WEINS Auto Group was established by a Japanese automobile dealer group, Yokohama Toyopet. With the success of our parent company, Kanji Miyahara Sr., our founder, set his eyes on entering the North American market with a new Toyota dealership in the burgeoning Markham community.
On Saturday, October 6th, 1973, Don Valley North Toyota opened its doors with a lavish grand opening. Markham residents were served Sushi, an exotic delicacy at the time, and all guests had a chance to win “One Whole Prime grade Steer” for the grand opening.
To better serve the Markham area, Markville Toyota was established in a former Volkswagen dealership in 1982. Our former VP Dave LaLonde always said, “We never worked hard at creating a family environment, it just happened.”
Like any good family environment, the WEINS auto group team has stuck together – with original technicians from our founding in the 1970s remaining with the company today as Senior Executives. “Make it Fun” has always been a core principle of WEINS, and remains an essential part of our culture.
With the launch of Toyota’s new luxury line, Lexus, WEINS Auto Group once again stretched out and expanded its roots to become “Don Valley North Toyota Lexus.” Don Valley North Lexus now operates in its own footprint as a standalone Lexus dealership and has grown significantly since its founding.
With continued growth comes more significant opportunity. In 2003, an opportunity came knocking in Richmond Hill. WEINS Auto Group started construction on a new Lexus dealership, Lexus of Richmond Hill. Lexus of Richmond Hill’s grand opening came complete with a cask of Saké and the breaking of a Kagami Biraki – a traditional Japanese ceremony to celebrate harmony and new beginnings.
Only one year after renovating a new 106,000 sq. ft location for Don Valley North Toyota, WEINS Auto Group was awarded a new Hyundai franchise, and named it Don Valley North Hyundai. 5 locations and 3 exceptional brands now represented WEINS Auto Group.
As WEINS Auto Group had seen continued success for close to 40 years at this point, it was time to expand beyond our Markham-area roots. In 2011, WEINS Auto group added two new divisions, Oakville Volkswagen and Audi Oakville, with an illustrious history dating back to 1967.
With a continued focus on growth and delivering on a “customers first” philosophy, WEINS Auto Group expanded north towards cottage country with the acquisition of Mercedes-Benz Barrie and Barrie Subaru.
Excellence in business operations while maintaining and delivering high-quality sales and service experiences are pillars of the WEINS Auto Group’s success. As such, the addition of Mississauga Honda, a multi-year recipient of Honda’s President’s Award, was a perfect fit for the group and has helped expand the WEINS Auto Group’s footprint into the vibrant community of Mississauga.
Following the addition of the Honda brand to the WEINS Auto Group, the acquisition of Parkway Honda was completed. Being a multi-year winner of “Dealer of the Year” awards from numerous organizations, Parkway Honda has continued to exhibit outstanding customer satisfaction, with trustworthiness and transparency leading the way.
Whitby Subaru, having served the Whitby area since 1972 and building an excellent reputation in the process, was a perfect fit to join the WEINS Auto Group family. Whitby Subaru exemplifies the guiding principles of the WEINS Auto Group and has been a valuable addition to the group.
As WEINS Auto Group continues to grow, we’ve had the pleasure of competing and working with other local area dealerships. In 2020, WEINS Auto Group acquired Thornhill Toyota, formerly known as Wietzes Toyota – a well-known dealership with 70 years of history and proud traditions of hard work and good service. We're proud to service customers in the Thornhill Region as a part of the WEINS family and brand.
With Hyundai's resurgence as leading vehicle manufacturer in the EV segment, we acquired Hyundai of Aurora as a part of our expansion into new markets, and we couldn't think of a better partner than the Hyundai of Aurora team, which has been a leading, family-owned Hyundai dealership in the Aurora region for a decade.
As we continue to grow, WEINS Auto Group will look forward to continuing to proudly service the customers in Newmarket and Aurora region.
