24 | NOVEMBER 14 • 2024
J
N
T
amaroff Auto Group may look
different today from its initial
1969 founding by Marvin
Tamaroff, the local Jewish auto legend
who passed away in 2021, but its core
values remain unchanged.
“Our grandfather, Marvin, taught us
that if you take care of your employees
and customers, the rest
will come,
” says Tamaroff
Auto Group vice presi-
dent Jason Tamaroff, who
manages the business
alongside his cousin (and
Marvin’s fellow grandson),
president Eric Frehsee.
Tamaroff and Frehsee,
42 and 39, are the third
generation of the Tamaroff
family to run the brand,
which has expanded with
a sister group, Jeffrey
Automotive Group, for a
total of six locations across
Metro Detroit. The original location
on 12 Mile and Telegraph still stands.
Perhaps best recognized with its
iconic “Tammy the Elephant” statue, a
bicentennial elephant that greets cus-
tomers outside the flagship Southfield
location (now Tamaroff Honda),
Tamaroff Auto Group has long been a
staple of Metro Detroit’s auto industry
and the Jewish community.
For Marvin Tamaroff, who consid-
ered elephants good luck — especially
elephants with their trunks raised in
the air — Tammy has remained an
enduring mascot and symbol of hope.
STANDING THE TEST OF TIME
Jason Tamaroff and Frehsee, who were
both introduced to the business at a
young age, were always inspired by
their grandfather, who many remem-
ber as a kind and generous man.
Marvin Tamaroff was a philanthro-
pist who supported Jewish Federation
of Detroit and many other local char-
ities. In fact, it was not uncommon to
find upwards of 100 letters thanking
him for his many donations in his
mailbox.
Frehsee, for instance, recalls making
a book in kindergarten about what he
wanted to be when he grew up. It fea-
tured a drawing of himself wearing a
suit with a briefcase (Gameboy inside)
stating that he wanted to be a car deal-
er, just like his grandfather.
“My family never pushed me into
the auto business, but I always loved
cars,
” he explains. “It was a natural fit
for me.
” Likewise, Jason Tamaroff felt
compelled to join the family business.
Running a large-scale auto group
is no easy feat, especially in today’s
day and age of inflation and rising
cost of living, but Tamaroff says his
grandfather’s words about taking care
of employees and customers still rings
true today. It’s why the business contin-
ues to thrive.
“We’re blessed to have some very
tenured team members who have been
extremely loyal to our family — and
us to them — over the years,
” he says.
“We have team members celebrating
10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and even 40-year
anniversaries with us. Likewise, we
have customers that have bought
20-plus vehicles from us and have
had their vehicles serviced by us for
decades.
”
While business has certainly
changed from its early days, especially
with the growth of online car shop-
ping, Tamaroff says the auto group has
remained relevant by sticking to its
core values.
Those values are being dedicated to
customers, family-oriented, team play-
ers, committed to integrity and main-
taining the ability to always evolve.
Of course, staying with the times
has also been essential to the contin-
ued growth of Tamaroff Auto Group,
which specializes in new and used
vehicles.
“It really gave us an opportunity to
update our facilities and bring them
into the 21st century,
” Frehsee says
about joining the company with his
cousin, Jason Tamaroff. “We updated
our infrastructure and our IT needs
and, most importantly, updated our
technology.
“By doing those three things,
” he
adds, “we were able to attract a differ-
ent generation of talent.
”
Third-generation Tamaroff uto Group
leaders keep the business going strong.
More Than 50 Years Later,
the Tamaroff Legacy Lives O
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
BUSINESS
Jason
Tamaroff
Eric
Frehsee