Who We Are

In 1971, just before Cyclone Althea, Bob Parkes started his new business, ‘Bob Parkes Automotive' in Flinders Street across the road from the old Railway Station (the building currently occupied by Norm Hyatt Locksmith).

Bob specialised in various automotive accessories, as well as mechanical repairs. In August 1975, ‘Bob Parkes Muffler City' was born, with Bob moving the business to Somer Street, behind Holden and Ford. This move saw the introduction of a machine not previously seen outside of Sydney and Melbourne — “The Pipe Bender”.

This new innovation, along with the continuation of his mechanical repairs, saw the business flourish. Bob's eldest son, Mark, joined the business in 1979, and in 1984 he took control of an additional premises on the corner of Charles and Anne Streets in Aitkenvale.

Need a mechanic in Townsville? Give us a call today on 07 4774 3233!

The 1980s saw Bob's other three sons join the business at various stages. Peter completed a mechanical apprenticeship before moving on to a career in the transport industry. Youngest son Paul worked as a salesman before moving south to join Mercury Mufflers', one of Bob's main suppliers of his exhaust components. Robert joined the business in 1988 to complete the family connection.

In 2001, Bob and the boys had outgrown their Somer Street shop, so a move was made to the premises on Charters Towers Road and the company had never looked back. In 2008, Mark parted ways with the business, and as Bob gradually stepped into retirement, Robert took the reins to lead it into the future. With the addition of Robert’s wife, Bev, to the company in recent years, the business has kept the family tradition going.

In 2020, the business entered a new chapter with the successful merger of the two workshops into one large, fully equipped super-store. This move gave customers the convenience of accessing all their mechanical, exhaust, and towbar services in one location.

We’ve continued to proudly serve the Townsville community with the same high level of care and commitment that Bob began all those years ago — and we look forward to doing so for many more to come.