Pep Boys
Pep Boys is an American automotive aftermarket brand focused on vehicle maintenance, repair, tires, and fleet service.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Pep Boys is an American automotive aftermarket service chain founded in Philadelphia in 1921. The business began as Pep Auto Supply, a small auto-parts store established by four friends who each contributed $200. Its name was later expanded to The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack, reflecting the first names of three founding partners and the company’s early retail identity. The familiar caricature logo was created soon afterward and became one of the most recognizable visual marks in the American automotive-service sector. The company initially built its business by selling replacement parts, accessories, lubricants, tools, and other automotive supplies. Its early history was shaped by a combination of low-cost retailing, property ownership, and careful financial management. During the Great Depression, the company avoided the severe debt exposure that damaged many retailers and maintained employee pay and staffing. A separate western operation was established in California in 1933 under the management of Manny Rosenfeld’s brother, Murray Rosenfeld, and expanded to eleven stores within several years. Pep Boys became a public company in 1945. For much of the postwar period, the Rosenfeld and Strauss families remained important in management and ownership, while the chain expanded its store network and added installation and repair capabilities. By the late 1960s, service bays and service managers had become part of the store model. During the 1970s, Pep Boys introduced self-service merchandising and computerized inventory systems. In the 1980s, the company pursued aggressive expansion, developed larger supercenter formats, moved its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange, and grew to hundreds of stores and thousands of service bays. Puerto Rico was added to the operating footprint during the 1990s. In the 2000s and early 2010s, Pep Boys combined organic growth with acquisitions of regional tire and repair businesses. These transactions expanded its presence in markets including Florida, the Pacific Northwest, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Southern California. The company also became the subject of several takeover attempts. A proposed acquisition by The Gores Group collapsed in 2012, while a proposed Bridgestone transaction was terminated in late 2015. Icahn Automotive Group completed its acquisition of Pep Boys in 2016, taking the company private. After the acquisition, Pep Boys continued expanding service capacity, including through the purchase of Just Brakes in 2017 and the development of Pep Boys Mobile Crew vehicles for on-site fleet maintenance. The company later reorganized its parts and service operations. Beginning in 2021, parts activities were separated from the service business and associated with Auto Plus Auto Parts. Auto Plus entered Chapter 11 proceedings in January 2023, after which Pep Boys was separated from that bankruptcy process. By December 2023, Pep Boys said it had completed a transition away from retail parts operations and was concentrating on automotive services. Its current proposition centers on tire sales and installation, preventive maintenance, diagnostics, mechanical repair, fleet maintenance, and mobile service. The business has undergone several leadership changes during its private-equity ownership, reflecting efforts to modernize operations and focus investment on service infrastructure. A proposed sale to Mavis Tire was announced in 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, but the provided source does not establish whether that transaction ultimately closed.
History
Pep Boys originated in Philadelphia in August 1921, when Emanuel Rosenfeld, Maurice Strauss, W. Graham Jackson, and Moe Radavitz each invested $200 in an automotive parts store. The business was initially called Pep Auto Supply, a name inspired by Pep Valve grinding compound stocked in the store. The expression “Pep Boys” reportedly developed from a local policeman’s directions to motorists who needed replacement equipment. After Strauss encountered a naming style built around founders’ first names during a trip to California, the company adopted The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack. Radavitz had already left the partnership, but the “Jack” reference remained. The founders commissioned caricatures of Manny, Moe, and Jack that became the company’s enduring logo. Jackson’s image was later replaced by that of Strauss’s brother Isadore, although the business name did not change. The logo was modified in 1990 when Manny’s cigar was removed. During the Depression, Pep Boys benefited from limited debt and property-backed operations. The company reportedly retained employees and avoided wage reductions while many businesses were contracting. In 1933, a separate California operation was opened by Murray Rosenfeld, Manny’s brother, and it expanded to eleven stores within three years. Pep Boys went public in 1945, with Manny Rosenfeld serving as its first corporate president until his death in 1959. Moe Strauss then became president and later remained chairman until his death in 1982. Family influence