Last month, Riley Auto Group celebrated its 85th anniversary in Jefferson City. The party followed the reopening of its Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac operations on Christy Drive in May after being ravaged by a tornado in 2019.
On Friday, the Riley family announced that they would sell the Chevrolet dealership, along with its Toyota dealership and collision center, to the Drewing Automotive Group.
The deal is expected to be finalized in December. The new dealerships will operate under the names Rusty Drewing Toyota and Rusty Drewing Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac as part of the Drewing Automotive Group.
All employees will be retained in their current positions as part of the purchase, including Riley family members Gemma Riley, Kyle Riley, Amanda Riley and Jay Schnieders.
“I have the utmost respect for what the Riley organization has done; they embodied the spirit of how a dealership should be managed and operated,” Rusty Drewing said in a press release. “What Kevin, Mike and Carey Riley have done is nothing short of amazing.
“I love the dealerships, the way they run them, the vibe of their hometown, and we’ll continue to support everything locally. We will be a big part of the community and plan to carry on the traditions they have established over the past 85 years. “
The Rileys and Drewings have a long history of auto sales.
Donald F. Riley bought the Jefferson City Chevrolet dealership in 1936. With his unexpected death in 1967, Donald F. Riley left the dealership to his son, Donald B. Riley. After nearly 20 years of ownership, Donald B. Riley handed over management responsibilities to his children, Mike, Kathy, Kevin and Carey Riley, who each helped run the dealership.
In 1983 Gary Drewing started with Joe Machens Ford in Colombia, and the dealership grew to become the largest volume dealership in the state of Missouri, as well as one of the largest Ford dealerships in the United States. Joe Machens Dealers has grown into one of the nation’s largest dealer groups operating in Columbia and Jefferson City.
Drewing Automotive Group was formed in late 2015, after selling eight of 10 Joe Machens dealerships to McLarty Automotive Group.
