GardX – Paint Protection 2026 – Car Dealer Magazine

12:30 pm, July 14, 2026

Paint protection remains one of the most popular aftermarket products available to dealers as they look for an offering that combines quality with the opportunity to generate additional profit.

There is far more to a good paint production product than making a car look shiny, with the retailers looking for a partner that is supported by outstanding brand awareness and top marketing.

That is where our winners in this category – GardX – have excelled, with a name that consistently stands out for its product quality, dealer support and brand strength.

The firm really is the go-to when it comes to paint protection, reflected in the fact that this is the 12th year in a row that it has scooped this prestigious prize.

We caught up with the firm’s global chief revenue officer, Dylan Haskel, who was delighted to learn that another gong would be going in the outfit’s already bulging trophy cabinet.

‘We are thrilled. Really, really thrilled,’ he told Car Dealer. ‘Winning it once is special, but winning it 12 times in a row really does make it something very special.

‘I think it’s a testament to our team, first and foremost. What we like about this particular award is that it’s voted for by the retailers, and that really does make it very, very special. We’re over the moon and super pleased to receive it.

‘We hope it’s down to our constant product innovation. We keep evolving the offer and we keep evolving our products.

‘I hope our retailers are voting because they see us as a growth partner rather than just a supplier. We’d like to think we’re good people to do business with.

‘Ultimately, we want our retailers to judge the success of the relationship on those key elements, as well as the profitability they achieve. We hope the retailers we work with generate significantly more money, and we’d like to think that’s why they’ve voted for us.’

So what was the secret to GardX’s success? Haskell puts it down to constant product innovation, strong retailer partnerships and a commitment to delivering value.

The past year has seen the firm continue to evolve its product offering, including launching its paint protection film (PPF) which is designed to protect the most vulnerable areas of a vehicle, like the bonnet, front bumper and wing mirrors.

Haskell added: ‘We’ve got a lot planned. We’ve got an awful lot planned. There’s certainly a new range of products that we’re about to bring to market.

‘We recently launched our PPF programme to the UK market, which has been very successful, and we expect that to continue throughout 2026 and 2027.

‘We’ve got a whole new range of tech development, particularly around enablement — how we use technology to help retailers present value-added products to customers in a way in which they want to be presented to.

‘There are a lot of exciting things coming later this year and early next year.’