Competitor Buys Nesen Auto Dealerships

With the Nesen family bowing out of the city’s auto mall, Thousand Oaks officials said Friday they were pleased that the family’s array of auto dealerships was sold to someone with roots in the community.

Earlier this week, the Nesen Motor Car Co. dealerships were purchased by John Anderson, owner of Silver Star AG Ltd. With the deal, Anderson added nine dealerships to the 10 he already owns in the mall.

“I would say it is a win-win situation,” Mayor Andy Fox said. “I am happy for the Nesen family, and I am extremely happy that Mr. Anderson has decided to stay in the community and grow.” He described Anderson as someone who has embraced many civic duties in the community.

Outside the Lexus dealership Friday, a banner advertised the new ownership.

Inside, a photograph of Robert Nesen, who founded Nesen Motors nearly half a century ago in Oxnard, still hung on the wall. His son, Gary Nesen, the company’s president, said in a news release that the sale gives his family a long-awaited opportunity to retire.

Anderson said the timing was right to expand his fast-growing automotive group.

“This was a prime opportunity for Silver Star to acquire some very prestigious makes that complement our existing lines,” Anderson said. “Nesen Motor Car Co. have done a good job in their selection of dealerships and we look forward to successfully continuing these relationships, both with manufacturers and customers.”

In the deal, Silver Star acquired the Land Rover, Range Rover, Lexus, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Hummer, Cadillac and Oldsmobile dealerships. Nesen’s Infinity dealership closed in December after Nissan Motor Corp., the company that makes Infinity cars, sued the Thousand Oaks auto dealer demanding payment of a $5-million debt.

Anderson already owns the auto mall’s Buick, GMC Trucks, Honda, Jaguar, Lotus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Saab and Subaru dealerships.

“We are going to try to keep as many people as we can,” said Ken Greene, who manages all the newly acquired dealerships for Silver Star. “And we hope to build upon the successes Nesen had.”

Gary Nesen said his father, who was U.S. ambassador to Australia during the Reagan administration, wanted to retire “so he may pursue his many interests, not least of which are his community activities for which he is so well known.”

In the past, the Nesens have been involved in a number of community organizations and have been donors to the Civic Arts Plaza and to several candidates for City Council both personally and through the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Assn., a group of car dealers from the auto mall.

In the most recent election, the association gave $7,000 each to Councilman Mike Markey, who was reelected, and candidate Marshall Dixon, who failed in his bid for a seat on the council. It also gave $1,500 in support of the successful Measure E, a growth management proposal.

“It is the end of an era,” said City Manager Grant Brimhall. “Ambassador Nesen has been a citizen extraordinaire, not just in Thousand Oaks but in the entire county.”

Nesen was not one to shy away from controversy. In a city where the look of signs is a touchy issue, Nesen and other auto mall dealers were involved in a bitter debate over just how big the city’s largest sign could be.

The debate over the auto mall’s sign, in which a compromise was eventually reached, was one of the most divisive in the city’s recent history.