02/14/2026
Today, we pause to honor the life of our business coach and mentor, Aaron Stokes, founder of ShopFix Academy, who passed away yesterday in a tragic airplane accident.
We began working with Aaron in 2017 because his core values, moral compass, and ethical beliefs aligned perfectly with ours. He believed that auto repair shops could be transparent, honest, professional, and profitable — all at the same time. That message resonated deeply with us.
When we built our loaner car program, Aaron helped us structure and implement it the right way. As we prepared to move from Lakewood to Sea Girt, his coaching — and the community he built — guided us through one of the most significant decisions in our company’s history.
Without Aaron, and without the group of shop owners he brought together, Autobahn would not be the transparent, organized, and principled business it is today.
He originally set out to create a small group of 100 elite shop owners. What he ultimately built was something far greater — a movement that continues to change the way people perceive the auto repair industry.
We are deeply grateful for his leadership, his wisdom, and his unwavering commitment to raising the standard.
Rest easy, Aaron. Your impact will live on in every shop you helped shape — and we will continue to carry the torch forward.
