Tag: Sean Buckley

Ultra Tune:

Ultra Tune is an Australian car servicing company that was founded by Sean Buckley in 1979. It began as a small operation in Melbourne, Australia, offering basic car servicing and repairs. Over the years, Ultra Tune expanded its services and locations, becoming one of Australia’s largest independent automotive servicing and roadside assistance companies.

One of the key factors contributing to Ultra Tune’s growth was its successful marketing strategy, which included memorable advertising campaigns featuring provocative imagery and slogans. These campaigns sparked both controversy and attention, and were successful in helping to establish Ultra Tune’s brand identity.

Ultra Tune has continued to expand its services beyond basic car servicing and repairs to include roadside assistance, fleet services, brake and clutch repairs, air conditioning servicing, and more. Today, Ultra Tune operates across Australia with numerous franchised locations, providing automotive services to a wide range of customers.

Ultra Tune offers a comprehensive range of car servicing options to cater to the needs of vehicle owners. Some of the key car servicing options provided by Ultra Tune include:

  1. Log Book Servicing: Ultra Tune offers log book servicing, which involves following the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule as outlined in the vehicle’s log book. This ensures that the vehicle receives the necessary maintenance and inspections to maintain its warranty and optimal performance.
  2. General Servicing and Repairs: Ultra Tune provides general servicing and repairs for all makes and models of vehicles. This includes routine maintenance tasks such as oil changes, filter replacements, brake inspections, fluid checks, and more.
  3. Brake and Clutch Repairs: Ultra Tune offers brake and clutch repairs, including brake pad replacements, brake fluid flushes, brake rotor resurfacing or replacement, clutch repairs, and clutch fluid replacement.
  4. Air Conditioning Servicing: Ultra Tune provides air conditioning servicing to ensure that vehicle air conditioning systems are operating efficiently and effectively. This may include refrigerant recharging, leak detection, compressor repairs, and system diagnostics.
  5. Suspension and Steering Repairs: Ultra Tune offers suspension and steering repairs to address issues such as worn-out shocks or struts, steering system malfunctions, wheel alignment problems, and more.
  6. Engine Diagnostics and Tune-Ups: Ultra Tune provides engine diagnostics and tune-ups to identify and address engine performance issues. This may include computerized engine diagnostics, spark plug replacements, fuel system cleaning, and other tune-up services.
  7. Battery Replacement and Testing: Ultra Tune offers battery replacement and testing services to ensure that vehicle batteries are in good condition and capable of providing reliable starting power.
  8. Tyre Services: Ultra Tune provides tyre services, including tyre fitting, balancing, rotation, and alignment, to ensure that vehicle tyres are in optimal condition for safe driving.

Overall, Ultra Tune offers a comprehensive range of car servicing options designed to keep vehicles running smoothly and safely on the road. Specific services may vary depending on the individual Ultra Tune location and the needs of the customer.

Ultra Tune is highly rated in the Australian automotive servicing industry, known for its extensive network of locations and comprehensive range of services.

Ultra Racing – win for Poison Chalice and Captain Envious at Murtoa

More than 1200 racegoers were on course to see race favourite Captain Envious take out this year’s $50,000 Murtoa Cup (2050m).

The Paul Preusker-trained gelding drifted late in betting, but ended up recording a soft win on the line carrying 60kg to victory.

Winning jockey Will Gordon said it would be a confidence-boosting victory for the son of Savabeel, who will now likely head back to town for the spring.

The Horsham-trained galloper also previously finished third in last November’s Group 3 Queen’s Cup (2600m) at Flemington behind Soulcombe.

Adding another country cup to his resume, Gordon said despite the eventual result, mid-race he thought he’d stuffed up the ride.

“We jumped from barrier two and Paul’s only instructions were stay off the fence, but that’s exactly where we ended up,” he said.

“It panned out for the first 600m how I’d thought it would but then we ended up taking the run up the inside and I thought, ‘oh no I’ve really stuffed this up’.

“Luckily it ended up working out okay, and he’s a nice horse who should go on with it and win a race in town again soon.”

