Garage visit 22 www.aftermarketonline.net MARCH 2026 Driving force at heart of the community John Shepherd meets the team behind an award-winning garage that has been at the heart of its village for the past half-century A sleepy, picturesque Oxfordshire village might not also be expected to be a hive of automotive activity centred around a family business. However, that’s exactly what The Garage Warmington represents. Tucked away in the countryside, just a short drive from Banbury, the workshop has been providing an invaluable service to the local community on the same site for more than 50 years. Warmington might not enjoy national recognition, although it is home to the National Herb Centre — but the seeds of service and business success sowed by The Garage over the years has put the area in the automotive spotlight. The Garage’s reputation for top-tier services provided by garage owner Adrian Smith and his family team has even earned the business muchdeserved national recognition — picking up a Top Garage award toward the end of last year. The unassuming garage has been keeping motorists on the road since Adrian’s father, Martin, opened the doors for the first time in 1974. As a youngster who spent much of his childhood around the workshop, Adrian probably had the best ‘internship’ he could wish for by the time he climbed into the driving seat. He took over the business in 2017 and is now working alongside son Joshua. On my visit to The Garage, I also met the other invaluable member of the business, Adrian’s wife Kim, who on the chilly day I arrived greeted me with a hot cuppa, while still dealing with the books and taking phone calls. Multi-tasking at its best! Adrian said the business has a history of specialising in diagnostics, having started around 2012. The workshop has advanced diagnostic equipment and is looking to further online training for some new kit. Other key services include DPF cleaning, using both additives and a hydrocarbon machine and standard vehicle servicing. Adrian said they have now incorporated hydrocarbon cleaning as part of most services, using distilled water rather than gas. Meanwhile, bodywork and welding are outsourced to trusted local specialists, so The Garage can focus on its strengths. Tyre work has also been outsourced, although a key partner recently retired, so the team is looked into setting up new arrangements. Alignment is done in-house with what Adrian said is older but perfectly functional and efficient equipment, while airconditioning and ADAS work are referred externally. “We don’t typically do
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