MD Johnson, Inc. announces the completion of the sale of the Don Rasmussen Group in Portland, Oregon on behalf of Greg Rasmussen to Lithia Automotive, Inc. The group included Mercedes Benz of Portland, Mercedes Benz of Wilsonville, Rasmussen BMW and Mini of Portland. All of the dealerships are located in and around the Portland metropolitan area. Greg Rasmussen is the son of Don Rasmussen. Don Rasmussen Co. started in 1950 as a Studebaker dealer and was appointed a BMW dealer in 1971. The elder Rasmussen passed away in 2006. Greg Rasmussen was also partners with his brother Bud Rasmussen who also passed away in 2007. Don Rasmussen was appointed as the first Mercedes Benz dealer established in the US. Rasmussen was appointed in 1957 and held MB dealer franchise 1. In 2000, the Rasmussen family extended their Mercedes Benz coverage into Wilsonville, Oregon and built a state-of-the-art facility on Interstate 5. The BMW franchise and Mini franchise were also added as well as the acquisition of a new Mini exclusive location, also acquired by Lithia in the transaction. Lithia currently operates Mercedes Benz dealerships in Liberty Lake, WA and Des Moines, Iowa.