Our Story

Birth. Bud Clary and Bud Westby purchased the Chevrolet dealership from Ralph Masterson in 1959, located on what was known as "Auto Row" on Vandercook Way. A year later, Clary bought out Westby and operated the dealership until 1967 when a new facility was constructed on Commerce Avenue in Longview, Washington.

Growth. In 1979, Bud Clary retired and his son, Jim Clary, took over as owner-operator. The Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Subaru, AMC and Jeep dealership was purchased from Ivan Thornley in October of 1985.

In 1987, a large lot was purchased for employee parking, but was soon converted to the new and used car department's "bullpen" and indoor basketball court. Basketball is still very important to the Clary's and you'll often find them shooting hoops locally or attending sporting events throughout Washington. Also that year, the Stephens Datsun facility, located across the street from Bud Clary Chevrolet, was purchased and later became the home of the Subaru and Jeep sales department. Their service and parts departments were combined with the existing service and parts department at 1030 Commerce Avenue.

In 1995, the 12,000-square-foot building at the north end of Commerce Avenue, was purchased and renovated into a new state-of-the-art body shop. The new facility, which includes three down draft paint booths, indicates the dealership's total commitment to body and paint repair in Longview.

Driving down Commerce Avenue in Longview, Washington, you're sure to see our Chevrolet and Subaru dealerships, along with our Service and Parts Departments, Paint & Body Shop, and Fleet Department.

Expansion. The Bud Clary Auto Group has expanded from its base to purchase a total of 14 dealerships. The added dealers helps increase us meet the needs of customers across Washington state and offer the luxury of hundreds of used cars for our local communities to choose from, because more is better.

Keeping it in the family. Fast-forward to 2016 and Jim Clary signed on the dotted line handing his many dealerships down to his two sons, Kelly and Bryce Clary. The Bud Clary Auto Group truly is a family-run business and loves serving its surrounding communities. Jim still likes to pop in and make sure everyone is on their toes and we appreciate his admiration for continuing to play a role.

In January 2016, the Clarys purchased Tom Matson's Auburn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Tom Matson's Auburn Hyundai dealerships, bringing the total dealer count to 10 franchise dealers and the first acquisition outside of Seattle, WA.

In 2018, the Clarys acquired Westlie Ford in Camas, WA from the Dickerson family. Proudly, the group has retained the Westlie Ford name to preserve the long history that Westlie has served in the Camas and Washougal community. Ryan Dickerson still leads the dealership as the General Manager for Westlie Ford.

Fast forward to March 2021, Bud Clary Auto Group acquired the Columbia Auto Group in Longview, WA from Pat and Phil Sari. This was a unique opportunity to grow within the home city of the auto group's very first beginnings with both family having deep ties to Longview.

Most recently, in June 2022, Bud Clary Auto Group acquired Auburn Volkswagen from Matt Welch who owned the dealership since 2006. This marked the first Volkswagen franchise within the group and brought the total dealer footprint to 14 where it remains today.

Thank you. Through the years, growth in the dealerships has increased the number of employees from 15 to over 600 and is still growing! The growth and expansion of this corporation has been due to the fine quality of employees and their growth throughout the years, as well as our loyal customers. Because of this stability, we've been able to grow throughout the Pacific Northwest while maintaining a great reputation, promoting within, and helping thousands of families with their vehicle needs.