Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram and now Infiniti lines will soon be available for sale under one roof at 6162 N. Blackstone Ave. in Fresno. Photo by Ben Hensley

A family owned auto dealer is growing once again with the acquisition of Fresno Infiniti, joining Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram near Blackstone and Bullard avenues in Fresno.

The sale, which was completed last week, welcomes the Infiniti line to the Finegan Dealer Group, with automotive group President Tim Finegan excited about the acquisition.

Infiniti is now located at 6150 N. Blackstone Ave. in Fresno, near the Dodge franchise acquired by founder Tim Finegan from Lithia Automotive in 2008. Clovis Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram came along in 2013.

For Infiniti customers, the latest acquisition will mean an expanded service center among other new amenities, Finegan said.

A top-of-the-line service center will be followed up by new floor units and a soon-to-be refurbished showroom.

“They’re going to experience world-class service,” Finegan said. “The showroom is being renovated as we speak. We’re painting the interior, exterior, refurbishing it — and it should be good things to come for Infiniti customers.”

 

Infiniti has had a presence in Fresno for more than 25 years. The next nearest Infiniti dealership is a 90-minute trip to Modesto.

John Harris, former owner of Fresno Infiniti and president of Harris Automotive Group, expressed his satisfaction with the sale. After nearly 55 years, Harris Automotive is transitioning from the automotive retail industry, with Harris now managing a diversified family office with commercial real estate properties in and out of state — including the former Infiniti dealership building at Palm and Herndon avenues.

“We had a good run and really enjoyed serving customers in Fresno, but we’re ready for a new chapter,” he said. “We’re pleased that Tim Finegan is our successor. He’s been in the automotive retail business for a long time and they’re a terrific family.”

In 2021, Fresno Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram suffered a fire that damaged the auto shop and 21 vehicles. Following the fire, the dealership was able to expand its center to service more vehicles.

The additional space looks to continue to benefit the dealership, especially following the acquisition.

“We’ve got the space for them here already,” he said. “When we rebuilt it [the service center] we went bigger and better; we’ve got a lot of stalls where we can accommodate more people to go to work.”

Finegan said that the expanded space will also allow the dealership to not only retain the six employees moving over from the former Fresno Infiniti location, but also to expand the service team in order to serve more Valley customers.

The dealership is already operating its service center and hopes to receive certification to sell inventory within the next several weeks.

“We’re hoping to sell 20-25 Infinitis a month out of this location,” Finegan said.