Clutch Automotive recently purchased Liberty Hoepfl Garage, a historic auto shop that has served as a landmark in the Garden Oaks neighborhood for over 75 years. We are proud to maintain the legacy + elevate it.
Established in 1946, this garage is one of the oldest repair shops in Houston. The original owners, Adolf and his wife Lillie, built the shop themselves using self-poured cement blocks and pine trees from the property. Their son, Eugene, and his wife, Virginia, took over the family business in 1985. This next generation expanded the shop, adding additional bays to the rear of the building and installing a dynamometer to perform state inspections.
When Eugene decided it was time to sell to another mom and pop, he chose Sybren and Kathryn van der Pol. This husband-wife duo worked diligently on infrastructure improvements - repairing the antique neon sign out front, adding new lifts and a transmission room, and remodeling the office. Passionate about community engagement, the van der Pols were involved in the “Oldie but Goodie” classic car show, the North Shepherd Community Alliance, and local schools and organizations.
The Clutch team is honored to have purchased the North Shepherd shop from Sybren and Kathryn and to be the newest piece of the garage’s history. Most of all, we’re excited to continue a relationship with our Garden Oaks neighbors + the surrounding areas of Shepherd Park Plaza, Shepherd Park Terrace, Garden Oaks, The Heights, Oak Forest, and Candlelight Plaza. Now in THREE locations across the Houston area, Clutch Automotive is growing and ready to take care of your family’s vehicles.