continued for decades through the Rosenfeld and Strauss families. Mitch Leibovitz became the first company president from outside the founding families in 1986. By 1969, the chain had added service bays and service managers to its stores. In the 1970s it introduced self-service merchandising and computerized inventory systems. The 1980s brought an aggressive expansion program, including larger supercenter formats, a move to the New York Stock Exchange, and rapid growth in store count, service bays, and sales. During the 1990s, the chain continued expanding and opened stores in Puerto Rico. The company’s business model increasingly combined parts retail with installation, tire service, and mechanical repair. Leadership changed repeatedly after the turn of the century. Mitch Leibovitz retired in 2003, followed by Larry Stevenson, Jeffrey Rachor, Michael Odell, John Sweetwood, and Scott Sider in successive leadership roles. Pep Boys expanded through acquisitions of Florida Tire, selected Big O Tires stores, Big 10 Tires, My Mechanic locations, and Discount Tire Centers. A proposed purchase by The Gores Group was abandoned in 2012. A Bridgestone Retail Operations agreement announced in 2015 was also terminated. Icahn Automotive Group completed an all-cash acquisition in February 2016, making Pep Boys a private company. Under Icahn ownership, Pep Boys acquired Just Brakes in 2017 and expanded mobile fleet maintenance. The company subsequently reorganized its retail parts and service activities. Beginning in 2021, service remained under Pep Boys while parts operations were associated with Auto Plus Auto Parts. Auto Plus filed for Chapter 11 protection in January 2023, and Pep Boys was separated from that bankruptcy process. In December 2023, Pep Boys announced that it had completed its move away from retail operations and would focus exclusively on automotive services, including its Puerto Rico locations. The modern Pep Boys proposition emphasizes tires, preventive maintenance, diagnostics, mechanical repair, fleet service, and mobile service. Leadership changes in 2023–2025 accompanied efforts to modernize the operating model and improve profitability. In July 2026, Icahn Enterprises agreed to sell Pep Boys to Mavis Tire for approximately $700 million in cash. The supplied reference describes that transaction as pending customary closing conditions and does not confirm its completion.
- 2026
Proposed sale to Mavis Tire
[1]Icahn Enterprises agreed to sell Pep Boys to Mavis Tire, pending customary closing conditions.
- 2023
Service-only operating transition completed
[1]Pep Boys announced its transition away from retail operations and toward automotive service.
- 2021
Parts and service operations began separating
[1]Parts activities were moved toward Auto Plus Auto Parts while service remained with Pep Boys.
- 2019
Fleet-focused Mobile Crew vehicles introduced
[1]New mobile units extended common maintenance and repair services to fleet customers at their locations.
- 2017
Just Brakes acquired
[1]Pep Boys added a 134-location repair and maintenance chain.
- 2016
Icahn Automotive acquired Pep Boys
[1]The all-cash acquisition moved Pep Boys into private ownership.
- 1990
Logo updated
[1]Manny’s cigar was removed from the long-running caricature logo.
- 1990
Puerto Rico expansion began
[1]Pep Boys continued its geographic expansion with operations in Puerto Rico.
- 1980
Supercenter expansion accelerated
[1]Pep Boys expanded rapidly with larger store formats and a broader service footprint.
- 1970
Self-service merchandising and computerized inventory introduced
[1]The chain modernized store operations through self-service retailing and inventory computerization.
Products and positioning
A nationwide, service-led automotive aftermarket chain combining tire and mechanical repair with fleet maintenance and mobile service. Since its 2023 operating transition, the brand has emphasized automotive services rather than traditional retail parts merchandising.
Tires and tire services
Automotive tires
Tires are a central Pep Boys offering, supported by installation and related service such as balancing and maintenance. The chain’s growth through regional tire-center acquisitions helped extend its geographic coverage and strengthened its position as a tire-and-service operator rather than only a parts retailer.
Preventive maintenance
Automotive maintenance
Pep Boys provides routine maintenance intended to preserve vehicle reliability, including oil and fluid service, filter replacement, battery-related work, and other scheduled maintenance tasks. These services form part of the chain’s current service-led operating model.
Vehicle repair
Mechanical repair
Mechanical repair includes diagnostics and repair of common vehicle systems, including brakes, steering, suspension, and other components. The service proposition developed from Pep Boys’ historic combination of parts retail and in-store installation and became more central after the company exited retail operations.
Commercial vehicle service
Fleet maintenance and repair
Pep Boys serves commercial and fleet customers through maintenance and repair programs designed to reduce vehicle downtime. Its fleet offer includes conventional service-center work and mobile capabilities intended to bring common maintenance tasks directly to fleet locations.
