Founder of Laguna Beach’s Jeeps R Us, Lawrence Tales, dies at 75

Lawrence “Larie” Tales, founder of Jeeps R Us in Laguna Beach, has died. He was 75.

The longtime Laguna Beach resident who owned and operated the Laguna Canyon specialty shop, which has remained popular among Jeep and 4x4 enthusiasts for decades, died Monday. The cause of death was not made public by his family.

Tales, originally from Toronto, moved to Laguna for retirement but ended up founding the shop in 1989. He was originally a drag racing fan but once he built a Jeep for his wife, Vicki, he reputedly got the bug of the iconic vehicle brand whose lineage dates to World War II.

“When I got here, I worked by myself, then hired part-time employees,” Tales told the Daily Pilot in 2014, when he sold the business. “I taught them what I know. If a wheel comes off, it has to be torqued back on.”

Over the years, Tales’ Jeeps R Us was featured in several automotive magazines and has long been noted for its car club atmosphere and collection of classic Jeeps visible along Laguna Canyon Road. The shop, now under new ownership, offers custom builds, Jeep rentals, sales and repair work, particularly for older models.

Tales told the Pilot in 2014 that Jeep enthusiasts were known to drop a stack of $100 bills for one of the shop’s custom jobs.

“If you can dream it, we can build it,” is the shop’s unofficial slogan.

Jeeps R Us’ website posted a notice about Tales’ death. It said he “will be greatly missed by family, friends and Jeeps all over the world.”

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, a sister and two brothers. Funeral service information was unavailable Friday.

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Twitter: @BradleyZint