An auto parts theme that answers "does it fit my car?"

An auto parts theme around one question: does it fit?

Axle is built so shoppers know a part fits before they buy. The garage finder in the header and on the home page takes make, model, year and engine from your own vehicle list, and remembers the vehicle in the browser. Tabs search by part or OE number and by tyre size.

Every card then says Fits your vehicle, May not fit or Universal fit, and category pages get a vehicle bar with a one-click filter to the parts that fit.

How fitment data works in Axle

Axle does not include a vehicle database, and it needs no separate extension. The finder, badges and fit check use a filter group of vehicles, named Make · Model · Engine · Years, assigned to products. Without the group, those elements are simply not shown.

• "Show parts that fit" needs a unique vehicle, with make, model, year and engine, because OpenCart combines filters with AND.
• The tyre tab searches product names, so write the size in the name: 205/55 R16.
• Axle does not guarantee fitment. The data is whatever you enter, so only list vehicles you have checked.

For large vehicle lists, plan the filter group carefully, since each vehicle combination is a filter value. The vehicle fitment guide explains how to structure such data.

Product pages and home sections

The product page has a fit check under the title, a Fitment tab with the vehicle table and your vehicle highlighted, OE and cross-reference numbers, part number, option chips, delivery dates, a fitment guarantee line, tabs for fitting tips and what is in the box, and Complete the job.

Plate cards sit on steel wells with the part number in monospace, brand line, unit price per litre or gram and offer countdowns. Home sections cover a campaign hero, shop by system tiles, tabs, popular jobs, a deals band, a quick fixes row, a Complete the job builder with one Add to cart, brands, garage guides and reviews.

Four presets at WCAG AA text contrast: Redline, Pitlane, Overland and Nightshift. Archivo and IBM Plex Mono are self-hosted.

The Axle Store Kit on the packages page adds Make an Offer for trade buyers and the Bulk Product Editor for catalogs with thousands of part numbers. See Axle on the store. Also on WooCommerce and PrestaShop.

How to structure an auto parts catalog on OpenCart

A parts store lives or dies on its data. Before you worry about the design, get these basics right.

• Categories by system: brakes, suspension, engine, electrical, body. Keep them three levels deep at most. Vehicle selection belongs in a search, not in the category tree.
• Part numbers: put the manufacturer part number and the cross-references in the product data. Mechanics search by number more than by name.
• Titles: brand, part, position and main vehicle range, for example "Front brake pads, ceramic, Ford F-150 2015-2020". That is how buyers search.
• Position notes: front, rear, left, right and engine codes prevent most wrong orders, so show them near the top of the page.
• Photos: show the part from the side that identifies it, with connectors and mounting points visible.
• Returns: state your wrong-part policy clearly. Parts stores get a lot of "does this fit?" questions, and a clear policy answers many of them.

For search traffic, write a short guide per system or per common job, such as how to choose brake pads, and link to the right category. Long lists of model names with no useful text rarely hold up over time.

If you sell to workshops as well as drivers, decide early whether trade customers get their own prices, and whether you show prices with or without tax.

Finally, keep your data honest. If you are not sure a part fits a vehicle, leave the vehicle out. One careful list beats a long one that creates returns.

Compatibility

OpenCart 4.0.2.0 to 4.1.x and 3.0.3.x to 3.0.5.x, one licence, no core changes, no OCMOD. There is a 14-day trial, and a licence problem never blocks your store or admin.

Before you launch a new OpenCart theme

Try the theme on a copy of your store first. Local development hosts and subdomains of your licensed domain are covered.

1. Install the theme, then pick it for your store under System, Settings.
2. Set the preset and fill in the settings page, section by section. A section that is switched off or has an empty title is not shown.
3. Check image sizes, so your product photos are not stretched.
4. Prepare the attributes, options or filter groups the theme reads. Elements without data simply do not show.
5. Test a full order on a phone with your payment method, and check any extension that prints on the product page.
6. Clear the theme and image caches, then go live at a quiet hour.

Files you edit in the Theme Editor always win, so keep a note of your changes. They are easy to compare after an update.