Ray Auto Group Brings Dealer-Level Fleet Support to Limo and Bus Operators
“Fleet management shouldn’t require a broker in the middle. We built our whole model around being the one dedicated partner an operator actually calls.”
For limousine companies, the vehicle is only part of the equation. Uptime, financing structure, and how fast a partner responds when something breaks down all shape whether a fleet runs the way an operator needs it to.
Ray Auto Group, an ILLBA vendor member, has spent more than a decade building its business around that reality in the commercial sales space. As a 6-time Chevrolet Dealer of the Year and the highest-volume fleet dealer in the Midwest for 14+ years, Ray works with commercial fleets across Chicagoland, Wisconsin, and nationwide, combining the buying power of a large-volume dealer with the responsiveness of a single point of contact.
Full-Size SUVs for Support and Executive Transport
While Ray’s core fleet volume runs through Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram passenger and light-duty vehicles, the dealership specifically supports operators who need full-size SUVs from both Chevrolet and Jeep; vehicles commonly used by limo and livery companies for executive transport, airport runs, and support/staff vehicles. For operators evaluating how to diversify their fleet, having direct factory-order access to both brands through one dealer rather than sourcing through separate vendors which simplifies acquisition planning and keeps replacement timelines on one calendar instead of several.
Acquisition Strategy and Fleet Financing
One of the most overlooked parts of any fleet decision is the financing and acquisition structure behind it. Ray’s fleet team works with operators to evaluate:
- Lease vs. finance trade-offs based on cash flow and vehicle lifecycle
- Replacement cycle planning, matched to mileage and usage patterns
- Bonus depreciation and tax treatment considerations for commercial fleets
- Factory-order timing, so vehicles arrive when the fleet actually needs them, not whenever production allows
Rather than working through a third-party fleet management company or a broker model, Ray’s approach keeps the dealership as the single point of contact—one team handling acquisition strategy, ordering, upfit coordination, delivery logistics, and financing, instead of routing an operator through multiple departments or vendors.
Mobile Service+: Maintenance Without the Downtime
For limo operators, a vehicle sitting in a service bay is a vehicle that isn’t generating revenue. Ray’s Mobile Service+ program is built around that constraint: a mobile service unit that comes to the operator’s lot or place of business to perform maintenance and repairs on-site, covering all makes and models—not just Chevrolet and Jeep.
Mobile Service+ includes:
- Oil changes, tire rotation/repair/replacement, and brake service
- Battery, wiper, filter, and drive belt replacement
- Diagnostics and electrical repair
- Software updates, programming, and select recalls
- Yearly subscription options for fleets with recurring service needs
- Free pick-up and delivery for anything that has to come into the shop, plus a courtesy loaner if needed
For a fleet that can’t afford vehicles sitting idle, having service come to you rather than routing drivers to a dealership is a meaningful difference in how much a vehicle actually gets used.
A Family-Owned Dealership With Deep Local Roots
Ray Auto Group has been family owned and operated since 1963, when the Scarpelli family opened its doors in Fox Lake, Illinois. Ray Scarpelli, President & Owner, still leads the company today, and over the decades the dealership has grown into the largest fleet-volume operation in the Midwest without changing hands or losing its footing in the communities it started in—employing hundreds of people across Lake and McHenry Counties and Southern Wisconsin, and supporting local schools, police departments, and youth athletics along the way.
For ILLBA members, that relationship doesn’t have to stop at the fleet. The same team managing acquisition strategy and financing for a limo fleet is also equipped to help with personal vehicle needs—a family SUV, a daily driver, a vehicle for a spouse or family member. Members are welcome to bring both conversations to the same point of contact.
Ray Auto Group also offers ILLBA members a complimentary fleet review covering fleet age and condition, replacement timelines, acquisition opportunities, vehicle recommendations, financing and leasing options, and special incentives for ILLBA members.
Connect with Ray’s fleet team to learn more about your options.
You can connect with Lilian Wehbe, Director of National Fleet Sales, at [email protected], +1 201-273-0856, or on LinkedIn.
If you're interested in Mobile Service+, contact +1 847-587-3300, or [email protected]
Learn more about Ray Auto Group on their website.
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