Crash Champions announced the expansion of its LUXE | EV Certified brand, a collection of best-in-class certified repair centers specializing in highline and luxury EVs, after finalizing a deal to acquire the Charles Barker Automotive Collision Center in Virginia Beach, VA.
The collision center, previously under the ownership of Charles Barker Automotive, will begin operating as Crash Champions LUXE | EV Certified immediately at 4945 Cleveland St. in Virginia Beach.
Charles Barker Automotive retains ownership of its dealership located at 4949 Virginia Beach Blvd.
"We are pleased that our collision repair center joining Crash Champions LUXE | EV Certified means our customers continue to receive the exceptional service they’ve come to expect,” said Charles Barker, chairman of Charles Barker Automotive. “As a Mercedes-Benz Certified collision repair center, this allows us to maintain the highest standards in vehicle repair while meeting the evolving needs of our clients. Supporting our community and keeping our customers on the road is always our top priority."
Since acquiring DC Autocraft in May 2024, the Crash Champions LUXE | EV Certified collection has expanded to 13 locations across the U.S., with plans to quickly expand premium service in all markets nationwide.
"This is another proud step forward for the growth and evolution of the Crash Champions LUXE | EV Certified brand,” said Crash Champions founder and CEO Matt Ebert. “The hard-earned reputation of the Charles Barker Collision Center team is well-documented and aligns strategically with our vision to deliver best-in-class luxury and EV collision repair service. We look forward to welcoming the Charles Barker team and bringing this luxury service to our existing and new Virginia Beach customers."
The acquisition of Charles Barker Collision Center adds a renowned team of factory-certified collision repair technicians with a longstanding reputation for excellence in the Virginia Beach community. Charles Barker Collision Center features OEM certification from Mercedes-Benz and is I-CAR Gold Class certified.
After merging with Service King in mid-2022, Crash Champions slowed dramatically in 2023, adding just 27 locations, as it focused on integrating 336 Service King repair centers. Four out of the 27 locations added by Crash in 2023 were greenfield developments, signaling the company’s willingness to build new repair centers from the ground up in attractive markets where acquisition targets may be limited. Crash ended the year with 617 shops.
As of now, Crash Champions now operates more than 650 collision repair centers in 38 states, providing customers with more than 25 years of expertise and backs all work with a written lifetime warranty.