The in-form Preusker stable recorded a double on the eight-race card, also taking out a heat of the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Series (1600m) with classy galloper, Poison Chalice.

Poison Chalice (NZ) was ridden by Ryan Houston and won the Horsham Doors & Glass Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Series at Murtoa Racecourse on October 07, 2023 in Murtoa, Australia.

Sean Buckley interview – Does he regret selling Nature Strip for $80k?

The short answer is no! Sean Buckley discusses the success of Ultra Racing and Nature Strip in an exclusive interview with racenet.com.au:

“It is a business that is developing every day and it is an industry I love being a part of,” Buckley said.

But when you strike early in your racing career, like Buckley did with Miss Andretti, that is risk reward. But in this sense, winning a race at Royal Ascot, with a horse sourced from Western Australia, is not about the bottom line.

“I still remember seeing trainer Lee Freedman singling Waltzing Matilda and drinking out of the trophy in the car park. I had my wife and kids with me, we had been to Dubai for a holiday, we got invited to the Royal Box, it was just the best day ever,” Buckley said.

Sean Buckley
Sean Buckley celebrating Miss Andretti’s King’s Stand win with Lee Freedman and Craig Newitt Picture: Gary Crispe

And it was a whirlwind week from the Tuesday when Craig Froggie Newitt getting home, leading fellow Aussies, Magnus into third and Takeover Target into fourth.

“I got offered $10 million from an Arab Sheik for her to run in his colours on the Saturday in the Golden Jubilee, but knocked that back. It wasn’t about the money.”

Miss Andretti failed in the Golden Jubilee, finishing 15th, with Takeover Target second to Soldier’s Tale but she’d come home and straight up in the spring won the Group 2 Schweppes at The Valley and Group 1 Age Classic at Flemington in Cup Week.

So too it wasn’t about the money with watching Nature Strip win on Tuesday night either.

“You could say I sold a horse for $80,000 that has won $18m, but honestly that is good for business, I don’t regret selling, I strive to breed a horse like that, I breed plenty of horses every year, I can’t keep them all,” Buckley said.

$500,000 for Strikeline:

“I have a budget every year to buy mares and I think we paid $500,000 for Strikeline off the track, sent her to Star Witness and she produced a horse called The Barrister that we sold to Hong Kong.”

And Sean Buckley now has Strikeline, the mother of Nature Strip, back in foal to Nicconi and you would suggest without much argument, that it won’t be sold.

It might seem though a touch ironic that is was both Miss Andretti and Strikeline which gave Buckley unwarranted headlines over an alleged embryo transplantation scheme. It was something that saw Buckley banned from racing horses (only) in Victoria until the matter settled with no action taken (but some damage done reputationally).

“I complied with every direction of the authorities and the stewards in relation to the inquiry. I was open and transparent, there was never any intention of any subsequent foal being registered with the studbook, we were simply regenerating their breeding cycles and it has worked.

“It was an embarrassment at the times, but we had never done anything wrong, and the right outcome

was reached with Racing Victoria.”

Horseracing - racehorse Miss Andretti (l) ridden by jockey Craig Newitt winning race 6 from Gold Edition ridden by Damien Oliver at Caulfield 10 Mar 2007. a/ct

Miss Andretti defeating Gold Edition at Caulfield in 2007

Buckley and headlines are no strangers. His expensive UltraTune advertising campaigns features the likes of Mike Tyson, Charlie Sheen, Pamela Anderson and other Hollywood celebrities, featured almost annually as the most complained about to with the Australia’s Advertising Standards.

“They kept changing the laws and we kept changing the ads,” said Buckley, “it was like a cat chasing a mouse, but we might have spent $3m on blocking out ads for a month and get $1.5m in publicity out of the backlash, they almost paid for themselves,” he said.

But that business nouse isn’t lost on Buckley as an investor or entrepreneur.

“It’s a good question what we can do to boost the image of racing or attracting a younger appeal. I still say it’s a rich man’s game. Horses are getting more expensive, and as good as syndication has been, I am not sure how much more recommitment on spend or new money is coming in.

“It is a sport and industry that relies heavily on the gambling dollar, as well as one that struggles with public perception on cruelty, the whip and animal welfare.”

