What You Auto Know about Highland Park Automotive

Highland Park Automotive is a family-owned and operated full-service auto repair shop located in Highland Park, New Jersey since 1982. We specialize in Toyota and Honda vehicles, but our mechanics are qualified to work on any make and model. We are not a large auto repair shop, but we are big on customer service. We have always intended to be a friendly place where you can trust your vehicle will be fixed correctly by professional technicians who care about you and your safety.

The History of Highland Park Automotive

Duane Beers, owner and founder of Highland Park Automotive (HP Auto), has always been a mechanic and automotive performance enthusiast. After running his own racecar team for many years, he decided to offer his services to general repair customers by opening his own auto repair shop. With the goal of providing drivers with a place that offered the highest expertise in auto repair, Duane and his wife, Susan, established HP Auto in 1982. Duane ran the shop by himself for the first several years, but as his customer base grew, he added more people to our team.

Highland Park Automotive Auto Repair Shop

From the Owner, Duane Beers

“I have been involved in car racing since I was 12 years old. I ran my own racecar team for 15 years, finishing first on the East Coast twice, and eighth in the United States once. I have been on ESPN numerous times, as well as in multiple newspaper and magazine articles.

“While cars are my first love, I have also been involved in numerous community organizations. At one point, I was President of the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, and I was a founding member of the local Business Improvement District, Main Street Highland Park. I was a board member and Promotions Committee Chairman, running any and all downtown events.

“As a general repair technician for the average driver, I take great satisfaction in making cars last a long time, and saving my customers money in the long term. Working together with my employees and my customers, I truly believe we can make Highland Park Automotive the most technologically advanced, highly-respected, and successful auto repair shop in the area, if not the automotive industry.”

More on Duane’s Automotive Background

Duane is a Master Auto Repair Technician fully certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). He is also a certified New Jersey State Emission Repair Technician and certified MACS Refrigeration Technician. He has attended Brookdale Community College’s automotive technology program and Mechanics Education Association (MEA). Now with more than 40 years spent in the automotive industry, Duane is truly a master, in accreditation and ability. He is dedicated to fixing your car right the first time, as well as giving you honest, friendly advice you can trust.

From the very beginning of his automotive career, Duane was always extremely driven to own his own business; however, several challenges stood in the way of this dream. After being involved in drag racing for several years and while attempting to become a top-dog in the world of racing, he worked three jobs to support his passion. Stretched too thin, Duane lost his full-time job at a local auto parts store, but was given nearly three months to make his dream come true: He finally had the chance to open his own business. With that, in October of 1982, he founded Highland Park Automotive.

Now that he had his own shop, Duane was inspired to make other dreams come true as well. His racing career took off, starting in 1984 and 1988 when he earned the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Division 1 Super Comp Champion. When he became licensed in NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car in 1998, he began working part-time for various NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car teams as a mechanic from 1999 until 2004.

In 2006, while driving for Ferriolo Motorsports NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team, Duane was the runner-up at the NHRA Division 1 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Atco, NJ. He went on to specialize in clutch work, and became part of Paul Richards IHRA funny car team from 2007 to 2009. He moved on to a full-time position as a clutch specialist for the Jim Dunn racing NHRA Funny Car team in 2010. In 2014, Duane was crowned the champion of the East Coast Pro Comp Association, driving for the Dennis Champney-owned Alcohol Funny Car racing team out of New Hampshire. Next up, he started driving for Rick Walkoviak Racing in a supercharged Alcohol Altered.

In his off-time, Duane enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. When he is not at the shop or racetrack, you can usually find him at the Jersey Shore on his surfboard yelling “COWABUNGA!” or on the fairway yelling “FORE!”