We visited a garage last week about something unrelated but noticed a car on the ramp without the DPF. The owner told me he’d sent it away for cleaning and he was going to be waiting nearly a week with a ramp tied up. We told him about the Vetech DPF cleaner and he ordered it there and then to have ready on the shelf for next time. The cost of removing a DPF is likely to be more than it is to treat it with the new Vetech DPF Professional Cleaner anyway.

The improvements to the Banbury store’s signage really helps to put the branch ‘on the map’. GSF is fully committed to making similar levels of investment in branches up and down the country to make sure that they all reflect the current corporate image.

Our branch network has really bought into this. And most importantly so have their local garages. With lots of branches requesting the van, high value products that need professional demonstration, not to mention potential to add more vans, we saw the need for a full-time specialist right away, so we’re delighted to welcome Jason.

We’re also going to be adding test rigs so we can demonstrate things like the coil spring compressor. My job is to help branch staff identify the specific opportunities on individual garage visits and then help propose solutions. When we’re out on visits then yes, of course it’s about selling there and then but it’s also about training and informing the GSF team to sell this equipment more confidently after we’ve left.

It’s always really pleasing to see people pull together to make these events successful. We’ve had lots of garages thanking us for an enjoyable and informative evening whilst LuK kindly took time to compliment us on the professionalism of the event as well as the high turnout.