Mobile automotive service
Pep Boys Mobile Crew
Pep Boys Mobile Crew uses service trailers or fleet-specific vehicles to perform selected maintenance and repair work away from a conventional store. The format was expanded in 2019 with smaller units equipped for common fleet-service needs and staffed by trained technicians.
Automotive aftermarket products
Automotive replacement parts and accessories
Historically, Pep Boys sold name-brand replacement parts, lubricants, tools, batteries, filters, belts, hoses, brake components, and vehicle accessories. Retail parts operations were separated from the service business during the 2020s, and Pep Boys announced a completed transition away from retail operations in 2023.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Pep Boys Mobile Crew fleet-service expansion
United States
Pep Boys promoted a fleet-focused mobile service model using smaller vehicles equipped to perform common maintenance and repair tasks at customer locations.
Outcome. The initiative broadened the service chain’s delivery model beyond fixed retail and repair centers.
Brand decisions
2026
Proposed sale to Mavis TireM&ABackground
Icahn Enterprises agreed to sell Pep Boys as the chain continued operating as a service-focused automotive business.
Action taken
The parties announced a cash transaction expected to add nearly 800 Pep Boys locations to Mavis Tire’s network, subject to customary closing conditions.
Aftermath
The provided material does not confirm whether the transaction closed.
Proposed transaction value. Approximately $700 million (2026)
2023
Completed transition to a service-focused modelStrategyBackground
The company was reorganizing after separating retail parts activities from its service business.
Action taken
Pep Boys announced that it had moved away from retail operations and was concentrating exclusively on automotive services, including Puerto Rico locations.
Aftermath
The brand’s operating proposition became centered on tires, maintenance, repair, fleet service, and mobile service.
2021
Separated parts and service operationsStrategyBackground
Icahn Automotive restructured Pep Boys amid changing consumer habits and a greater emphasis on automotive repair.
Action taken
Service operations remained with Pep Boys while parts activities were placed under Auto Plus Auto Parts, with separate leadership.
Aftermath
Auto Plus later filed for Chapter 11, while Pep Boys was separated from the bankruptcy process and continued as a service-focused company.
2019
Expanded mobile fleet maintenanceStrategyBackground
Fleet customers increasingly required service models that could reduce downtime and avoid moving vehicles to fixed locations for routine work.
Action taken
Pep Boys introduced fleet-specific Mobile Crew vehicles equipped for common maintenance and repair tasks at customer sites.
Aftermath
The initiative strengthened Pep Boys’ commercial-service proposition and complemented its fixed service centers.
2016
Acquisition by Icahn Automotive GroupM&ABackground
Following failed or terminated takeover agreements, Pep Boys entered into a merger agreement with Icahn Automotive Group, an Icahn Enterprises subsidiary.
Action taken
Icahn Automotive completed an all-cash acquisition and moved Pep Boys into private ownership.
Aftermath
The company pursued further acquisitions, service expansion, and a later shift away from retail parts operations.
Transaction value. Approximately $1.03 billion (2016)
2015
Terminated Bridgestone acquisition agreementM&ABackground
Bridgestone Retail Operations had agreed to purchase Pep Boys in a transaction announced in October 2015.
Action taken
Pep Boys terminated the previously announced Bridgestone agreement in December 2015 and entered a merger agreement with Icahn Automotive Group.
Aftermath
Icahn Automotive completed the acquisition in February 2016, taking Pep Boys private.
2012
Terminated proposed acquisition by The Gores GroupM&ABackground
Pep Boys had agreed to be acquired by The Gores Group in a transaction announced at approximately $1 billion.
Action taken
The proposed acquisition was abandoned several months after it was announced.
Aftermath
Pep Boys remained independent and continued operating as a public company until its later acquisition by Icahn Automotive.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Advance Auto Parts plans to convert 109 California retail locations[2]
Advance Auto Parts announced plans to lease the retail space of 109 Pep Boys stores in California and convert them to Advance Auto Parts stores over the next 9–12 months. The plan excludes Pep Boys Service Centers.
- Unconfirmed
NPW completes acquisition of Auto Plus assets in Washington and Oregon[3]
National Auto Parts Warehouse and Icahn Automotive Group announced that NPW had completed its acquisition of substantially all Auto Plus assets in Washington state and Oregon. The transaction included two Pep Boys Parts retail store locations in Seattle and excluded Pep Boys automotive service centers.
Sources3 sources
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