Our History

Jack DuBrul moved to Vermont with his brothers in 1950.  Jack's lifelong passion for speed and flying initially let him into a career as a commercial pilot, hot air balloon and glider instruction, and professional racer.

The Automaster was started in 1968 when Jack acquired his first dealership, a small Rambler franchise in the historic town of Shelburne, Vermont.  Originally only one building, Jack added a service facility in the back and changed the name to The Automaster.  With only a handful of employees in the beginning, Jack ran the repair shop himself and not only serviced AMC products, but also foreign cars. 

After diligently pursuing Mercedes-Benz, The Automaster acquired Vermont's only Mercedes-Benz franchise in 1969.  The Honda franchise was added in 1973, and later in 1979 BMW was added as a mid-range car between Mercedes and Honda.  In 1984 Jack moved his business into its current award winning Automaster facility, located at 3328 Shelburne Road in Shelburne Vermont. 

Today, The Automaster, a family run business with over 120 employees includes Jack's three sons John, Steele, and Kyle, as well as Dale Fillion the General Manager who has over 40 years of service with the company.  The Automaster spans across 16 acres and has 3 separate buildings.  The most recent addition to The Automaster was the acquisition of a 13.6 acre parcel of land which use to be the home of the Harbor Hide-A-Way, a once and popular restaurant that became a crumbling eyesore over the years.


      The Racing Days    
      1st Repair Shop - On Lower Church St

      2nd Automaster Location - 1835 Shelburne Rd
  1st Balloon Crossing Of Lake Champlain


        The Automaster - 1970's 
 Moonshine Powered Honda Civic


      The Automaster Honda - Today  
      The Automaster BMW - Today


            The Automaster Mercedes-Benz - Today   Newest Automaster Addition - MINI Of Burlington


MINI Going On The Roof             

The Harbor Hide-A-Way Demolition Project

   
New Expanded Parking Lot          
Klaus The Automaster Mascot


Short video on The Automaster history