MagnaFlow Brand Ambassadors Represent Best-of-the-Best

With humble beginnings as a distributor for exhaust components, MagnaFlow Performance Exhaust Systems has grown into a legitimate powerhouse in the automotive aftermarket. Formerly known as Car Sound Exhaust Systems, the company was founded by Gennaro “Jerry” Paolone, an Italian immigrant and California resident. “I came to America without a penny in my pocket,” Paolone said during his 2013 Entrepreneurs of the Year acceptance speech. “But with passion, hard work, dedication, integrity, and never giving up—we succeeded.”

And he ain’t exaggerating.

Paolone steadily expanded operations over the years, moving from distribution to manufacturing, earning his stripes in the highly-regulated California aftermarket. Starting with just three employees in 1981, the company is now an industry juggernaut, providing hundreds of jobs and products, with sales in dozens of countries.

One thing we here at The Engine Block really respect about MagnaFlow is that, despite enormous growth, the company is still pumping out a great product in quality and price, aimed at pleasing the grassroots enthusiast.

“Quality. Power. Sound. These words are not just the MagnaFlow slogan,” says the company. “They are the philosophy that drives the company to superior quality products.” Additionally, all MagnaFlow products are manufactured right here in the USA, using only the highest quality components and state-of-the-art processing techniques. Plus, the company stays true to its word by backing up its offerings with a limited lifetime warranty.

While much of MagnaFlow’s success is due to strategic business decisions and cleverly tackling inefficiencies, we can’t rule out the role that brand ambassadors have played—especially in a market that is increasingly dominated by social media. Essentially, shoppers want familiar products. So, when familiar faces are showcasing those products, it’s a bit of a win-win.

“Is that who I think it is??”

“MagnaFlow Ambassadors uphold our brand message by being the best-of-the-best in their automotive fields,” says the company. “Our incredible team members are at home, at the shop, on the street, in the dirt, and taking on insane stunts. We are proud to have such a variety of incredible talent, and even more amazing personalities, connected to the MagnaFlow brand.”

And when they say best-of-the-best, they mean best-of-the-best. Celebrities like Chip Foose, Leah Pritchett, Joey Logano, Casey Currie, and Mario Andretti are some of the well-respected names building up the brand. More than just drawing big crowds at industry events like SEMA and Keystone BIG Show, or consumer events like Off-Road Expo and Formula Drift, MagnaFlow brand ambassadors serve as spokespeople, product specialists, and positive guides of consumer experiences.

Take Aaron Kauffman. An incredibly skilled mechanic who found fame on the TV show “Fast n’ Loud” and who now has his own TV series, Kauffman hit the trenches with fellow enthusiasts this year for King of the Hammers. Repping MagnaFlow, this was his second attempt at the grueling off-road race, as last year he didn’t finish.

Now, aside from this being a fun bucket-list item for Kauffman and opportunity to interact with his fans, it’s an awesome way for MagnaFlow to show off what its exhaust products can do. And apparently, they can do a lot, since Kauffman finished 29th this year, despite being an Ultra4 newbie and only having his vehicle for one month prior to the race.

If you want to get to know the MagnaFlow brand ambassadors a little better, check out the company’s website for upcoming events. And take a peek at its new YouTube Series “The Sound of Passion” for an up-close look at some of the biggest names on the company’s celebrity roster.

“I know that logo!”

Want to know another thing we love about MagnaFlow? It never got too big for its britches. A brand of the people, for the people, and by the people, MagnaFlow puts its money in the right places—namely, at the grassroots level where enthusiasts are actually interacting with products.

A great way to build name cachet, garner quality feedback, and get on the good side of more than one enthusiast is a targeted sponsorship program. Give a man free car parts and feed your brand-building at events around the country. Isn’t that how it goes??

The concept of sponsorships seems to have really taken off in the last decade, if the growing number of Instagram “influencers” with no marketable life skills is any indication. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do them. MagnaFlow’s team seems to have cracked the code, providing a wide variety of smartly-curated sponsorships, largely in motorsports. In fact, it feels like you can’t go anywhere auto-related these days without seeing that bright black and yellow logo.

From local car shows to SEMA builders, racing teams to entire racing series, MagnaFlow is tapped in to enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes. The company has key sponsorships in the NMRA, Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, Ultra4, and NASCAR. It even sponsors the website JL Wrangler Forums with the sole intention of providing exhaust-related tech support and product knowledge to Wrangler fans. And that isn’t even counting all the average enthusiasts out there repping MagnaFlow products, thanks to the company’s program. (Just check #MFsponsored on social media if you don’t believe us.)

Listen and Learn

Whether you’re a gearhead, a shop owner, or just a general fan of things that go zoom, MagnaFlow is a company to watch—and learn from. There’s truth in that saying, “You are who you surround yourself with.”

With ambassadors who add credibility to the brand, MagnaFlow shows no signs of slowing down. So, keep an eye out for that big MF logo, and an ear for a throaty exhaust, because they’ll see you at the oval, on the track, and in the dirt.