Champion
Champion is a 117-year-old aftermarket brand owned by DRiV (Tenneco) that manufactures and sells spark plugs plus light-maintenance auto parts globally. It serves DIY consumers, professional technicians, and OE manufacturers through authorized retailers, repair shops, and direct e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1907
- HeadquartersLake Forest, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Champion does
Champion Auto Parts is the 117-year-old aftermarket ignition and light-maintenance brand of DRiV Automotive Inc., a division of Tenneco Inc. (NYSE: TEN). Founded in 1907, the company manufactures and distributes spark plugs across four electrode-material tiers (Copper Plus, Platinum Power, Double Platinum Power, Iridium) serving combustion engines in automotive, powersport, marine, lawn & garden, industrial, and racing applications. Since 2018 the portfolio has broadened beyond ignition into batteries (automotive and marine), oil and air filters, wiper blades (Aerovantage and Easyvision), and lighting, formalizing a one-stop light-maintenance basket for both DIY consumers and professional installers.
Revenue is generated through one-time product sales distributed via three primary channels: authorized auto parts retailers (via Where-to-Buy store locator), independent repair shops and professional technicians (via Where-to-Buy and direct OE relationships), and the direct championautoparts.com e-commerce storefront. Pricing is set at the retail/e-commerce level rather than disclosed publicly; Champion underwrites product with tiered unlimited-mileage warranties ranging from 2 years (Copper Plus) to 7 years (Iridium). Customer segmentation is horizontal and spans private passenger vehicle owners, professional repair technicians, powersport and marine users, lawn & garden equipment owners, performance racers, industrial operators, and OE manufacturers.
Marketing is content-led and largely self-served: the Parts Matter blog, multi-application diagnostic centers (automotive, powersport, marine, lawn & garden, industrial), installation guides, and a 1.800.325.8886 technical support line operate alongside organic social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and sweepstakes campaigns. Brand equity is built on over a century of motorsports and aviation heritage (Ford Model T, Concorde, Le Mans, F1, Thrust 2 land speed record), reinforced in 2010 when the Bayonet Connection System for wipers received the Automotive News Pace Award. The company maintains 11-language digital infrastructure spanning North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia Pacific, with brand-level headcount of 51–100 and primary offices at Lake Forest, IL and Skokie, IL (with DRiV's Southfield, MI presence).
Champion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Champion
- Legal name
- DRiV Automotive Inc.
- Website
- https://championautoparts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1907
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Champion is a 117-year-old aftermarket brand owned by DRiV (Tenneco) that manufactures and sells spark plugs plus light-maintenance auto parts globally. It serves DIY consumers, professional technicians, and OE manufacturers through authorized retailers, repair shops, and direct e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Champion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Aftermarket Parts
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (336310)
- SIC
- Engines & Turbines (3510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Powersports Aftermarket Parts & Accessories Manufacturing (IMACAEAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Aftermarket Performance & Tuning Products Manufacturing (Intakes/Turbos/ECU Tuners/Superchargers) (IMACANAN), Aftermarket Battery, Charging & Power Accessories Manufacturing (12V Batteries/Jump Starters/Chargers/Inverters) (IMACANAL)
Keywords
Where Champion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lake Forest
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Champion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel
Revenue model
- Aftermarket Auto Parts Sales: Champion generates revenue through the sale of aftermarket ignition components (spark plugs, batteries, wiper blades, filters, lighting) to auto parts retailers, repair shops, and end-consumer DIY customers. Products are sold through both physical retail distribution and direct e-commerce.
- Light Maintenance Product Line: Since 2018, Champion has expanded beyond spark plugs into a broader line of light maintenance products including filters, batteries, and lighting, creating additional one-time product revenue streams sold through existing aftermarket distribution channels.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Champion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Champion manufactures and supplies aftermarket spark plugs and ignition components for combustion engines across automotive, powersport, marine, lawn & garden, industrial, and performance racing applications. The product portfolio includes spark plugs differentiated by electrode material (Copper Plus, Platinum Power, Double Platinum Power, Iridium) and application-specific designs. Since 2018, Champion has expanded into a broader line of light maintenance products including batteries, filters, wiper blades, and lighting.
