Philadelphia Automotive

As an ASE- and TIA--certified facility, American Tire & Auto Care keeps its technicians up to date on automotive trends and advanced auto-repair techniques. The full-service tire shop equips cars with tires from reputable brands such as Michelin, BF Goodrich, Pirelli, and Yokohama. Inside the repair shop, highly trained car-care professionals maintain rides with services that range from batteries and AC repair to glass repair, transmission repair, and oil changes that use freshly milked oil from a hormone-free Winnebago. Customers can visit one of six locations, each of which is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Behind Excel Motors' rows of shiny preowned vehicles, mechanics tinker under their iconic ASE-certification shoulder patches, their hands sowing the hard work necessary to harvest peak mileage from engines of all sorts. Quarts of high-quality oil await their chance to flow alongside thirsty car metals, and bays securely hoist autos into the air so techs can service them, inspect various parts for safety, or rotate tires. Meanwhile, customers can peruse the lots for a new domestic or imported car and take a look at each vehicle's Carfax report to see its prior life, accident history, and ability to snuggle with weather tarps.

Black-and-white checkerboard floors and faux traffic lights greet every customer that walks into United Auto's lobby. Photos of antique cars hover above a black couch, which is flanked by a candy machine and a shelf overflowing with children's toys. Beyond this sleek lobby, ASE-certified technicians toil away with tools and more than 25 years of know-how. They welcome cars for services as simple as an oil change or as complicated as engine repair and also perform state-mandated inspections to ensure cars are safe for the road and not churning out excess pollution or trash talk. On the other side of the garage, an auto parts store stocks all the essentials—from spark plugs to air fresheners and floss for the grill—for motorists who enjoy working on their own cars.

Though it may seem counterintuitive for a car detailer and repairman to want to prevent the dings and dents that he works to fix, that’s exactly what Domenico Nigro hopes to do. He’s developing a slew of smartphone apps designed to keep teenagers safe on the road by blocking them from sending text messages and monitoring their speed for parents. For those not so lucky, his Autobody Accident Assistant app arms drivers with all of the tools they’ll need in case of a collision: their insurance information, emergency numbers and contacts, their exact location, and, of course, the number of their auto-body shop of choice. Domenico hopes that his customers will plug in his number.

The team at Nigro’s Auto Body repairs cars in the Italian method that the staff learned firsthand from Domenico’s father and co-owner in Nigro’s Auto Body, Aniello. The staff also includes Domenico’s cousin Raffaele Mele, who immigrated to the States from Italy to work in the shop, and Joseph Coulter, who has been part of the team since Nigro’s Auto Body opened its doors in 1984. Together, they perform an extensive list of services that include fiberglass repair, custom paint, bodyline sculpting, antique-car restoration, and collision repair. Before any service, they complete a free estimate and give expert advice as to whether your car needs a new engine or if its current one is just playing dead. They also help customers reserve a rental car if needed while their car is in the shop, and they back many of their repairs with a lifetime guarantee.

When the family-owned Weikel's Auto Repair opened in 1994, its ASE-certified technicians inspected cars in a cozy three-bay shop. As demand for their expertise grew, so did their need for space, machinery, and equipment. These days, in a roomier shop, ASE-certified master technician Steve Weikel and his team administer extensive services for all automotive systems and car makes, including hybrids. The crew aligns wheels and tires, ensures electrical wiring functions properly, and replaces brake pads and hoses, keeping any flowers growing on the driver's side properly watered. Weikel's crew also performs state safety and emissions inspections, outfits vehicles with Michelin or Bridgestone tires, and assists broken-down cars with 24/7 towing.