The morning after the EF-4 tornado arrived late on Memorial Day, Jim Evans broke through police barricades outside his business, which was located near the old Hara Arena, which was also badly damaged by the tornadoes. (The arena was demolished in September 2020.)
“I arrived at the property and was literally… shocked,” Evans told This Media in December 2019.
The large dealership sign was toppled and cars were unexpectedly damaged.
Jim Evans, chairman of Evans Motorworks, in a 2015 file photo.
Jim Evans, chairman of Evans Motorworks, in a 2015 file photo.
Evans is a third-generation car dealer who, in the mid-1990s, attempted to exit the industry. Evans – whose grandfather opened a Miami-area car dealership in 1927 – sold his family’s Florida dealerships in 1998 to AutoNation, then served as the company’s vice president for seven years .
In 2005, Evans left AutoNation. He began looking for opportunities to get back into the business and acquired his first dealerships in the Dayton area 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 on Monday.
