Fix Auto UK, the country’s largest network of single-branded independently owned bodyshops, is creating a new network dedicated to the rapid repair of damaged vehicles.

Called Fix Auto Fix & Go, the new network will develop in parallel to Fix Auto UK’s established franchised bodyshop network of 76 sites. 

The Fix Auto Fix & Go repair centres will offer a fast turnaround repair service for low impact, non-structural accident damage, reducing cycle times by up to 70% by combining innovative equipment, products and techniques and applying proven, efficient processes.

Ian Pugh, managing director of Fix Auto UK, said: “Having analysed data from over 300,000 repairs carried out by the Fix Auto network over the past three years, it is clear there’s an increasing trend in vehicles with less severe damage passing through our existing bodyshops.

"Furthermore, in certain areas of the country there are real repair capacity shortfalls, and therefore we see a genuine market need to create significant additional capacity.

“Fix Auto Fix & Go is a natural evolution in our innovative approach to deliver a market-leading customer experience for both the motorist, and insurer.  Taking this fresh approach, we can deliver exceptionally fast repair times to cater for the majority of accidents, which inevitably leads to an increase in repair capacity.

“Our aim is for our dedicated Fix Auto Fix & Go sites to complement our existing bodyshops by repairing damaged vehicles in typically less than 2-days.  This will allow our entire network to provide an industry-leading turnaround for the motorist and insurer, covering all types of vehicle damage, all supported by the BSI Kitemark standard.”

The first Fix Auto & Go site opened last month in Swansea following an investment by franchisee Steve Peart of more than £300,000 into a 16-bay unit on Swansea Enterprise Park. It has an output capacity of one completed repair per hour.

Peart, who already operates Fix Auto bodyshops in Cardiff, Swansea and Pontypridd, aims to have Fix Auto Fix & Go operations at all his sites by the end of March.

Peart said: “I have long been an advocate of separating the more severely damaged vehicles, from those with less damage and channeling them through my existing express repair centre.

"Over the past two years we have experimented with various processes and repair techniques which enable us to process these vehicles in a matter of hours and not days, which is a remarkable achievement from where we started.

"In order to truly deliver industry leading key-to-key times, we have established that the express repair facility performs best through a physical separation from the traditional bodyshop, and I am delighted that this model is to be replicated nationally.”

Pugh added: “The model that Steve has created is fantastic, and we are excited at the opportunity to now develop this concept into a national initiative.  The appetite of our network for developing the Fix & Go concept has been really positive, and I expect the roll-out of these centres to be swift.”