Product overview
Champion is a portfolio of automotive replacement parts under DRiV Incorporated, featuring spark plugs as its core product line with various material tiers (Copper Plus, Platinum Power, Double Platinum Power, Iridium) and specialty variants for automotive, powersport, marine, lawn & garden, industrial, and performance racing applications. The company also offers complementary maintenance products including batteries, filters (oil, air), wiper blades, and lighting products. Champion's spark plug products are categorized by electrode material technology and application-specific designs, with warranty periods ranging from 2 years (Copper Plus) to 7 years (Iridium).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Champion Copper Plus: Tried and true spark plugs delivering dependable performance and durability for vehicles and lawn and garden small engines.
- Champion Platinum Power
- Champion Double Platinum Power
- Champion Iridium
- Champion Premium
- Champion Performance
Products and services
- Champion Copper Plus Spark Plugs
Quantifiable outcome
- Iridium spark plugs can last up to 25% longer than comparable platinum spark plugs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Champion
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Champion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Champion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Champion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ACDelco: ACDelco is General Motors' aftermarket parts brand covering batteries, filters, spark plugs, and lighting across the GM installer network and broader retail. Direct product overlap with Champion's expanded light-maintenance portfolio, with the advantage of GM dealer-channel exclusivity and OE heritage.
- Bosch Automotive Aftermarket: Bosch is a global Tier-1 automotive supplier with a broad aftermarket portfolio spanning ignition, fuel, braking, filtration, and electronics. Overlaps with Champion in spark plugs and wiper blades but operates across a much wider category set, leveraging global scale advantages in distribution and OE relationships.
Emerging players
- MSD Ignition: MSD is a performance-focused ignition components specialist (coils, distributors, spark plugs) serving the automotive racing and enthusiast aftermarket. Overlaps with Champion's Performance stock car and NHRA plug lines but specializes in higher-output ignition systems rather than commodity replacement plugs.
- E3 Spark Plugs: E3 is a smaller U.S. aftermarket spark plug challenger focused on diamond-ground electrode technology and premium performance/racing applications. Competes with Champion's Champion Performance line in the enthusiast and racing aftermarket, particularly in stock car and powersports segments.
Direct peers
- Denso: Denso is a major global OE and aftermarket spark plug manufacturer with strong iridium and platinum product lines, plus a deep automotive component portfolio. Competes directly with Champion in automotive OE supply bids and aftermarket channels, particularly in North America and Asia Pacific.
- NGK Spark Plugs: NGK is the global market leader in spark plugs and ignition components, supplying both OE and aftermarket channels across automotive, powersports, marine, and industrial applications. Direct head-to-head competitor to Champion in iridium, platinum, and copper plug tiers across virtually every geography.
- Autolite: Autolite is a U.S.-based aftermarket spark plug specialist owned by Prestone/Spectrum Brands, competing head-to-head with Champion in DIY and installer channels. Direct product overlap in iridium, platinum, and copper plug tiers, with similar mid-tier pricing and warranty structures.
Regional players
- Motorcraft: Motorcraft is Ford's official aftermarket parts brand covering spark plugs, filters, batteries, and wipers, distributed primarily through Ford/Lincoln dealers in North America. Competes with Champion in Ford-vehicle service channels with strong OE-equivalent positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Champion social profiles
Digital presenceChampion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Champion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Champion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Champion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Champion
What does Champion do?
Champion manufactures and supplies aftermarket spark plugs and ignition components for combustion engines across automotive, powersport, marine, lawn & garden, industrial, and performance racing applications. The product portfolio includes spark plugs differentiated by electrode material (Copper Plus, Platinum Power, Double Platinum Power, Iridium) and application-specific designs. Since 2018, Champion has expanded into a broader line of light maintenance products including batteries, filters, wiper blades, and lighting.
Is Champion a public or private company?
Champion is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Champion founded?
Champion was founded in 1907. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Champion based?
Champion is headquartered in Lake Forest, United States, in the North America region.
How does Champion make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Aftermarket Auto Parts Sales are the primary driver. The others are light Maintenance Product Line.
Who are Champion's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ACDelco and Bosch Automotive Aftermarket. Emerging players are MSD Ignition and E3 Spark Plugs. Direct peers are Denso, NGK Spark Plugs and Autolite. Motorcraft is listed as a regional player.
Does Champion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Champion.
What industry is Champion in?
Champion's product category is Automotive Aftermarket Parts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAEAO, Powersports Aftermarket Parts & Accessories Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMACANAN, Aftermarket Performance & Tuning Products Manufacturing (Intakes/Turbos/ECU Tuners/Superchargers). Its NAICS code is 336310 and its SIC code is 3510.