(R)EVOLUTION - Pierre Farsy

Pierre Farsy – Structuring car maintenance with AD Pro and AD Top

In 1985, when car maintenance was still largely dependent on manufacturer networks, five men – Pierre Farsy, accompanied by Guy Albert, Jean-François Cauchon, Yves Morize and Pierre Romon – decided to shake things up. Together, they founded the AD Network, the first network specifically designed for independent maintenance and repair operators (MRA). Their idea was visionary: to bring together independent garages, which were often isolated and had unequal resources, to give them the strength of a collective and enable them to compete with the official structures of the brands.

The initiative quickly gained momentum. Pierre Farsy devised versions tailored to the needs of professionals: AD Pro and AD Top, true pioneers in the world of organised multi-brand networks. Where motorists had previously had almost no alternative to manufacturer networks, they now discovered a different solution: fast, reliable and competitive servicing, regardless of their vehicle’s make.

The AD Network’s contribution is not limited to pooling resources. From the outset, it has set high standards in terms of training, tools and service quality. Member garages no longer simply offer local expertise: they benefit from the support of an organisation that assists, trains and equips them to respond to the ever-faster technological developments in the automotive sector. This approach guarantees drivers consistent quality and renewed confidence, while preserving the proximity and responsiveness characteristic of independent repairers.

Over the decades, the AD Network has established itself as a key player in car maintenance. Its model inspires other initiatives, but it retains a strong uniqueness: having succeeded, since the 1980s, in creating a genuine ecosystem of organised independent garages, capable of combining entrepreneurial freedom and collective power.

Today, forty years after its creation, the legacy of Pierre Farsy and his associates remains very much alive. The AD networks continue to uphold the values on which they were founded: proximity, competence and reliability. They now support the maintenance of increasingly complex vehicles — hybrid, electric, connected — with the same high standards of quality. Their longevity and success are testament to a sound intuition: the belief that independence, combined with the strength of a network, can become a sustainable pillar of mobility.

As they celebrate their 40th anniversary, AD networks remind us that they have been much more than an alternative: they have paved the way for a new way of organising car repairs, giving both drivers and repairers the means to adapt to constant changes in the sector. A collective adventure, always looking to the future.