The year was 1950. Jim Lupient was 16 and began working part-time at a dealership in northeast Minneapolis, washing cars and running the lot. Several years later, Jim lost his father and went to work full-time at the dealership. Not long after, opportunity knocked. Jim was asked to put on a sports coat and man the store while the family attended a wedding. Five sold cars later, a salesman was born!
Working his way up the ladder at several large local dealerships, from top salesman many times over to sales manager, Jim developed a philosophy that he has carried with him for 40+ years: "Do what’s right." Treat the customer fairly from the get-go and they will want to come back, he would
say. These values have served him well: from owning his very first Oldsmobile dealership in 1969 to operating 35 franchises in numerous locations and creating the Lupient Automotive Group in 1986.
Jim Lupient was recognized for focusing on superior customer service when he was awarded TIME magazine’s “Quality Dealer of the Year” in 1990. He was the first Minnesotan to receive the honor in the award’s 20 year history. Then in 1992, Jim received the Sports Illustrated American Dealer of the Year award, as well as the top foreign car sales award. Jim is the only dealer to have received both awards in the same year.