Kiwi car lovers can now get their hands on an Aussie cult-favourite, with Bowden’s Own confirming they’re entering the New Zealand market. A family-owned business, it’s known for high-quality, handmade vehicle care products, and some tongue-in-cheek humour.
Since its inception in 2002, the Bowden’s Own range has expanded to more tha 100 car care products, including the much-loved Boss Gloss, Fully Slick, Wheely Clean, Naked Glass, and the cheekily-named Wet Dreams and Snow Job.
Many of these are still obsessively measured, blended and filled by hand from the family’s Sunshine Coast facility – a fact co-founder Dan Bowden (who started the company alongside brother Chris) says helps get real results.
“We’ve spent years, sometimes over a decade, perfecting some of our formulas. One of our most popular products, Wheely Clean, for example, is an acid-free, super-effective wheel cleaner that’s 100 per cent unique to Bowden’s Own,” Dan said.
“Over the past 11 years, we trialled hundreds of formulas, testing them in every condition and on every heavy brake dust-laden wheel imaginable, refusing to stop until we had something truly unique and exceptional,” he added
“That’s the level of detail we put into every product, and it’ll never change, no matter how big we get.”
The Bowden story dates back to 1925 when Dan’s grandfather Frank began selling Fords, sparking a passion for cars that would be passed down through generations. In 1937, Frank helped his son David, buy his first car, a ‘34 Ford, at just 12 years old.
He restored that iconic machine, trading up several times before getting his hands on a ‘32 Ford Roadster, which he customised into a hot rod and kept for years. That early love affair with cars only grew, and today the Bowden family has amassed its own collection.
More than 80 classic, sports, muscle, and race cars from Australia and New Zealand, are mostly housed within their Queensland property, along with select models displayed in museums and showrooms around the country.
Caring for this collection is what started the Bowden’s Own range, after years of using US and European “quality” car care products with damaging ingredients.
“The business was born out of necessity, and the formulating began as a fun project in 1999 when we realised that many so-called ‘premium’ car care products were packed with cheap, harmful ingredients that didn’t cut it for the long-term care of our car collection.”
The brothers chose to take matters into our own hands, ensuring that every product was developed with the same meticulous care that they’d put into looking after their own super-loved car collection.
Bowden’s Own is a cult-fave among Australian car lovers, celebrated for its superior quality and effectiveness as well as its cheeky, no-BS attitude. Take tongue-in-cheek product names like “Little Stiffy” (a stiff bristle brush for cleaning tyres and chassis) for example.
There’s been marketing campaigns that have raised as many eyebrows as they have laughs too and the company’s success is not from carving out a spot in the saturated car care market, but forging its own.
Beyond the products, Bowden’s Own is dedicated to helping people get the most out of its products, with one of the largest Facebook-based detailing communities in the southern hemisphere.
“Whether it’s expert advice, pro tips, just sharing a laugh or frothing over a clean ride, we’re as committed to our community as we are to our products,” Dan explained.
“We’re stoked to finally bring Bowden’s Own to New Zealand. We know the Kiwi car scene is full of true, hardcore car fanatics who love their machines as much as we do, and we know they’ll appreciate a car care brand that’s created by fanatics, for fanatics.”
Bowden’s Own is available to purchase at Supercheap Auto and Repco stores across both Australia and New Zealand.
