Auto-Teknika was founded in 1979 by local resident, Adrian Pols. Pols, formerly a social worker for Albemarle County, started as a one-man shop working exclusively on Volvos. Teknika was originally named “Eastham Engineering”, after the old Eastham Market on Rt. 20 North in which it operated.
Following Eastham Engineering’s initial success, Pols leased space in Downtown Charlottesville to accommodate his growing customer base. Once the move was completed in 1984, Pols began to employ additional technicians, and started branching out to service an ever growing supply of other European cars that began to dot Central Virginia’s landscape.
Over the last 20 years, Eastham Engineering continued to mature and became well known for providing knowledgeable service to the now-massive European Car market. Eventually, the name Eastham Engineering was dropped in the late 1990s as many of the current customers had never visited the original location near Stony Point, VA. Newer customers may remember Teknika by its interim name (for 10 years), The Foreign Auto Center.
As Auto Teknika, the shop has ultimately expanded to provide a multitude of cutting edge services that Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Volkswagen, and Volvo owners expect.