Briggs Auto Services Ltd is a long-standing auto repair workshop on Barrington Street in Spreydon, Christchurch. Established in 1972 and run by the Briggs family for 47 years, the business has now entered a new era: Chris Visser, an enthusiastic, fully qualified mechanic, leads the workshop under new ownership, while former owner Kerry Briggs remains very much part of the team, lending his knowledge and experience.
The workshop handles all vehicles — cars, vans and 4WDs — and offers Warrant of Fitness (WOF) inspections, servicing, brakes and suspension, general repairs, vehicle diagnostics and custom work. Routine servicing takes the form of maintenance check-ups that inspect, service and replace worn parts, while comprehensive diagnostics for computerised vehicles help pinpoint performance concerns accurately. Every job is backed by a workmanship guarantee, and free quotes are available on request.
What customers can expect is friendly, personal service: the team takes the time to listen to your needs, and from your first enquiry through to completion you work directly with the same dedicated professional, so the care your vehicle receives is tailored to your exact requirements.
On Barrington Street in Spreydon, Briggs Auto Services Ltd has spent the better part of five decades keeping Christchurch vehicles on the road. The workshop was established in 1972 and passed from father to son through the Briggs family, who ran it for 47 years. Today it has entered a new era under Chris Visser, an enthusiastic, fully qualified mechanic, with former owner Kerry Briggs still very much part of the team, lending his knowledge and experience. It's a handover done the old-fashioned way: same premises, same values, same commitment to friendly personal service, with fresh energy and up-to-date expertise added on top.
Briggs Auto Services describes itself as the one-stop local automotive shop in Barrington, and its service list backs that up. The team works on all vehicles — cars, vans and 4WDs — and handles everything from official Warrant of Fitness (WOF) inspections and routine servicing through to general repairs, brakes and suspension, vehicle diagnostics and custom work.
Under the repairs banner that means engine diagnostics and repairs, brake servicing and replacements, suspension work, clutch and transmission repairs, exhaust system fixes and electrical issues. Routine servicing takes the form of maintenance check-ups that inspect, service and replace worn parts before small issues turn into bigger, costlier ones.
For drivers whose vehicle 'just doesn't feel right', the workshop offers comprehensive diagnostics for computerised vehicles. With advanced diagnostic equipment and thorough knowledge of all vehicle types, the team aims to pinpoint performance concerns accurately and resolve them efficiently, rather than throwing parts at a problem.
And if you're after something less ordinary, custom work is on offer too: performance upgrades, suspension lifts, fitting body kits, wheels or specialised accessories — the kind of projects where Kerry's own love of restoring and modifying muscle cars clearly resonates.
New owner-manager Chris Visser is described as truly passionate about cars and the automotive industry. Away from the workshop he maintains his own vehicle and takes great pleasure in driving, and he enjoys analysing how systems function and consistently strives to resolve any problems that arise — a fitting temperament for a diagnostician.
Kerry Briggs carried the family business on after it was handed down from his father, and he remains confident that Chris will continue the same values and commitment to the personal service customers have come to know and expect. Rounding out the team is Cameron Martin, an apprentice mechanic in his third year of training with proven expertise in mechanical work, who gets enjoyment from fixing things and seeing the final product, and loves the challenge of making things right.
What sets the workshop apart, by its own account, is attentive, personalised care. When you call, the team will assess your needs and work to get you back on the road. From your first enquiry through to completion, you deal directly with the same dedicated professional, so the job is tailored to your exact requirements rather than passed around.
Every job is backed by a workmanship guarantee — if a covered issue arises again, it's dealt with — and quotes are free, so you can find out where you stand before committing to anything. The workshop's motto is 'energy, enthusiasm and experience', and with a new owner supplying the first two and nearly five decades of history providing the third, it's a fitting summary.
You'll find the workshop at 242 Barrington Street, Christchurch 8024. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 8.00 am to 5.30 pm and Friday from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, with the workshop closed on weekends. Call 03 332 0140, ring Chris directly on 020 4016 3990, or email [email protected] to arrange a booking or request a free quote. Whether it's time for a WOF, a warning light that needs diagnosing, brakes that have seen better days or a custom project you've been dreaming up, the team on Barrington Street invites you to drop by or get in touch whenever your vehicle needs attention.