Howard Davidson was 25 when he and his friend Ralph Smith shook hands and together they opened Auburn Body Shop in July of 1964. Davidson and wife Peggy bought out Smith in 1971 and now they are celebrating 54 years under continuous local ownership in the same location.
The Davidson family is proud to be a part of the Auburn community.
“We work here, we’ve raised our families here and we have been given the opportunity to serve in the community to help make Auburn a better place,” Howard Davidson said. “My son, Dave Davidson, is my partner, providing leadership, quality control and exceptional customer service to each of our customers. Dave’s son, my grandson Ron Davidson, is currently spraying out our beautiful paint jobs in our refinish department and my granddaughter Sara is our customer service consultant. Brett Lewis came on board with us last year and is our main estimator bringing with him skills in estimating, customer service, production management and parts management.”
Howard Davidson is a long-time member of the local Elks Lodge, Past President of the Auburn Jeep Club and past President of the Auburn/Grass Valley Chapter of California Auto Body Association. Dave is also past President of the Auburn Jeep Club and is Past President of the 20/30 Club Auburn. When Dave is not at the body shop he enjoys playing golf and being in the outdoors.
The automotive world has changed a great deal since the doors of the body shop opened in 1964.
“We have always done great work ... but like everything else, things were much simpler back then.” Davidson said.
Today, Auburn Body Shop is an advanced, modern automotive collision repair center with new equipment and experienced automotive collision repair experts. The body shop features experienced individuals who receive continued training to remain current on the latest advancements in auto body and collision repair. Additionally, Davidson points out, “Collision repair is constantly evolving. Our repair professionals are equipped with the advanced Chief Velocity laser guided measuring system for frame and body alignment, a nitrogen plastic welder to aid with plastic repairs on bumper covers and other plastic accessories on the vehicle which were typically replaced before. The plastic welder allows us to oftentimes save our customers from costly and untimely repairs. We also invested in a Ford approved self-piercing aluminum rivet gun and welders, so we can work on the newer model Fords with aluminum bedsides and other automobiles that are adopting and following suit with Ford to make lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles by using aluminum. Our painters made the switch from using harmful solvent based paint to using PPG waterborne enviro base paint products, designed to not only leave your vehicle with a beautiful finish, but it greatly reduces toxic emissions and hazardous waste which is also good for our environment”.
“We are also aided by a computerized estimating system and are online working with major insurance companies. It saves our customers both time and paperwork when undergoing collision repair”, Davidson added “These technological innovations offer our customers higher quality repairs, expedited repair and painting processes and ultimately gets the vehicle back to our customers faster”.
Customer service is a very high priority at Auburn Body Shop. We understand collision repair is rarely convenient, that’s why we have developed a customized repair experience that focuses on our customers, their needs and their complete satisfaction. It’s this dedication to our customers that is the
“We all live locally and have an in-house saying, he said. “We are not just your repair facility, we are your neighbor!” Davidson said.