Super Shops Automotive Performance Centers was an American chain of 165 auto parts stores which operated from 1963 to 1998. The chain was founded as a single store on July 1, 1963 by Harry Eberlin, a United States Air Force employee and freelance auto-parts dealer. Initially named San Bernardino Racing Equipment, the first store was located at 25824 East Baseline Road in San Bernardino, California. After the opening of several stores, the corporation changed names in 1977 from San Bernardino Racing Equipment Inc. to Super Shops, Inc. The chain rebranded its stores as Super Shops Automotive Performance Centers in 1978. The Super Shops chain sponsored racing events and National Hot Rod Association drag racing teams. The corporation went out of business in 1998 due to financial debt.
The Super Shops trademarks and corporate name were later registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by an unrelated El Cajon based firm in 2003 and cancelled in 2012.
Since 2013, the Super Shops trademarks and corporate name were obtained by a nostalgia group of former workers and customers to provide the sale of T-shirts and other memorabilia.
Commercials
Super Shops advertised heavily on the radio. An announcer would breathlessly tell about the latest parts deals of the week, with hard rock music in the background. Super Shops used Santana's "All I Ever Wanted", Gary Glitter's "Do You Wanna Touch Me", Ted Nugent's "Home Bound", and the Dixie Dregs' "Cruise Control" in their advertisements. The ad would always end with the tag line "... because everyone deserves performance."