Vaughn Auto and Marine has served the NYM area since 1923
News | Published on October 1, 2026 at 7:48pm GMT+0000 | Author: Kendall Koenen
0By Chad Koenen
Publisher
Vaughn Auto and Marine has a rich history in the greater New York Mills community that few family-owned businesses ever enjoy. Dating back to 1923, Vaughn Auto and Marine has remained a family-owned company for more than a century.
Started by Myron Vaughn, Vaughn Auto and Marine has been servicing everything from cars to trucks, boats and pontoons in the greater NY Mills area for 103 years.
The company took on Chevrolet vehicles beginning in 1931 and for a number of years was one of the largest tire dealers between the Twin Cities and Fargo. While they don’t sell tires anymore, Vaughn Auto and Marine still operates a full-service shop for everything from an oil change to major repairs to the inner workings of vehicles and marine motors.
“We work on a lot of things,” said Tim Vaughn.
In the heart of Lund Boat country Vaughn Auto and Marine also has the unique distinction as being the longest-serving dealer for Lund Boats. The NY Mills based auto and boat shop has been selling Lund Boats for just about as long as Lund Boats has been in business.
Vaughn Auto and Marine has been selling Lund Boats and Mercury Marine lines since 1960 after Lund Boats began in NY Mills by Howard Lund in 1948. Customers can pick out everything from a small fishing boat to a new Pro V at Vaughn Auto and Marine and have it built just a few blocks away at the Brunswick factory in NY Mills. It’s a unique partnership from a pair of NY Mills staples that has been forged for generations and allows local residents the opportunity to not only purchase a new Lund Boat, but have it serviced and repaired in the same community.
Serving the area for over 100 years, several generations of customers have walked through the doors of the downtown NY Mills business. Vaughn, the longtime owner of the business, said it has been fun seeing people go from visiting the business with their parents as children to dropping off their vehicle or boat as adults.
“I have a lot of people who have been customers for years,” said Vaughn.
The repeat customers for multi-generations continues to make Vaughn Auto and Marine a unique place where customers and the people who work on their vehicles are on a first-name basis.
“We are still a small place where you can talk to the person who is working on it,” said Vaughn.
The work at Vaughn Auto and Marine goes far beyond just typical repairs and maintenance, the shop sells and installs electronic equipment, oftentimes quicker and less expensive than people can find online.
Vaughn Auto and Marine is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the heart of downtown NY Mills. For more information, or for an appointment for your vehicle, boat or pontoon, call (218) 385-2855 or stop by their shop at 19 East Centennial 84 Drive in downtown NY Mills.