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Royal Treatment In a town where some car dealers are better known than the mayor and governor, you probably know the name of the well-respected Royal Automotive Group of Tucson – but not the quiet leaders who built it. And that’s after 35 years of putting Southern Arizonans in Buicks, Isuzus, Hummers, Lexus, Jaguars, Land Rovers, Kias, Cadillacs, GMCs and soon –MINIs. The Weitman family team seems to like it that way. They’re passionate
about sports, cars and the community – but quietly. It starts with Royal’s owner and president, Paul Weitman. He played high school basketball in Georgia, went to college there on a basketball scholarship and went on to coach high school basketball there. He switched careers as a young man and started selling cars at a Buick dealership in Jacksonville, Fla., becoming sales manager and eventually GM. He came to Arizona with financial
backing from that dealership group to head Tucson’s Buick dealership on Speedway near Columbus in 1977. Five years later he bought out his backers. Since then the Royal Automotive Group has grown to several dealerships and two collision centers, numerous buildings and 358 employees. Adding – and sometimes losing – marques of distinction over the years, Royal expanded to showrooms and service centers adjacent to the Speed-
From left – Neal Weitman, Paul Weitman, Steve Lace and Craig Weitman
156 BizTucson < < < Winter 2013
PHOTO: CARTER ALLEN
By Dan Sorenson