December/January 2022

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 AFTERMARKET 69 www.aftermarketonline.net www.aftermarketonline.net 2022 BUYERS’ GUIDE WELCOME TO THE ALL-NEW AFTERMARKET BUYERS’ GUIDE W e have some previous in this arena. After all, the mag started as a product book in 1992, and with it being 2022 imminently, we are about to hit 30 years. This means that in a way, for our 30th anniversary, we are going back to our roots. Of course, back in 1992, you would not have had a website link as part of the listing, nor would you have had many of the types of items being available via these sites. Then consider the nature of cars and what powers them. That would have caused some confusion; Electric vehicles? That’s just milk floats surely? E10? What have food additives got to do with anything? During 1992, long-lasting Madchester band The Charlatans had one of their bigger hits with the song ‘Weirdo’. Let’s be honest, if you had brought up most of the main factors affecting the garage sector today in 1992, that is what they would have called you. Not any more though. Flash-forward to 2022, and change is constant. Vehicles are evolving at a rapid pace, with emissions legislation and climate change concerns pushing the limits that vehicles must meet lower and lower. This also has an impact on areas such as the MOT, which is seeing its own evolution through the roll- out of connected equipment. Speaking of connectivity, vehicles are increasingly plugged into virtual networks, which independent garages are being kept out of, by hook or by crook, and this means it is more important than ever to keep up. This then plugs into the need for training, which brings us back to EVs and greater vehicle complexity. In this maelstrom of interconnected issues, where do you begin to look for what you need? Why not right here? We have everything you need, broken down into handy sections, separated out into garage equipment, diagnostic equipment, parts, consumables, training, tools, electric vehicles and motor factors and more. From here, you can seek out what you need, and get in contact with the right people. Aftermarket will be running the Buyers’ Guide once a year, and it will grow and evolve with the market. We hope you find it both useful and illuminating. Enjoy! Alex Wells, Editor, Aftermarket