About Us

Since 1965, the Frank Leta Auto Group has grown in lockstep with the automotive brand and our hometown of St. Louis.

Time and time again, the local community has shown its loyalty to the Leta family and the automotive brands we offer. A commitment to lifelong quality, innovation, and sustainability has earned the support of our customers, which in turn grants us the ability to give back to the community.

Here are some of the events that have made all of us who we are today and led to our philosophy of customer care, Leta For Life.

1930-1950 1960-1970 1980-1990 2000-2010 2020-Present

1930-1950

  • 1931
    Leta History

    Frank Leta is born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, the 10th child of Francesco and Angelena. Frank was born into an entrepreneurial family. His father, Francesco Leta, was partner in a successful wholesale produce business for many years as the family grew to its considerable size.

  • United States Air Force

    1949
    Leta History

    Frank and his brother, Joe, join the United States Air Force. During the Korean War, he performs pre-flight inspections at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, Illinois.

  • toasted ravioli

    1950
    ST. Louis History

    Philadelphia has the cheesesteak. Chicago has the deep dish pizza. St. Louis has the toasted ravioli. While it is served at many neighborhood restaurants, it originates in 1950 at Angelo Oldani’s on the Hill, the Italian neighborhood where both Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up.

  • Frank and Toni (née Pezzimenti) are married

    1952
    Leta History

    Frank and Toni (née Pezzimenti) are married in Corpus Christi Church in St. Louis. After the wedding and honeymoon, Frank and Toni begin their married life together in St. Louis.

  • Frank selling sewing machines

    1952-1967
    Leta History

    Looking for reliable work to support his new family, Frank begins selling sewing machines. He has a natural talent for sales and gets off to a great start. Over the next decade-plus, Frank would own and manage sewing machine stores in Evansville, Danville, St. Louis, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach.

  • St. Louis Hawks win the NBA Championship

    1958
    ST. Louis History

    The St. Louis Hawks win the NBA Championship in six games over Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics. This would be the last Finals until 1967 not won by those Celtics, and the Hawks’ (now based in Atlanta) sole NBA Championship.

  • Honda begins selling motorcycles

    1959
    Honda History

    With just eight employees and three models to offer, Honda begins selling motorcycles in the United States. This marks the beginning of Honda’s long and successful presence in the American automotive landscape.

1960-1970

  • open the Northland Honda motorcycle franchise

    1965
    Leta History

    After much hard work and persuasion, Frank Leta shifts careers after winning Honda’s approval to open the Northland Honda motorcycle franchise in North St. Louis county.

  • Gateway Arch

    1965
    ST. Louis History

    The Gateway Arch is completed, after just over two years of construction. The Arch, located at the site of St. Louis’s founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River, is often referred to as “The Gateway to the West.” It would become a world-recognized symbol of St. Louis.

  • St. Louis Blues

    1965
    ST. Louis History

    The St. Louis Blues join the NHL as one of six expansion franchises, taking the number of NHL teams up to 12. The team is named after the W. C. Handy song “Saint Louis Blues.”

  • Honda's first passenger car in the US market - N600 sedan

    1965
    Honda History

    Honda introduces its first passenger car in the US market, the N600 sedan. The vehicle already showed Honda’s engineering prowess with an all-alloy, air-cooled engine putting out one horsepower per cubic inch. With a top speed of 80 mph, the compact vehicle got outstanding fuel economy at 47 mpg. It retailed for just $1,300 ($9,310 in 2022 dollars).

  • First Honda automotive dealer in the Midwest

    1971
    Leta History

    Leveraging his relationship with Honda, as well as his signature people skills, Frank becomes the first Honda automobile dealer in the Midwest. As sales of Honda’s peppy, fuel-efficient cars took off amidst the oil crisis of the 70s, Frank Leta expanded to a property on St. Louis’ “Auto Row” at 9420 West Florissant Avenue.

  • Six Flags - Over Mid-America

    1971
    ST. Louis History

    Six Flags St. Louis opens. Originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, it is the only original park completely owned by Six Flags.

