By Mike Hazlip–
The Car Czar, an automotive shop, located at Greenback Lane and San Juan Avenue, is under new ownership and will be renamed according to the company’s founder.
In a social media announcement Friday, founder Doug Brauner said he was notified that the management company he was working with sold their share of the business. The Car Czar name will remain the intellectual property of Brauner, and his “flagship” location on El Camino Avenue and Bell Street will remain open.
He plans to continue to do business as the Car Czar and hinted at additional products and services he plans to offer under the brand name.
Brauner, who is widely known for his automotive journalism and appearances on TV as “The Car Czar,” has had a series of health concerns beginning with heart surgery in the fall of 2016. He said managing two automotive locations had become “overwhelming” and sold the Citrus Heights shop to a management company about one year ago, but retained ownership of his company.
Brauner said he did not know what future plans the new owner has for the Citrus Heights location. “Under new ownership” signage could be seen on the building on Tuesday, and Brauner said Car Czar signage will be removed.
“We’ve reduced our brand a little bit,” Brauner said in his five-minute Facebook announcement. “Call it a sign of the times, or maybe just call it Doug’s getting a little older.”
The Car Czar first opened the Arden-Arcade location in 1988, and the Citrus Heights location in 2003, according to a report in Sacramento business Journal.
