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Turned into AAP everywhere, I believe. They did here in TN, at least. AAP still sells CQ branded parts, though.
History of Big A autoparts?
- Thread starter Cooper00
- Start date
Almost-there’s still a couple CQ branded franchisees in my area. Oxford & Georgetown, OH, privately owned.
The largest Carquest distributors (BWP and GPI) were purchased by Advance Auto Parts. All corporate locations were rebranded as Advance Auto Parts, Independently owned locations are branded as Carquest.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2023
- Messages
- 382
I guess all of ours around here were corporate then. Most of the CQ stores just closed instead of rebranding, suppose bc there were already AAP in pretty much all but the smallest towns.
I seem to remember that Joe Amato of top fuel drag racing fame owned Big A auto parts. I believe that he was from the Scranton, Pa. area. We had a few widely scattered Big A shops at one time. They seemed to have decent prices.
The last independent auto parts store in my area was sold off about 5 years ago. Compared to any chain place, it was run by great people. Someone reopened it as a NAPA. That is also closed now.
The last independent auto parts store in my area was sold off about 5 years ago. Compared to any chain place, it was run by great people. Someone reopened it as a NAPA. That is also closed now.
I think they sold a bit of Big A stuff in my local Wal Mart in the 80's. My Wal Mart had a parts department back beside sporting goods. They didn't have EVERYTHING, but they carried belts, plugs, common Ford/Chevy alternators and starters, brake pads, u joints, points and caps. Stuff like that. Pretty sure points and caps etc were Big A
Only competion was an old Western Auto until about '88
We got an Autozone about that time.
Only competion was an old Western Auto until about '88
We got an Autozone about that time.
I'm a little late to this thread, but I can add some information.
Big A Auto Parts was a marketing and brand name (not a franchise) of American Parts System, or APS, a Houston based company. I worked for the Installer's Service Warehouse brand as the Inventory Accounting Manager at the end of APS's existence. I was brought in, along with a few others, to clean up the accounting for this business unit in 1997. I worked there to the end, as part of the wrap-up team.
During the wind-down of operations of APS in 1999, some of the management team found investors to fund the purchase of approximately 1/3 of APS's operations and formed the company Auto Parts Express, or APX for short. APX continued the marketing and branding of Big A Auto Parts. I eventually went to work for APX in the same capacity. APX eventually wound up operations in 2002 and I continued to work there as part of the wrap-up until I needed to have an operation and we ended my employment there at that time.
At one time I knew more of the history behind the Big A brand and marketing system, but alas, it's been 25ish years since working there. I know that APS was at one point part of Gulf+Western, which reflected (no pun intended) the bumper chroming business they owned in the Houston area and later in southern California. Then later it was somehow associated with Wickes, as in Wickes Furniture. I don't remember exactly how that came to be, but my recollection is that it was part of a divestment from a previous ownership.
At the time I joined APS, it was a $1B company with outlets and distribution centers from coast to coast. I visited locations from Glendale, CA to Portland, ME and spent 4 months working in Denver, CO, the one-time corporate office of Installer's Service Warehouse. When I joined, the company owned more than hundres of locations (Big A and ISW), perhaps even over 1,000 across the country, and countless independently owned branding participants in the Big A name. Again, these were not franchises, even though that is how most people would think of them. It was not unheard of for an independent plan participant to change from one system to another (Big A, Carquest, NAPA).
The fall of APS and Big A would make for a great MBA case study. There are stories I heard second-hand that are shocking, but as I don't have first-hand knowledge, I won't repeat them here. APS (Big A and ISW) went from a $1B company to Chapter 11 and eventually winding up operations in two years, selling the bulk of its operations to Carquest, and I beleive Advance Auto Parts. The remainder that weren't closed were sold to APX. The wrap up of APX was less dramatic, and again, I have second-hand information what drove this to occur, so I won't be repeating it here.
It was a great experience for me, but also stressful, given the tenuous nature of the companies. I still have some memorabilia around from Big A. I worked with some truly outstanding people, and some less so, probably like most places.
