A Brief History of Riker’s Automotive & Tire
1909-1983
Since the creation of the automobile, the Riker family has been repairing vehicles in central Florida. Before that, David O. Riker built and repaired wagon wheels locally.
In 1939, Orval A. Riker purchased commercial land and constructed a large repair facility with a gasoline
A Brief History of Riker’s Automotive & Tire
1909-1983
Since the creation of the automobile, the Riker family has been repairing vehicles in central Florida. Before that, David O. Riker built and repaired wagon wheels locally.
In 1939, Orval A. Riker purchased commercial land and constructed a large repair facility with a gasoline pump out front. He named the shop O.A.Riker and Son Garage. Although this shop was sold in the 1970s, it is still being used for auto repair today.
In 1973, O. Vernon Riker opened his first Chevron service station, located at 6908 Sandlake Rd. near I-4. He soon had two additional stations, one in the town of Windermere and another at Sandlake near the airport. These stations all had service bays and did complete automotive repairs.
1983-Present
In 1984, V. Brent Riker opened a Mobil station on International Dr. near the Civic Center. This station had three service bays, did complete automotive repairs, and was one of the first Mobil Lube Express stations in Florida. Riker’s also operated tow trucks from the station. It was not long before these three bays had more repair work than could be done. Land was purchased and the present day ten-bay facility was constructed at 5700 Central Florida Parkway. To date, this shop is the only Bridgestone/Firestone affiliated dealer with an Orlando address.
In 1997, the Mobil station was rebuilt without service bays and the towing business was moved to 1930 Central Florida Parkway.
In 2000, the business was again expanded to a three bay Pennzoil Express Lube with a full service carwash at 5694 Central Florida Parkway.
In 2007, the Riker legacy continued to grow when the newest location opened at 7375 South Orange Avenue.
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