Our History
BMW of Peabody was founded in the summer of 1993 by Bud Lyon, a retired doctor of electrical engineering and successful entrepreneur, and Warren Waugh who has had years of experience marketing luxury performance automobiles. Assisting with the start-up were Ken Fullerton and Bill Currie both of whom have had a great deal of experience with BMW. Warren serves as the overall Managing Partner of The Lyon-Waugh Auto Group.
In early 1993 it became obvious to Bud and Warren that BMW was in need of a new high quality facility located somewhere on Boston’s North Shore. With this in mind we approached BMW of North America (BMWNA) with a proposal to first acquire a BMW dealership in Everett Massachusetts and then locate suitable property on the North Shore to construct a state-of-the-art BMW facility.
To our delight BMWNA approved our plan and on the Monday after Thanksgiving in 1993 we acquired Foreign Engine Company in Everett, Mass., and began the search for a suitable property on Boston’s North Shore. The plan, with BMWNA’s approval, was to operate out of the Everett location until the new store was complete. Shortly thereafter we located a property for the new store in Peabody, Massachusetts, and the choice was approved by BMWNA.
Little did BMWNA know that we were going to build the most exclusive BMW facility in the U.S.! This was a most aggressive opportunity for us as the skeptics believed we could do nothing but fail. And while the economy was still questionable, BMW's strategy of introducing new cars for the coming years (M3, Z3, 528, 740i, and the 3 series convertible) was exceptional. Not only were the models exciting and what the recovering economy wanted, but the pricing was astounding.
The North Shore needed a BMW dealership desperately. Shortly after opening, we knew we were onto something big. Sales skyrocketed and BMW of Peabody often sells more new and used BMWs than any other retailer in New England. Thus began the growth of the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group.
After opening BMW of Peabody in the summer of 1994, we went on in late 1994 to acquire Acura of Peabody just 100 yards away. Our next major step occurred in June of 1996 when we opened Land Rover Peabody on Route One.
Land Rover Peabody is the third jewel in the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group line up. This totally new Land Rover “Centre” opened its doors to the public and in just over a year, was selling more new and used Land Rover vehicles than any other Land Rover retailer in New England. We not only sell more - we back it up with the finest service experience a Land Rover owner could expect. A service experience comparable only to that of Land Rover Peabody's sister stores Acura of Peabody and BMW of Peabody. Land Rover Peabody truly embraces the Land Rover philosophy of making an "off road" statement that no other automotive retailer has ever attempted.
The next step in the Group’s growth came, early in 2000 when we purchased an established Porsche and Audi dealership in Lowell, Massachusetts. Once again the plan was to move the two dealerships north. At that point we began the search for a suitable plot of land in Nashua, New Hampshire. Shortly thereafter we acquired a property just north of the MA/NH border and began the construction of two state-of-the-art dealership facilities.
In October of 2002 we proudly opened our new, full corporate identity facilities on Rte. 3 in Nashua. The Audi Hangar and the Porsche Keyhole designs have created an immensely attractive, convenient and instantly recognizable location for our clients. Our Sales, Service and Parts facilities are literally state of the art in defining a pleasant, efficient and memorable automotive experience.
Porsche of Nashua and Audi of Nashua is a partnership formed by Bud Lyon, Russ Lyon, and Warren Waugh. Russ has joined in this new venture and he looks forward to a new direction in the automotive and commercial real estate business.
The Porsche and Audi franchises are a perfect addition to the businesses that we already operate. We offer a wealth of experience in the luxury and performance car markets along with the enthusiasm, dedication and professionalism needed to lead the way in sales and customer satisfaction. We can assure the Porsche and the Audi customer that they will experience the same level of service and sales excellence that has made our four dealerships in Peabody the preeminent automotive retail centers in New England.
The next seminal development in the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group story occurred when BMW acquired the MINI brand. In short order we opened Mini of Peabody and gained the distinction of being the dealership to sell the very first “new Mini” in the states. We also became the Mini dealership that more often than not sold more Minis that any other dealership in the country.
To date The Lyon-Waugh Auto Group has earned multi year performance awards for all of its franchises. BMW, Audi, Porsche, Acura, Mini, and Land Rover alike have all received top honors from their respective manufacturers. Twelve strong years of growth doesn't happen by doing a good job once, but by doing an exceptional job repeatedly. That's our focus and commitment. We want to make your ownership experience as exciting and fulfilling as the car itself.
