Continental Motors

CONTINENTAL MOTORS GROUP continues. “That led to MG, Jaguar, and other British car brands.When Toyota came to market in ’66, the distributor at the time almost begged them to take on the dealership, because back then, Toyota was not a popular car. Then, other opportunities presented themselves, whether it was Honda or Ferrari or others. The bottom line is that they loved cars and back then domestics were big and the big domestic dealers scoffed at little import dealers. But then the energy crisis came in the early ‘70s and, as my dad liked to say, ‘We were famous by Friday,’ because everybody was trading in their big Cadillacs and Buicks for fuel-efficient Hondas and Toyotas.” Today, Continental Motors Group is still a fam- ily affair, run by Joel, his brother Jay, and their cousin Cheryl, Herman’s daughter. Together, the three relatives operate out of eight locations in four communities within a 25-mile radius of Chicago, Illinois - Countryside, Naperville, Hodgkins, and Hinsdale. The Group’s offerings include Acura, Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Masera- ti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota cars, trucks, mini-vans, SUV’s, and crossovers. While each store is run independently, Cheryl says they operate as a group when necessary or convenient, such as its combined wholesale parts operation, shopping for health insurance for their 700 employees, and when they adver- tise. “The umbrella brand is Continental Motors Group, so every store is called Continental Hon- da, or Continental Toyota, or Continental Acura,” explains Joel. “So we try to brand the name ‘Continental’ and that way we are different than the rest.” They also make decisions together, remem- Today, Continental Motors Group is still a family affair, run by Joel, his brother Jay, and their cousin Cher- yl, Herman’s daughter. Together, the three relatives operate out of eight locations in four communities within a 25-mile radius of Chicago, Illinois - Countryside, Naperville, Hodgkins, and Hinsdale.