1980-1990

  • first Honda Accord

    1982
    Honda History

    The first Honda Accord rolls off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant in Maryville, Ohio, making Honda the first Japanese automaker to build cars in America using domestic and globally-sourced parts.

  • Construction is completed on the all-new (and newly rebranded) Frank Leta Honda

    1985
    Leta History

    Construction is completed on the all-new (and newly rebranded) Frank Leta Honda in Bridgeton, at 12101 St. Charles Rock Road. This location is still active today as the Frank Leta Automotive Outlet, as well as the home to Frank Leta Misubishi.

  • Frank Leta Acura opens

    1986
    Leta History

    Frank Leta becomes one of the first Acura dealers in the country when he opens Frank Leta Acura, designed on a modern template similar to the Honda store. The two stores are unlike anything in St. Louis at the time, featuring red clay tiles and a “California style” showroom.

  • Honda VTEC

    1991
    Honda History

    Honda introduces VTEC, its foundational technology for low emissions, high fuel efficiency, and high performance, in the Acura NSX.

  • first-gen Honda CR-V

    1997
    Honda History

    The first-generation Honda CR-V is offered for sale in North America. Built on the Civic’s platform, the midsize SUV drove like a car and offered good mileage and performance.

  • Honda - first hybrid vehicle in North America

    1999
    Honda History

    The Honda Insight becomes the first hybrid vehicle available in North America.

2000-2010

  • St. Louis Rams win Super Bowl

    2000
    ST. Louis History

    The St. Louis Rams, known as the “Greatest Show on Turf,” win Super Bowl XXXIV. The 23–16 victory has gone down as one of the greatest Super Bowl games in history.

  • first-gen Honda Pilot

    2002
    Honda History

    The first-generation Honda Pilot, Honda’s largest SUV, is offered for sale in North America.

  • Frank Leta Honda moves to new facility

    2006
    Leta History

    Frank Leta Honda moves to a new, state-of-the-art facility in O’Fallon, MO. That same year, the company launches the Frank Leta Automotive Outlet, a used vehicle dealership, at the Bridgeton location.

  • Busch Stadium opens

    2006
    ST. Louis History

    Busch Stadium opens as the new home of the St. Louis Cardinals. It replaces Busch Memorial Stadium, occupying part of that stadium’s former footprint. The St. Louis Cardinals would go on to win the World Series that same year, defeating the Detroit Tigers in five games.

  • Automotive News - Top Ten Dealeships to work for in the US

    2012
    Leta History

    Frank Leta Honda and Frank Leta Acura are both named by Automotive News as Top Ten Dealerships to Work For in the US.

  • Frank Leta Charitable Foundation

    2013
    Leta History

    Frank Leta Charitable Foundation is founded with the mission to provide safe and reliable transportation to those in need. Over 100 local non-profits and individuals have been served by the Foundation since its inception.

  • Honda Civic Type R - record lap time

    2017
    Honda History

    The Honda Civic Type R sets a new record lap time for a front-wheel drive car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Later that year, the Civic Type R is made available for sale in the United States for the first time.

  • Frank Leta adds Mitsubishi franchise

    2019
    Leta History

    Frank Leta adds a Mitsubishi franchise to the Bridgeton facility, along with a second pre-owned location to the South County location next to the Acura dealership.

  • St. Louis Blues win first Stanley Cup

    2019
    ST. Louis History

    The St. Louis Blues win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They triumph over the Boston Bruins four games to three in a nail biting seven-game series.

2020-Present

  • Frank Leta adds Acura of Springfield

    2020
    Leta History

    Frank Leta adds Acura of Springfield in Springfield, Missouri to the family of dealerships.

  • Year Award for client satisfaction and community service

    2020
    Leta History

    Frank Leta Automotive is recognized with the Time Magazine Dealer of the Year Award for client satisfaction and community service.

  • Present day

    Present Day
    Leta History

    The Frank Leta Automotive Group is still a local, family-owned, and operated business that is deeply committed to providing a lifetime of exceptional care for its team members, clients, and community.

Get directions to one of our locations:
Frank Leta Auto Group 38.7173029, -90.7118272.