Ultra Tune is an Australian automotive servicing and roadside assist franchise with 275+ centres, the second largest independent automotive servicing and repairer in Australia, as of 2019. History Ultra Tune commenced trading in 1979 with a pilot store in Box Hill, Victoria. Its rapid expansion was catalyzed by businessman Bert Smart, who saw a specialist Fast Tune-Up store in Hawaii while travelling home from the United States. Smart established a franchise model that saw the new business expand rapidly into all Australian states except Western Australia. In 1988, each of the franchisor entities (with the exception of South Australia) merged and formed a new company, Ultra Tune (Systems) Australia Pty Ltd (UTSA). Within 12 months, Ultra Tune opened its first franchise store in Perth, Western Australia. During the early 1990s, the network experienced turmoil and faced financial ruin with a number of stores across the network forced to close due high rental lease costs. After a public auction in 1994, Sean Buckley acquired management and then later shareholding control in Ultra Tune. Under Sean Buckley, Ultra Tune Australia Pty Ltd was created and over the next 22 years he developed his own business model – which included the acquisition of competing brands such as Car Care Clinic (1999) and Auto Masters sites in New South Wales and Queensland during the early 2000s. He grew the organisation from around 70 mediocrely operating franchises into a successful national franchise network model making many of the franchisees considerable wealth in the process. In 1994, Sean Buckley became company CEO. International and Australian expansion In 2010 Ultra Tune expanded into the Kingdom of Bahrain, partnering with Bahrain National Holding and Saudi Arabia under the guidance of Hamish Murdoch working as general manager of the Middle East Division. Part of this expansion project included investing in a state-of-the-art, four-level workshop in Salmabad. In 2015 Ultra Tune Australia sold its interests in the company back to Bahrain National Holdings. In conjunction with Gadjah Mada University Indonesia, Ultra Tune initiated a training facility to educate and train students in automotive repair. This facility enabled Ultra Tune to certify and employ new technicians, assisting them with finding Ultra Tune positions internationally. Advertising For more than twenty years Ultra Tune has been known for their controversial and critically acclaimed television advertisements. Ultra Tune has always strived to differentiate itself from the competition by producing entertaining advertisements. Early advertising –