One of Australia’s largest tyre and automotive service networks is changing hands, with Continental agreeing to sell mycar Tyre & Auto to Chinese automotive service platform Tuhu.
Announced on 24 September 2026, the transaction values the mycar business at A$403 million and includes around 280 stores and more than 1,600 employees across Australia. The sale remains subject to regulatory approvals.
For mycar, the deal represents another significant change in a business that Australian motorists may still remember as Kmart Tyre & Auto Service.
It also brings an interesting shift in ownership. For the past eight years mycar has been controlled by one of the world’s major tyre manufacturers. Its proposed new owner is instead a large automotive service business with an extensive digital platform and workshop network.
From Kmart to Continental to Tuhu
Continental acquired Kmart Tyre & Auto Service in 2018 as part of a strategy to strengthen its tyre distribution network and presence in the Australian replacement tyre market.
The business was subsequently rebranded as mycar Tyre & Auto in 2019, moving away from the Kmart identity while developing its position across tyres, scheduled servicing and mechanical repairs.
Continental says that under its ownership mycar expanded its store network, broadened its product portfolio and strengthened its market presence.
The latest transaction will see that network move to Tuhu for an enterprise value of A$403 million.
Who Is Tuhu?
While Tuhu is unlikely to be a familiar name to most Australian motorists, the company operates at considerable scale in China.
Tuhu is an automotive service platform combining online services with a large physical workshop network.
As at 30 June 2026, the company operated a network of 8,825 Tuhu Workshops and recorded approximately 31 million transacting users during the preceding 12 months. Its services cover tyres and chassis components as well as vehicle maintenance, repairs, detailing and related automotive services.
Tuhu founder and CEO Min Chen said Australia represented an attractive market for automotive services and described Tuhu as a new entrant to the Australian market.
The acquisition therefore gives Tuhu an immediate national footprint rather than requiring it to establish an Australian workshop network store by store.
For mycar, Tuhu’s experience is also closely aligned with the direction in which the Australian business has been developing.
While tyres remain a significant part of mycar, its public positioning increasingly extends across scheduled servicing, brakes, suspension, batteries and general mechanical repairs.
An Interesting Change for Australian Tyre Retail
From an Australian tyre industry perspective, the transaction is significant for more than its A$403 million price.
mycar represents one of the country’s largest physical tyre and automotive service networks. Unlike many other major tyre retail networks, mycar doesn’t operate through independently owned franchisees or member dealers.
That means Tuhu isn’t simply acquiring a retail brand or franchise system. It is acquiring a large, centrally operated automotive service network with an established workforce, workshop infrastructure and national customer base.
There is also an important change in the relationship between the retailer and tyre manufacturing.
Under Continental, mycar was ultimately owned by a tyre manufacturer. Once the Tuhu transaction is completed, mycar will instead be owned by an automotive service business.
