History of Greg’s Automotive El Cajon Auto Repair

Greg’s Automotive
Greg’s Original Shop - Where It All Started

Greg's Automotive Frontage

The original Greg's Automotive was founded back in June of 1979 by Greg Kelly. Greg was first introduced to the automotive industry in college where he worked for his dad managing his towing and repair shop operations. Years later, after getting married to his high school sweetheart, Sheri, and welcoming their first child, Greg worked at an independent auto repair shop where he was able to further his skill as a mechanic. When Greg and his wife were expecting their second child, Greg decided to take a job at a dealership to earn a higher wage. When working at this dealership, Greg had greater insight into the state of the automotive industry and how it was lacking the knowledge and customer service that his community needed.

It was at this time that Greg decided to open up his own business, beginning in the building of an old gas station. His intentions in his auto repair business have always stayed the same, and were based on one premise: with integrity and honesty, you’ll have a successful business because customers will always come back to you when they need car care. Greg now boasts over 52 years of experience in the automotive industry, and his second location, Greg’s Automotive Helix, was opened in February of 2007.

 

Greg's Automotive Sign

ASE Logo
ASE Logo

Our Auto Repair Shops Stay Up To Date

Our auto repair shop technicians appreciate a clean, brightly lit workplace as do customers appreciate the same. Our office is clean, we have very clean restrooms, and there is plenty of reading material. We also will offer WiFi at no charge to our customers as soon as we get over some security issues. The auto repair shop area is kept clean so your vehicle is kept clean. My technicians are among the best at what they do. We have Certified Mechanics on duty a few by hard knocks, some by ASE. My people undergo ongoing training as it becomes available. Both hands on, webinar and seminar venues are utilized to keep them up to date and at the cutting edge of changes. Our auto repair shop technicians tend to stay with us for long periods. Thirteen to 15 years is pretty normal, shorter periods for those that don’t measure up to our standards. Our managers, like Sheri and Marc are especially long lived in our organization. I firmly believe that the stability of the owners, married over 42 years, and the stability of our employees together give the consumer the best possible experience with getting their vehicle repaired and maintained.

OWNER GREG KELLY IS A CAR GUY!

ford

Greg and Sheri started dating in high school at El Capitan High in Lakeside, CA. After finishing college, they were married. By the time the children came along, Sheri was very used to the smell of soiled hands, oily hair, and was learning all about cars from Greg. Sheri is a mechanic by association. When Greg went into business, it was because he saw a need for consumers to be able to get honest car repairs at a reasonable price with over the top craftsmanship. As the shop expanded, Sheri came to work in the office, doing all the things a Service Advisor does. Later, when they knew they couldn't renew their lease where they had been for 25 years, Greg and Sheri bought Helix Auto Care, now Greg’s Automotive Helix. Sheri took that shop over, managing and operating it like the pro she is.

In Greg’s time as an independent, he lobbied in Sacramento to improve regulations that govern automotive safety, worked for change in the industry through Automotive Service Councils of California, and represented the industry in the group that formulated much of the basis for today's Smog Check Program - the BAR 97 program. He has also had four of his former employees go on to open up their own businesses, which is a fact of which he is extremely proud.

Greg’s Automotive in El Cajon and Greg’s Automotive Helix in La Mesa, CA are proud to be auto repair shops that you can wholeheartedly trust with your vehicle. Whether your car is due for maintenance or needs a repair, we invite you to give us a call or stop by anytime for service. We look forward to taking care of you and your vehicle in the near future!

Pegasus
Pegasus

 

So what you will find if you log onto Greg’s Flickr Page, will be the results of one of his other hobbies… photography. Pictures of many of his collections of car memorabilia. The Pegasus or Mobil Gas sign has a story all it’s own. The owner ran an ad on Craig’s List listing as “Pegasus sign”. Greg bit and responded to the ad. When he tried to call Greg, he couldn’t reach him, because Greg’s cell phone was dead. So he called the other people who had responded to his ad. They all talked of reselling the signs (there were 2) and making some cash. Not liking those responses, he looked Greg up on the internet. When they connected the next day, he simply said “I want to sell them to you. You are a car guy and I know you won’t just turn around and resell them.” Greg later told him his grandsons were going to fight over who would get them after he was gone. Greg now has one hanging in each shop