About Us

History

1935:

Joseph Ruge opened a one-pump Sunoco gas station and repair shop across from Rhinebeck’s Beekman Arms. Ruge's soon became an Oldsmobile dealer. Joseph's brother Herman, who sold cars in the Bronx, helped ship vehicles by rail up to Rhinecliff station.

1938:

Success motivated Joseph to move to a 3-bay garage at 6444 Montgomery Street, just a quarter mile from its original location, but "much too far out of town," according to locals. His son, Lewis Ruge, was born later that year.

1949:

A new Oldsmobile showroom was added.

1963:

After completing college and serving for 3 years as an Officer in the United States Air Force, Lewis joined his dad as a partner in the business.

1970:

Lewis saw a market for a smaller economy car and became one of America’s very first Subaru dealers.

1985:

Celebrating 50 years, Ruge's opened a Chrysler Plymouth Dodge location in Red Hook.

1989:

Ruge's opened a wholesale auto parts and accessories store in Red Hook, employing more locals and adding to its position as an industry leader in the Hudson River Valley.

1997:

As the demand for Subaru vehicles grew Ruge's built a brand-new showroom across the street from its original Oldsmobile location.

2016:

The business expanded with the purchase of Audia Motor Sales, now known as Ruge's Chevrolet on route 44 in Millbrook, NY.

2020:

Ruge's purchased Rhinebeck Ford, just down the road from Ruge's CDJ. Ruge's Ford became the fourth rooftop in the family of dealerships!

2024:

Ruge’s Subaru opens a new state-of-the-art Service facility on the site of the old Stamp plant on Route 9G near the Ford & CDJ dealerships.

A Small-Town Dream Takes Off: 1935

Joseph Ruge knew he had something to offer the Rhinebeck community when he opened a one-pump Sunoco fueling station and limited repair shop across from the iconic Beekman Arms in 1935. The location of the business across from a pillar in the Rhinebeck community proved prosperous, transforming Ruge’s establishment into a pillar itself. Ruge’s growing success and broadening customer base inspired him to expand his business by becoming an authorized Oldsmobile dealer.

With the Oldsmobile marquee, Joseph didn’t have any trouble filling his lot and turned to his brother, Herman, for help. Herman sold cars in the Bronx, shipping Oldsmobiles to Joseph via railway. When they arrived at the Rhinecliff Train Station, Joseph unloaded the models himself and prepared them for sale. This work ethic laid the foundation for his ongoing success as an automotive dealer committed to offering unparalleled customer service.

Prosperity and Growth: 1940s and 1950s

Joseph’s Oldsmobile dealership quickly outgrew the small shop, leading him to move the business to a three-bay garage at 6444 Montgomery Street, the location of Ruge’s Subaru today. Although the new dealership was only a quarter-mile from the original site, Rhinebeck locals considered it “much too far out of town.” Fortunately, opinions changed as Joseph proved his success would never overshadow his promise to his customers.

By the 1940s and 1950s, the Ruge name was ingrained in the Rhinebeck community and was renowned for offering big brand sophistication and small-town values. Joseph guaranteed as much, treating every customer like family and going to great lengths to meet and exceed everyone’s expectations by expanding the company to include sales, service, parts, and accessories. This ongoing growth meant Joseph had to find a balance between looking to the future and staying true to his roots, an effort he had perfected throughout his lifetime.

A Family Affair: 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s

The dream that carried Joseph throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s took on a greater meaning in the 1960s when he welcomed his son, Lewis, into the business. Fresh out of college and his three-year service as an Officer in the United States Air Force, Lewis was proud to join his father and bring his unique skill set back to his beloved hometown. Rhinebeck would soon reap the benefits of Lewis’ impact as Ruge’s Auto set its sights on expanding once again.

Lewis saw a unique opportunity to take the family business even further in the 1970s. He saw the potential market for a smaller, more efficient economy car. Answering that need meant investing in another automotive brand, a risk that Lewis was willing to take to continue his father’s legacy. In 1970, Ruge's Auto made history as one of the first Subaru dealers in the United States. The risk was worth the reward, with the historic gas shortage that followed sending Americans desperate for the wildly efficient and practical Subaru lineup.

The success of the Subaru lineup gave Lewis plenty of reason to celebrate. Yet, he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps in another way by giving back to his community. During this time, Lewis and his wife, Charlotte, focused on building the business and raising their three daughters––Kristin, Gretchen, and Erica. They instilled in their daughters the same philanthropy Joseph instilled in Lewis as a child. Together, Lewis and his wife raised the next generation of the Ruge family and further established their reputation as a family deeply committed to serving the community and leaving the world a better place through volunteerism and generosity.

In With the New: 1990s to Present

Ruge’s Auto turned a corner in the late 1980s and early 1990s when it added another dealership to the lineup and opened a Chrysler Plymouth Dodge location in the town of Red Hook. Within four years, the dealership’s success prompted Lewis to expand again by opening a wholesale parts and accessories store that not only served the dealership but made a vast impact on the community by giving jobs to locals. Once again, Joseph’s legacy as an industry leader in the Hudson River Valley continued in a new direction.

By the late 1990s, the increasing demand for Subaru earned Ruge’s Auto another wave of success that inspired Lewis to update the dealership to better accommodate customers throughout the area. As a result, Ruge’s Auto moved across the street from its original Oldsmobile location into a state-of-the-art showroom in 1997. Just as Beekman Arms was a pillar of the community in the mid-1930s when Joseph opened his fueling station, Ruge’s new showroom became a pillar of Rhinebeck and a symbol of the family’s contributions to their beloved New York hometown.

Today, the state-of-the-art showroom is home to Ruge’s Subaru and is one of four dealerships that are part of Ruge’s Auto Group. The family-owned and operated business added a Chevrolet dealership with the 2016 purchase of Audia Motor Sales and a Ford dealership with the 2020 purchase of Rhinebeck Ford, conveniently located down the road from Ruge’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. These dealerships offer something unique to the community and are forever tied to the young man who started it all with a Sunoco gas station in 1935.