Three years ago, Dorian Jimenez took over a GM dealership on the verge of being closed in Oklahoma City, a market he was unfamiliar with.
Together with his wife, Lilly, the general manager, they have guided Classic Chevelot to a region-exceeding 94.38% CSI score and steady growth in the service department.
Driving the news: A pre-med major before getting into the car business, Jimenez spent more than two decades leading sales teams at top dealerships in the Dallas area with some of the region’s and nation’s top auto groups - Lute Riley, David McDavid, and Park Place.
After a brief hiatus selling insurance for Allstate, he landed at Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, Texas, helping the Tom Durant dealership regain its status as the brand’s top-selling dealership.
Getting an opportunity: In 2022, Jimenez, of Mexican and Korean descent, attended a National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers event. Later in the year, he was approved by GM as a dealer candidate.
In March of the next year, GM contacted him about a store in western Oklahoma City that the corporation was considering shutting down.
Though not knowing the market, the Jimenez family decided to make the move across the Red River.
“It took me 27 years in the auto industry to become a dealer. There were no paved roads or highways. There were dead ends and a ton of potholes and signs saying ‘do not enter.’...But I’ve used that as fuel.”
Adapting to a new home: A Texan, having grown up and lived most of his life in the Dallas area, Jimenez acknowledged a bit of state rivalry provided opposition to his arrival.
“I was not welcomed with open arms,” Jimenez said. “I live by the philosophy of kill them with kindness. I showed them my work ethic, and I showed them I cared.”
The Jimenezes worked hard to ingratiate themselves in the community.
They joined several civic boards and committees.
Sponsored public service and law enforcement agencies and gave to area school programs.
Inside the dealership: The Jimenezes invested in the dealership to handle fleet service and EVs.
The dealership offers sales, service, parts, collision, and fleet commercial all under one roof.
It has been proactive in recruiting techs, working with a technical school and community college to bring in candidates, and is in the process of switching DMS providers to Tekion.
Being a familiar face: Walking in the front door of the dealership, Jimenez is found sitting at the front desk.
It’s where he spends the bulk of his time so he can know what’s happening in sales, service, and financing.
More importantly, he wants to greet customers, many of whom say they’ve never met a dealership owner.
Lessons in adapting: He’s learned that Oklahoma drivers tend to keep their cars longer than in fast-growth North Texas, which has been challenging for new-vehicle sales.
“We’ve found ways to grow our business around that. We’ve seen double-digit growth in service,” Jimenez said.
They’ve gone after fleet sales and service with the oil and gas industry and earned a small, diverse business status with the state to compete for government contracts.
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Showing the way: Jimenez noted the past three years have been humbling as he’s worked to revitalize the dealership. But he wouldn’t pass on the opportunity, and he hopes to encourage others to make the leap for what he calls an example of the American dream.
“There are 18,000 new car dealers, and 1,400 are owned by minorities. With that small percentage, there’s only a short window of opportunity,” Jimenez said. “I’d take [the opportunity] in a heartbeat, knowing the huge risk. But the reward is showing my minority community that it can be done in this great nation. And if I can do it, what’s your excuse?”
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