Global 4×4 accessories manufacturer, ARB Corporation, turned 50 in 2025. What began as a ‘backyard’ fabrication business became a worldwide supplier of widely varied off-road adventure equipment.

Allan Whiting was involved evaluating ARB gear (initially for Overlander Magazine) from the very early days, after Tony Brown recognised the need for roof racks and protective bars on 1970s 4WD wagons and utes.

Tony’s brothers, Andy and Roger, became involved in the expanding business and actually took over management after Tony left the company in the late 1980s, following economic dramas that greatly affected sales of 4WDs in Australia.

ARB has gone from strength to strength over the following years, but we haven’t been part of that journey for the last few years, unfortunately.

Many of our website visitors have asked us for more info on ARB products, suggesting that we’re not fully covering the ARB range and there’s a reason for that.

We used to test ARB-equipped vehicles that we borrowed from their Sydney facility, so that we could report on their suspensions, bars and accessories.

Outback Travel Australia’s relationship with the company deteriorated, following our reports on the company’s LED driving lights, in which we suggested their construction and performance were no better than that of many brands being sold at half the price or less. The company’s then public relations manager told us we’d never test another ARB product.

From that time our ‘papers were marked’ at ARB and successive PR people at ARB have refused to lend us gear to evaluate. That’s why our coverage of this Aussie business success story has been limited.

However, we’ll continue to edit and run the press info ARB sends us, so our website visitors are kept up to date.