The morning after the EF-4 tornado came through late on Memorial Day, Jim Evans got past the police barricades in front of his business, which had been located near the former Hara Arena, which was also greatly damaged in the tornadoes. (The arena was demolished in September 2020.)
“Got to the property and was literally … shocked,” Evans told this news outlet in December 2019.
The dealership’s big sign was toppled and cars were damaged in unexpected ways.
Jim Evans, president of Evans Motorworks, in a 2015 file photo.
Jim Evans, president of Evans Motorworks, in a 2015 file photo.
Evans is a third-generation car dealer who in the mid-1990s tried to retire from the industry. Evans — whose grandfather started a car dealership in the Miami area in 1927 — sold his family’s Florida dealerships in 1998 to AutoNation, then served as a vice president for the company for seven years.
In 2005, Evans left AutoNation. He started investigating opportunities to get back into the business, and acquired his first Dayton-area dealerships in 2007.
In June 2021, Evans decided to focus the future of his local dealerships on Volkswagen and BMW after selling his Volvo franchise back to Volvo.
A message seeking comment was sent to Evans Monday.
