Champaign, Ill.-based Left Lane Auto LLC has opened a new Gipson's Tire & Auto store in Mobile, Ala.
The company also recently purchased CS Automotive, a two-location business in the Nashville, Tenn., area.
"We recently had the opportunity to sell our shop to Left Lane Automotive and we can honestly say it was one of the most seamless and positive transactions we’ve ever experienced," say Kim and Rob Auernheimer, former owners of CS Automotive.
"From start to finish, their team operated with integrity, transparency and a true respect for both our business and our people. What could have been a stressful and emotional process turned into an incredibly smooth transition, closing in just 38 days."
The opening of the Gipson's Tire & Auto greenfield store and the purchase of CS Automotive gives Left Lane Auto 87 locations, with 10 opening so far in 2026.
CEO Parham Parastaran told MTD that Left Lane Auto, partially owned by private equity firm Bertram Capital Management LLC, will hit the 100-store mark by the middle of 2026.
One of the 25 largest tire dealerships in the United States, according to the 2025 MTD 100, Left Lane Auto does business under a wide variety of names, including University Tire, Mike Smith Tire & Auto, Big G Tire & Auto, Clay Dooley Tire & Auto Service, Don Duncan's All American Tire, Jim Grizzle Tire & Auto, Modica Bros Tire & Wheel, Logan Tire Service and others.
About the Author
Mike Manges
Editor
Mike Manges is Modern Tire Dealer’s editor. A 29-year tire industry veteran, he is a three-time International Automotive Media Association Award winner, holds a Gold Award from the Association of Automotive Publication Editors and was named a finalist for the Jesse H. Neal Award, the Pulitzer Prize of business-to-business media, in 2024 and 2026. A past Endeavor Business Media Editor of the Year, Mike has traveled the world in pursuit of stories that will help independent tire dealers move their businesses forward. Before rejoining MTD in 2019, he held corporate communications positions at two Fortune 500 companies and served as MTD’s senior editor from 2000 to 2010.