Our History
There's a lot to be said about history. It gives you something to look back on, and something to look forward to. The Dimmitt family history is a rich one, built on vision, perseverance, and most of all, legacy.
From small beginnings, we've built generations of loyal customers and employees throughout the central gulf coast that have helped us get where we are today. The late Larry Dimmitt, Sr. started it all in Savannah, Georgia in the 1900's when he joined the automobile business selling and servicing the Peerless car. As part of the “Klondike Gold Rush” before the turn of the century, he was able to become the Buick distributor in the Georgia area, supplying 16 dealers while also being associated with the Liberty car and the White truck. After settling in Clearwater in 1924, he purchased a Ford dealership. After handling Ford and Lincoln vehicles until 1933, he took over the sales and servicing of Chevrolet, Cadillac and LaSalle. The rest... is history.
As Clearwater expanded, the Dimmitt organization also grew. In 1952, Larry Dimmitt, Jr. took over the operations from his father. An additional dealership was added for Cadillac in 1965, while Chevrolet sales prospered at the original location. Keeping with tradition, Richard Roth Dimmitt purchased the Cadillac franchise from his father, entering the 3rd generation of dealerships.
The family acquired a Toyota dealership in 1985. Originally located in Inverness, the county seat of Citrus County, Florida, the dealership relocated to an all new facility in Homosassa a few years later along with the addition of a Cadillac franchise. Village Cadillac Toyota is currently the largest volume dealer in Citrus County. In 1986, the original Cadillac dealership was relocated to its current site in Countryside. The Range Rover (now Land Rover) brand joined the dealership in 1987 as the exclusive Florida West Coast franchise, and one of only 25 charter Land Rover retailers nationwide.
Luxury and elegance are synonymous with the Dimmitt name. In 1997, Rolls-Royce/Bentley were added to the portfolio. August 2000 brought the addition of Lotus Motor Cars, and Saab became a part of the Dimmitt Collection in 2006. A McLaren dealership was added in 2010, and Aston Martin in 2011. 2017 brought new additions to the organization. An Audi dealership was added in Wesley Chapel with state of the art innovation and architecture. Realizing the importance of being able to offer top-notch services on every scale, the company added a newly built, state-of-the-art collision center in 2018. Jaguar joined the Clearwater campus in late 2018.
Legacy and history are ingrained into the Dimmitt name, and Richard Dimmitt has proudly represented the family with an area network of dealerships spanning from Crystal River in the north, to St. Petersburg in the south. He has won numerous "Master Dealer" awards for his locations, in addition to other accolades and awards. As one of the few original Clearwater families, Mr. Dimmitt works with the local community in all his efforts.
Holding fast to tradition runs in the family. Richard's two sons are now continuing the 4th generation legacy to ensure the Dimmitt name carries on, and the company continues to make a tremendous difference.
From small beginnings, we've built generations of loyal customers and employees throughout the central gulf coast that have helped us get where we are today. The late Larry Dimmitt, Sr. started it all in Savannah, Georgia in the 1900's when he joined the automobile business selling and servicing the Peerless car. As part of the “Klondike Gold Rush” before the turn of the century, he was able to become the Buick distributor in the Georgia area, supplying 16 dealers while also being associated with the Liberty car and the White truck. After settling in Clearwater in 1924, he purchased a Ford dealership. After handling Ford and Lincoln vehicles until 1933, he took over the sales and servicing of Chevrolet, Cadillac and LaSalle. The rest... is history.
As Clearwater expanded, the Dimmitt organization also grew. In 1952, Larry Dimmitt, Jr. took over the operations from his father. An additional dealership was added for Cadillac in 1965, while Chevrolet sales prospered at the original location. Keeping with tradition, Richard Roth Dimmitt purchased the Cadillac franchise from his father, entering the 3rd generation of dealerships.
The family acquired a Toyota dealership in 1985. Originally located in Inverness, the county seat of Citrus County, Florida, the dealership relocated to an all new facility in Homosassa a few years later along with the addition of a Cadillac franchise. Village Cadillac Toyota is currently the largest volume dealer in Citrus County. In 1986, the original Cadillac dealership was relocated to its current site in Countryside. The Range Rover (now Land Rover) brand joined the dealership in 1987 as the exclusive Florida West Coast franchise, and one of only 25 charter Land Rover retailers nationwide.
Luxury and elegance are synonymous with the Dimmitt name. In 1997, Rolls-Royce/Bentley were added to the portfolio. August 2000 brought the addition of Lotus Motor Cars, and Saab became a part of the Dimmitt Collection in 2006. A McLaren dealership was added in 2010, and Aston Martin in 2011. 2017 brought new additions to the organization. An Audi dealership was added in Wesley Chapel with state of the art innovation and architecture. Realizing the importance of being able to offer top-notch services on every scale, the company added a newly built, state-of-the-art collision center in 2018. Jaguar joined the Clearwater campus in late 2018.
Legacy and history are ingrained into the Dimmitt name, and Richard Dimmitt has proudly represented the family with an area network of dealerships spanning from Crystal River in the north, to St. Petersburg in the south. He has won numerous "Master Dealer" awards for his locations, in addition to other accolades and awards. As one of the few original Clearwater families, Mr. Dimmitt works with the local community in all his efforts.
Holding fast to tradition runs in the family. Richard's two sons are now continuing the 4th generation legacy to ensure the Dimmitt name carries on, and the company continues to make a tremendous difference.
