Grease, grit and glory: Prestige CarCare celebrates 15 years of passion, precision, and purpose

The Star

18-07-2025

IT IS only 5pm, but the Prestige CarCare Flagship Automall along Jalan Chan Sow Lin is already buzzing with energy.
At 25,000sq ft, the state-of-the-art space is a gleaming cathedral for car lovers – and today, it's alive with anticipation.
Rows of luxury vehicles – Bentleys, Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes, Jaguars – stand proudly, hoods lifted, engines exposed.
Technicians move swiftly and methodically around them, ensuring each detail is in place.
Elsewhere, team members inflate balloons, tweak lighting, and rehearse the flow of guests for the evening's celebration.
In just two hours, Prestige CarCare will mark its 15th anniversary – a major milestone for a business that began humbly in 2010, as a 2,400sq ft workshop tucked away in Sungei Besi.
Founder and chief executive officer Toh Kean Wai is pacing quietly, visibly nervous. For him, tonight is more than just a celebration. It's the culmination of a dream rooted deep in memory.
From shed to showroom
As a boy, Toh watched his father – a lone mechanic – work tirelessly in a makeshift shed behind someone else's shoplot.
'Being a mechanic was considered a 3D job,' he says, referencing Malaysia's perception of dirty, dangerous, and difficult work.
'It wasn't something people looked up to, nor respected. I knew it was my mission to change that,' he confides.
From the very beginning, Toh set out to do things differently with Prestige CarCare.
Toh even travelled to Germany, China, and Japan — eager to learn about their cutting-edge equipment, technical expertise, and exacting standards.
In Toh's first workshop there were no dimly lit, cluttered, grease-smeared spaces, typical of traditional workshops.
In their place: bright, clean and organised service bays staffed by passionate professionals who treated every car like a prized possession — and every customer with respect.
Over time, those same high standards became the blueprint for all six Prestige CarCare outlets across the Klang Valley.
Toh set out to restore dignity to an overlooked trade, transforming workshops into spotless spaces built on excellence, respect, and service.
Today, Prestige CarCare handles everything auto — from major engine work and transmission fixes to tires, brakes, and routine oil changes — all done to exact manufacturer standards.
Their team knows cars inside and out, using high-tech diagnostics to spot and solve issues with ease in addition to premium detailing and cosmetic services for luxury cars.
And if their customers ever get stuck, they offer their 24/7 roadside help, post-service follow-ups, and even courtesy rides.
It comes as no surprise that Prestige CarCare has grown to become Malaysia's largest independent luxury car servicing company.
But the road hasn't been without bumps. There were tough times – from having to vacate one of their service centres on short notice to surviving the uncertainty of the MCO lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
'For us, challenges are opportunities in disguise,' Toh reflects. 'To last 15 years, you need courage, focus, and consistency.'
At the heart of Prestige CarCare's success is a simple philosophy: go the extra mile. And their 'zero downtime' policy is a perfect reflection of that.
Need your car serviced? They'll come to you. Cars are picked up and returned post-service. Customers get courtesy vehicles in the meantime, or a shuttle service if needed.
'We understand that time is money,' says Toh. 'So we've built our service around that belief.'
Driving into the future
That same spirit of innovation led to the launch of DirectBuy, Prestige CarCare's newest venture — an online platform where people can buy and sell pre-owned cars transparently and without hassle.
'We noticed many of our customers wanted to sell their cars but weren't getting fair prices from traditional dealers,' Toh reveals.
'When we checked the market rates, they were often much higher. That's when we knew — there was a gap we could fill.'
Toh believed DirectBuy could finally take the guesswork out of buying and selling used luxury cars a smoother, smarter alternative to the old-school dealer hustle.
'We help sellers to sell at a better price. And we help buyers to buy at a good price,' he adds.
DirectBuy takes a fresh approach. Cars are thoroughly inspected, with a detailed report generated covering everything from dents and scratches to verified mileage.
A 55-point mechanical check – powered by Prestige's deep technical background – ensures buyers know exactly what they're getting.
'I believe we're the first to offer this kind of platform with this level of transparency,' says Toh. 'Other dealers still rely on outdated, wait-and-see methods. We're changing that.'
Back at the Automall, the final touches are being placed. The team is ready. Guests will soon begin arriving. Toh pauses for a moment, taking it all in.
'I think my late father would have been very touched to see this,' he says quietly.