HISTORY
Humble Beginnings
Longo Toyota was founded in 1967 by Dominic Longo in a small storefront in the City of El Monte. With a total of five employees, the team worked diligently to achieve success. In its first year of operation, Longo Toyota became the #1 volume Toyota dealership in the nation by selling 469 new and used vehicles.
Since then, Longo has sustained its #1 status for 45 successive years and continues to grow, set, and break sales records nationally.
Expansion and Progress
Due to its increasing sales success, Longo Toyota moved in 1972 to a larger, five-acre site a few miles from its original location. By then, the staff had grown from five to over 100.
Guest First Philosophy – From Longo to Penske
Mr. Longo's philosophy about guest servicing complemented Penske's values. When Mr. Longo passed in 1985, his family decided to sell the dealership to Penske. In honor of the great reputation and recognition of the Longo brand, the new owners kept the Longo Toyota name.
With a vision to create a modern dealership complex to meet the demands of a dynamic industry, a 21-acre location in El Monte was selected to be Longo's permanent home. Construction began in 1986 and when completed in 1988, a first-class facility emerged featuring a bright and spacious showroom, expanded service and parts operations and a state-of-the-art Collision Repair Center.
While Longo expanded in size, its commitment to service excellence remained intact.
A New Brand of Luxury
In 1989, the Lexus franchise was launched in the USA. Longo Lexus was one of the first Lexus dealerships in the country to be established, and has consistently ranked as the #1 Lexus dealership in the Western United States.
In August 2002, Penske Motor Group purchased Lexus of Stevens Creek in Northern California. Penske brought its distinctive approach to business and boosted the retailer's rank to #1 in Northern California and one of the Top 20 dealerships in the United States from its previous Top 200 rating.
A New Brand of Fun
In 2003, Toyota launched the Scion brand in California and Longo Scion opened its showroom doors for business. Longo Scion quickly became #1 retailer in its market. When Scion rolled out nationally, Longo Scion captured the #1 national ranking and has held it year after year.
World Records and Milestones
Longo Toyota set world records only to top them. In June 2001, Longo sold 2,017 new vehicles. In June 2002, they broke their own record by selling 2,510 new vehicles. In 2005, Team Longo sold an unprecedented 24,000 new vehicles that year!
Longo Lexus set a new record by selling 1,036 new vehicles in December 2001!
Continuous Improvement
True to the Toyota spirit of kaizen or continuous improvement, Longo and PMG continue to refine its offerings and expand and remodel its facilities.
Today, and in nearly 50 acres, the Longo campus features a Starbucks Cafe, a Subway restaurant, AAA and Enterprise car rental offices. The company has also established Penske College, an in-house training and development center where its team members can learn meaningful skills to help them promote their careers and contribute to Penske’s goal of superior guest service.
Into the Future
With a forward-thinking strategy, a foundation set in service excellence and a teamwork attitude for success, Longo and PMG are positioned to meet the opportunities of today and well into the future.
