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Michael Sabatino knows what it’s like to be one of those car guys who does things like strategically parking in a spot far from other vehicles.
That love of cars, plus a distaste for dishonesty and a desire to work with others who possess his esteem for machines, all led him to found Autobella, where new vehicles and beloved classics alike are as lovingly preserved, restored and cared for as Sabatino’s own cars.
“I totally get it: You love your car, and your wife’s annoyed that it’s dinner time and you’re working on that car again!” he laughs. “I live in your shoes! I know what it’s like to be a car person, and that when something happens to your car, you’ve got a knot in your stomach and nothing in life is right until your car is working again.”
While Autobella began as more of a detailing service, it quickly became apparent that its forte was suited to a more niche market as word of mouth attracted a steady—and ever-increasing—stream of customers eager for the peace of mind that comes with finding a car guy you can trust.
Today, Autobella’s slogan—“Preservation. Restoration. Education.”—underscores the trifecta of goals and values that have shaped the company.
Preservation
“We say it’s only new once, and we want to stretch that out as much as possible while everything’s still fresh to keep it looking new,” Sabatino explains.
Freezing time by creating an “invisible force field” around a brand-new car doesn’t come cheap—Sabatino freely admits that his company’s services are for folks with a disposable income befitting obsessed car collectors—which is why it only uses top-of-line products like Gyeon’s ceramic coatings and STEK Paint Protection Film. In fact, Autobella is among the region’s very few shops certified in applying Gyeon’s ceramics.
Sabatino notes that a lot about cars has improved over the years, though exterior paint has gotten thinner. That means environmental inevitabilities like bird droppings and general wear and tear makes a vehicle’s first line of defense a little more vulnerable than it was in the past.
“People will ask why [their paint is] marring so quickly, and we have to tell them that clear coats are water-based … and not as resilient as you’d want them or expect them to be,” he says. “That’s where we come in if you want to preserve that vehicle, or if you want to upgrade to one or both of the coatings that’ll give you that great protection and make your car look better than new.”
Restoration
“If you have an older or classic vehicle and you want to get it new again, where you have what we call a ‘daily driver’ that’s kind of rough around the edges, it’s got those swirlies and scratches and a lot of dirt buildup, the leather needs some touch-ups, maybe your windshield’s pitted—that’s where the restoration comes in,” Sabatino continues. “We can actually upgrade your vehicle: We can repair the leather, we can restore your wheels from road rash with a phenomenal service, we can re-dye some carpet, we can have parts painted that might be better painted than buffed out.”
Given Sabatino’s aversion to cash-grab businesses, he emphasizes that it’s important to be realistic about restoration expectations, costs and goals. But Autobella can do it all—plus, Sabatino has the connections to call in experts from a wide-ranging network of peers and professionals he’s built rock-solid relationships with just as diligently as his company’s reputation.
“If we can’t do it all in-house—I hate to say it, but I’ve got a guy,” he says. “We partner with some of the best businesses providing that incredible level of service and quality we offer. We have the resources to handle whatever you need.”
Education
Gatekeeping the vast wealth of Autobella’s in-house knowledge is the farthest thing from the team’s mind, as Sabatino knows that educated customers are empowered customers who often wish to fine-tune their own skills.
“Education starts with the first meeting,” he affirms. “We teach them, ‘OK, if you’re going to maintain it, here’s what you need to do,’ so we’re partnering with them on that journey—we’re not just a one-time transaction, we’re really here to help them live that lifestyle and keep their car looking new.”
The inherent trust of shared knowledge also extends to building a community, which is an ongoing labor of love at Autobella. Part of that includes monthly Cars & Coffee meetups, but it also means future-facing plans like the on-site classes Sabatino is gearing up to offer in an effort to “make the DIYers more efficient.”
“We’re going to start having educational courses here, like weekend warrior classes,” Sabatino says, adding that the immaculate, HVAC-controlled 3,500-square-foot facility’s space is perfect for a hands-on classroom. “They’re for the do-it-yourselfers that want to continue learning how to take care of their cars, who we support whole-heartedly. We really love those people who just want to get better at this.”
Autobella
Serving South Jersey
(856) 454-7500
Auto-Bella.com
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 8 (November 2024)
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