By: J. Anderson

The demographics of Orange County haven't altered much since the revolutionary "destination" auto accessories store Super Autobacs opened in Stanton four years ago this month. Inside the store, it's a different story: the customer demographic has expanded dramatically, especially in the past year.

At first, Super Autobacs mainly drew what its employees affectionately call "motorheads" - typically, young men who doted on their mostly Japanese imports, seeking anything and everything that would enhance their cars'performance, looks and fun factor.

But in its wisdom, Autobacs' leadership stood firm in its conviction that neither age nor gender had much to do with the desire in people to enjoy their vehicles. The tricky part was to take a general population accustomed to limited selections of auto accessories designed for utility rather than enjoyment, and make it aware that there are thousands of products to make shopping for vehicles fun and satisfying.

"Our challenge has been to attract as many people as possible and to make them realize that small things can impact their car lifestyles in a big way," said Toshio Kitamura, president and chief executive officer of Autobacs USA.

The parent company, Autobacs Seven Co., Ltd., is the largest automotive after-market parts and accessories retailer in Japan. It has more than 583 locations in Japan ranging from small "Express" stores to deluxe "Super" stores, plus 20 locations in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, China and France. The Stanton store is the only Autobacs in the United States, although more are expected toopen on the West Coast in the next few years.

There is doubtless not a driver on the road who wouldn't find at least a dozen things to covet somewhere in Super Autobacs' 35,000-square-feet of some 15,000 auto-related goodies. They range from stylish décor and brilliantly useful items for cars' interiors, to high performance parts and kits, to audio-visual systems, tires and wheels.

Autobacs also carries items rarely available without Internet searches and special orders, such as extremely high-end motor oils and super-rugged batteries designed to survive unusual punishment.