Rusty Drewing

Born Grant Drewing and nicknamed Rusty by his mother — honoring her grandfather Robert, who dreamed of a red-headed son — Rusty grew up surrounded by the automobile business. His father, Gary Drewing, arrived in Jefferson City in 1980 to become general manager at Capital City Ford. His maternal grandfather, Robert Hespen, was a general manager at Clinton Cadillac in St. Louis. Cars were in the family long before Rusty was.

Rusty was born in Jefferson City in 1982. By 2005, the Drewing family had become the sole owners of the Machens Dealerships — and Rusty stepped into the business full-time. He learned it from the ground up: the lots, the service bays, the financing desks, the people.

In 2015, the family made a strategic decision to sell the Joe Machens group while retaining what mattered most: BMW of Columbia and Mercedes-Benz of Columbia. Six years later, in 2021, Rusty acquired Riley Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac and Riley Toyota in Jefferson City — and put his name on the door. The Chevrolet store has roots going back to 1936, making it one of the oldest franchises in Mid-Missouri.

Today, Rusty Drewing Automotive spans seven brands, two cities, and more than 300 team members. The group has earned the GM Mark of Excellence three years running (2022, 2023, 2024), Cadillac Master Dealer status in 2023, and holds a 4.9-star Google rating across its locations. In 2024, the group became the #1 new car dealer in Mid-Missouri.

Ask Rusty what that means and he’ll point to his team before the trophies. “Having your name on the sign means you care about everything that happens inside,” he says. That standard runs through every showroom, every service bay, and every interaction — in Jefferson City and Columbia alike.