A Buckley like UltraTune campaign mightn’t be the answer. He had actor Alec Baldwin – as Donald Trump signed to be his next advertising star – I’m not sure that could carry over into a racing relevance, but it is worth listening to someone who works and lives and has been successful outside of the – dare I say – racing bubble – while a major investor in it at the same time.

Read more from this interview with Sean Buckley over at racenet.com.au

Sean Buckley – Ultra Tune – exclusive interviews:

Sean Buckley Ultra Tune

Exclusive interview with Sean Buckley – Ultra Tune Executive Director, discussing life at Ultra Tune, exclusive behind the scenes and plans for the future. How did Sean Buckley get Mike Tyson to shoot an ad with Ultra Tune? How did losing everything in the 1980s effect Sean Buckley? How did he start the business? Find out in this exclusive interview.

A really interesting look at Ultra Tune and discussion with Sean Buckley about the company and the notorious television campaigns. Lots of fun clips from advertising campaigns, interviews with close friends and business partners.

Filmed by Industry Leaders in 2019

Sean Buckley – Gold Coast entrepreneur

Sean Buckley is an Australian entrepreneur now based on the Gold Coast with vast experience in many areas of business. Sean is Executive Chairman at The Ultra Group of Companies which includes (among others) Ultra Tune and Ultra Thoroughbreds – one of Australia’s largest and most successful Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding enterprises. Sean is a skilled entrepreneur with a diverse range of interests including sports, business and new technologies. He went about building Ultra Tune at the expense of his own comfort. He famously took $100 a week in wages so that he could invest back into the business, specifically the franchisees, because these were the people who were driving his long-term vision and the business model.

“Entrepreneurs need to “think outside the box”.

In 2016 Sean Buckley appeared on behalf of Ultra Tune and other independent after sales service providers at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (the industry’s professional lobby group where he now sits on the board) enquiry into the monopoly that new car manufacturers were attempting to sustain on after sales servicing, Sean’s appearance and the background work completed by Ultra Tune proved decisive in opening up the market to greater competition in the industry with legislative changes resulting.

Sean Buckley answers: What has been the biggest challenge of franchising your brand? How did you overcome it?

Ultra Tune has faced various challenges over the years, not the least of which being an adverse legal finding after a court case with the ACCC. I was overseas at the time for an extended period of time and unfortunately (my own fault), didn’t take an active enough role in the pending case. As a consequence the company was issued with a hefty fine. This was an operational issue, that, once I returned to Australia was immediately rectified and, thankfully our clientele has seen it for what it was – a glitch in an overwise stellar 40 years of operation. What it did show me was the need to keep my finger on the pulse of the organization at all time. The implications could have been catastrophic, however, being such a well-established and credible company allowed us to ride this setback out and thereafter the company has comeback stronger and more effective than ever before.

Obviously the current COVID climate has been an enormous challenge for the business. I’ve been forced to make a series very tough business decisions in the first six months. A combination of a sound management team, great network of franchisees and thinking and adapting to changed circumstances have allowed Ultra Tune to survive better than many other comparable companies. We’re clearly not out of the woods yet, but by maintaining an adaptive and proactive approach, I’m confident, 5 years from now Ultra Tune will continue to be the leading independently owned auto-service company in Australia.

Sean Buckley Ultra Tune interviewed by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association

Sean Buckley of Ultra Tune was recently interviewed by the AAAA (Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association) regarding the inquiry into the behaviour of vehicle manufacturers attempting to monopolize the after-sales car service market and drive up the cost of car servicing. Australia and New Zealand remain the only countries worldwide where manufacturers have been able to quarantine vehicle servicing data making it near impossible for independent service providers to properly service more recently manufactured vehicles. After months of effort and preparation, Ultra Tune, with other independent operators, managed to address the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) regarding the anti-competitive nature of the manufacturer’s behaviour. The ACCC weren’t impressed and legislation will be enacted in 2018 creating a level playing field upon which independent service providers, such as Ultra Tune, will be able to favourably compete on price and workmanship with vehicle manufacturers in the after sales service market. Read more on this report at https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/new-car-industry-put-on-notice