Brumos Porsche Dealership Sold

The famed Jacksonville, Florida-based Brumos Porsche dealership has changed hands, as parent company Brumos Automotive agreed to sell its Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Porsche dealerships and all related operations to Fields Auto Group. The terms of the transaction were not announced.

Brumos is privately owned and serves Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia through its dealerships and related operations in Jacksonville and Orange Park.Fields also is privately owned, is headquartered in Glencoe, Illinois, and has dealerships in several states, including Florida. Its Florida operations include Land Rover and Jaguar dealerships in Jacksonville and Cadillac dealerships in Orange Park and St. Augustine.

A. Dano Davis, the majority shareholder of Brumos said, “This has been a difficult decision for me because I am so fond of our folks at Brumos. They are the ones who have done such a good job serving our customers and helping to grow our business. I strongly believe that Fields will be very good for our employees and our customers. It is family owned and operates similarly to Brumos. In addition, its larger size will enhance the career opportunities for our employees.”

Established by Brumos founder Hubert Brundage and made famous under the subsequent owner Peter Gregg, the Brumos Racing team took four overall wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona, starting in 1973 with the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR of Gregg and Hurley Haywood, followed by wins in 1975, 1978 and 2009. The Brumos Porsche team also won six IMSA GT Championships and three Trans-Am titles.

Brumos Race Team History (Courtesy Brumos Racing)

Brumos Racing has an incredible history spanning over six decades, from the days of Brumos’ founder Hubert Brundage through current Vice President Hurley Haywood. Haywood earned ten major endurance victories in his remarkable career, including five Daytona 24 Hour and three 24 Hours of Le Mans wins, as well as two victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Brundage, a racing enthusiast and early Porsche distributor, drove the first Brumos Racing Porsche at Sebring in 1960, but lost his life in a highway accident in 1964. Brundage’s friend and customer, Peter Gregg, purchased Brumos in 1965, launching himself and his dealership on a course that took both to the top of international sports car racing. The world-famous Brumos Porsches won six IMSA GT Championships and three Trans-Am titles in ten years. It was Gregg’s unblinking dedication to perfection that earned Brumos that recognition and level of success. Following Gregg’s death in 1980, the traditions he established have endured.

Dan Davis and Bob Snodgrass joined forces and acquired Brumos in 1990, focusing the dealership’s mission on its racing heritage. Snodgrass believed that Porsche racing was the foundation of the company’s sales, service and marketing concepts, and the racing history with Porsche was ingrained in all that Brumos did. The establishment of the Grand-American Road Racing Association in 1999 saw Snodgrass selected to serve as Vice Chairman. In 2003, the introduction of Daytona Prototypes to the series included two Brumos entries.

Bob Snodgrass’ unexpected death in 2007 dealt a great blow to the Brumos family and the entire motorsports community. Business partner and long-time friend Dan Davis assumed leadership and the team completed their full season, knowing it would have been Bob’s wish. Brumos Racing returned to Victory Lane with a thrilling 1st and 3rd finish in the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona, then closed out the year with a victory at the Homestead finale. Brumos made a lasting mark in GRAND-AM’s DP class, ending 2010 as the only team to have competed in every DP race since the inception of the class.

In 2011, Dan Davis decided to take Brumos back to their roots, moving the team to the GRAND-AM Rolex Series GT Class and racing a new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. The move also returned the racing operation to its former home base in Jacksonville, FL. The inaugural season proved unforgettable, as Brumos won two races and brought home the Rolex Series GT championship. That momentum carried into 2012 as Brumos kicked off their new season with a pole position and podium finish in the historic 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. That was also Hurley Haywood’s 40th Rolex 24 start and his final career race, fittingly ending with him spraying champagne on the podium.

Brumos returned for a partial season in 2013, before electing to take a break from active competition pending a merger of the America LeMans and GRAND-AM Series. While not currently involved full-time, Brumos remains committed to their racing tradition. In 2015 Brumos delighted their legion of fans with a joint sponsorship of the Dempsey/Wright #58 Brumos Porsche, which brought the Brumos colors back onto the track for the Rolex 24 and 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races.

[Source: Brumos; photos: Jackie Buys, Dennis Gray, Peter Falkner, David Ferguson]