I believe there are still a few independent Big A operators open around the country, but they are few.
Big A Auto Parts was a marketing and brand name (not a franchise) of American Parts System, or APS, a Houston based company. I worked for the Installer's Service Warehouse brand as the Inventory Accounting Manager at the end of APS's existence. I was brought in, along with a few others, to clean up the accounting for this business unit in 1997. I worked there to the end, as part of the wrap-up team.
During the wind-down of operations of APS in 1999, some of the management team found investors to fund the purchase of approximately 1/3 of APS's operations and formed the company Auto Parts Express, or APX for short. APX continued the marketing and branding of Big A Auto Parts. I eventually went to work for APX in the same capacity. APX eventually wound up operations in 2002 and I continued to work there as part of the wrap-up until I needed to have an operation and we ended my employment there at that time.
At one time I knew more of the history behind the Big A brand and marketing system, but alas, it's been 25ish years since working there. I know that APS was at one point part of Gulf+Western, which reflected (no pun intended) the bumper chroming business they owned in the Houston area and later in southern California. Then later it was somehow associated with Wickes, as in Wickes Furniture. I don't remember exactly how that came to be, but my recollection is that it was part of a divestment from a previous ownership.
At the time I joined APS, it was a $1B company with outlets and distribution centers from coast to coast. I visited locations from Glendale, CA to Portland, ME and spent 4 months working in Denver, CO, the one-time corporate office of Installer's Service Warehouse. When I joined, the company owned more than hundres of locations (Big A and ISW), perhaps even over 1,000 across the country, and countless independently owned branding participants in the Big A name. Again, these were not franchises, even though that is how most people would think of them. It was not unheard of for an independent plan participant to change from one system to another (Big A, Carquest, NAPA).
The fall of APS and Big A would make for a great MBA case study. There are stories I heard second-hand that are shocking, but as I don't have first-hand knowledge, I won't repeat them here. APS (Big A and ISW) went from a $1B company to Chapter 11 and eventually winding up operations in two years, selling the bulk of its operations to Carquest, and I beleive Advance Auto Parts. The remainder that weren't closed were sold to APX. The wrap up of APX was less dramatic, and again, I have second-hand information what drove this to occur, so I won't be repeating it here.
It was a great experience for me, but also stressful, given the tenuous nature of the companies. I still have some memorabilia around from Big A. I worked with some truly outstanding people, and some less so, probably like most places.
I believe there are still a few independent Big A operators open around the country, but they are few.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
Might be worth some $$$$ if some resto company has not started to reproduce them yet. You may want to put that up on Ebay or Hemming's web sites and you will likely get a stampeed of Pontiac guys wanting to pay you foolish money for it. That is likely a rare (by now) kit for the highly sought after Pontiac Tri Power 389cui engines. GTOs mostly came with single 4bb 389cui engines from factory. Yet you had lots of Pontiac dealers who sold speed parts over the counter, parts like the Tri-Power triple 2bb and intake set ups a lot of young guys wanted to put on their cars. The Pontiac triple 2bb carb was one of the easiest/best running multi carb set ups for both street and strip use back in the late 60s.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
This may be the kit you have in a quick search.... They seem to have parts for every make... even saw Pontiac under carbs.
Rochester 2 Jet Tri Power - Mikes Carburetor Parts
Rochester 2 Jet tri power. Tri power adjustments, illustrated, troubleshooting, linkage and jet sizes.
www.carburetor-blog.com
Trak too. Didnt last long here. Chief parts were junk.
Chief was on par with Autozone, so yeah they had their issues.
Wix (Now Mann & Hummel) made these filters for Big A. I worked for Wix for many years and was there during the shutdown of Big A. My guess on the date for the manufacturing of the filter shown in the image is, if the media inside is "packed cotton" it may have been made in the 1980's; if the media is pleated paper it most likely was made in the 1990's. I would suggest you call Wix and ask to speak to someone in the Technical Services Group.
