We all have passions that drive us. For Louis Niello, the son of Italian immigrants in San Francisco during the 1900s, that passion was automobiles. By the time he was 10 years old, Louis Niello was already displaying an unusually high mechanical aptitude, especially for automobiles and anything associated with them.
As a young man, Louis raced motorcycles, worked as a chauffeur, and eventually landed a job as a mechanic at a Packard dealership in the Bay Area. During World War I, he took his machinist skills to San Diego’s Naval Air Station.
After the war, Louis returned to his San Francisco job, this time as shop foreman. By 1921, he had earned enough money to buy the dealership with a partner. Before long, the dealership on Ellis Avenue expanded to feature the Pierce-Arrow luxury line of automobiles.
Visionary Thinking
The Niello Company evolved into a family business when Louis’ son, Richard Niello Sr., came back from serving in World War II and joined his father at the Packard dealership in San Francisco.
With the demise of both Packard and Pierce-Arrow, the business liquidated and Richard Sr. worked for General Motors before finding his next dealership opportunity in Sacramento in 1955 offering an exciting a new German import—Volkswagen.
It was just the beginning of Richard Sr.’s forward-thinking embrace of brands that were new to the U.S. market and unfamiliar in the region's automotive landscape. In 1956, he added Porsche to the family dealership and Audi soon after. To date, Niello is both the second oldest Audi dealership and the longest-owned Porsche dealership in the country.
In 1995, Rick Niello (Richard Niello Sr.'s son) took over the company and became president, alongside his brothers David and Roger. Together, the three Niello brothers have built the family dealership group into a powerhouse in the Sacramento market with 10 dealerships selling nine different manufacturers and employing 742 people. There’s also a body shop.
Today, the fourth generation of Niello’s are entering the business. Rick’s son Derrick is the company’s chief financial officer, and two of his Niello cousins also work at the dealership group.
Welcoming Change
The Niello hallmark is not looking at what's on the road, but what's coming down it. From introducing those first Volkswagens to the Sacramento area in 1955 to embracing today’s electric vehicles, the Niello Company embraces change. “We are fully embracing the electric car movement,” Derrick says. “Being in the capital of the largest EV market in the U.S., we’re very excited about the future of automotive retail.”
Another of Niello’s core values is supporting the community and giving generously and often to local companies, events and charitable organizations. In fact, the list of nonprofits to which the Niello Company donates to includes over 60 organizations ranging from food banks to art institutions. “We are the largest charitable dealer group in the Sacramento region,” Derrick says. “We support Niello Concours at Serrano, Crocker Museum and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, among others.”
One of the company’s premier charity events for the last 20 years has been the Niello Concours at Serrano. This prestigious car show draws crowds in the thousands annually, and highlights vintage and classic cars. The Niello Company also displays cars from its own classic automotive collection, including an old Packard which harkens back to the company’s origins.
“We embrace the vintage while looking ahead to what’s new,” Derrick says. Just like his great-grandfather, Louis Niello, would have wanted it.
