Lithia UK is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its parent company, Lithia & Driveway, by recognising how far motoring has come over the last eight decades. Although the business has only had a UK presence since 2023, Lithia UK’s wider heritage is steeped in history that has helped shape the landscape of the modern motor dealership.
From a single Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealership opened by founder Walt DeBoer in Ashland, Oregon in 1946, the business has grown into one of the world’s largest automotive retailers and the UK’s second largest retail group. Under the leadership of Walt’s son, Sid DeBoer, the business expanded from Oregon to five locations before becoming a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 1996.
Now with stores across the U.S, Canada and the UK, Lithia represents over 50 automotive brands, across 450 locations. Ranked No. 123 on the 2026 Fortune 500™, Lithia is one of America’s largest automotive retailers and is still family-owned and run. As the automotive industry has transformed significantly over the past 80 years, Lithia has continued to evolve alongside it, remaining focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences and earning customers for life.
The 80th anniversary milestone on 16 July comes during an important period for the company’s UK operation and amid a continued year of growth in 2026 for Lithia UK. Today, Lithia UK comprises the Evans Halshaw and Stratstone retail networks, the multi-franchise car parts distributers QuickCo and TPS, and fleet and leasing arm, Driveway Vehicle Solutions.
Operating across 150 stores and representing 36 automotive brands, Lithia UK has continued to strengthen its national footprint through strategic investment and expansion this year, which has included acquisitions from Hatfields, Group 1, Read Motor Group and Agility Fleet.
Neil Williamson, Operations President at Lithia UK, said: “Celebrating 80 years is a significant milestone for everyone across Lithia and Driveway. It’s not just an opportunity to reflect on the growth of our own business, but on how much the automotive industry has evolved over the past eight decades.
“The way people buy, own and drive vehicles today is almost unrecognisable from 1946 when the business first launched. We’ve seen huge advances in technology, changing customer expectations and the transition towards electrification, and the business has continued to evolve alongside those changes while remaining focused on delivering great customer experiences.”
He continued: “It’s fitting that we celebrate this milestone at a time when we’re writing a new chapter in the UK. Over the last three years as Lithia UK, we’ve brought together some of the country’s best known automotive retail businesses, while continuing to invest in our people, our brands and our network.
“Although the industry will always continue to evolve, our ambition remains the same as it did 80 years ago, which is to earn customers for life by providing outstanding service and continually adapting to meet their needs.”
Over the past 80 years, motoring has changed almost beyond recognition. When Lithia first opened its doors in 1946, the UK had fewer than two million vehicles on the road, motorways were yet to be built and buying a new car was a very different experience. Today, there are more than 41 million licensed vehicles across the UK, motorists can browse, finance and purchase vehicles entirely online, and the industry is undergoing one of its biggest transformations yet through electrification, connected technology and advances in AI.
The way people drive has evolved too in the past eight decades as seatbelts, MOT testing and driving tests have all become more rigorous. Advances in vehicle safety, emissions technology and driver assistance systems have also helped reshape the everyday driving experience. From the first motorway opening in 1958 to the rapid growth of electric vehicles in recent years, the automotive landscape has continued to evolve.
