U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 5

OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number:  3235-0287
Expires:  September 30, 1998
Estimated average burden hours per response:  1.0

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, Section
17(a) of the Public Utility  Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940

[   ] Check here if no longer subject to Section 16.  Form 4 or Form 5
      obligations may continue.  See Instruction 1(b).

[   ] Form 3 Holdings Reported

[   ] Form 4 Transactions Reported

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
   Last, First, Middle:  O'Reilly, Sr. Charles H.
   Street: 233 South Patterson
   City, State, Zip:  Springfield, MO  65802
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol:  O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.  (ORLY)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year:  1997
5. If Amendment, date of original, month/year:  
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   [X ] Director     [  ] 10% Owner
   [X ] Officer (give title below)     [  ] Other(specify below)
   Officer Title:  Chairman Emeritus
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   [X ] Form filed by One Reporting Person
   [  ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

*  If the form is  filed by more  than one  reporting  person,  see  Instruction
   4(b)(v).

TABLE I --  Non-Derivative  Securities  Acquired,  Disposed of, or  Beneficially
Owned


                                                      4.
                                                      Securities Acquired (A)      5.               6.
                                       3.             Disposed of (D)              Amount of        Ownership    7.
                                       Transaction    (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)          Securities       Form:        Nature of
                        2.             Code           ---------------------------- Beneficially     Direct (D)   Indirect
1.                      Transaction    (Instr. 8)                     (A)          Owned at         or Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security       Date                            Amount        or    Price  End of Year      (I)          Ownership
(Instr. 3)              (mm/dd/yy)                                    (D)          (Instr. 3 and 4) (Instr. 4)   (Instr. 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                                                                         40,000           D                         

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                                                                          1,725           I           By employee stock
                                                                                                                  purchase plan
                                                                                                                  trustee
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock            12/31/97**       I               545           A     **       5,571           I           401(k) plan
                                                                                                                  
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Reminder:  Report on a separate line for each class of  securities  beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.

** Transaction listed represents the cumulative shares added, per payroll
withholdings and employer contribution amounts, to the employee's 401(k) 
throughout the year.  The share price for each contribution varies depending 
upon the date of the employee's semi-weekly payroll withholding.




FORM 5 (continued)

Table II -- Derivative  Securities Acquired,  Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)




- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.            2.       3.       4.        5.             6.               7.               8.       9.        10.        11.
Title of      Conver-  Trans-   Trans-    Number of      Date             Title and Amount Price    Number    Owner-     Nature
Derivative    sion or  action   action    Derivative     Exercisable and  of Underlying    of       of deriv- ship       of
Security      Exer-    Date     Code      Securities     Expiration       Securities       Deriv-   ative     Form of    Indirect
(Instr. 3)    cise              (Instr.   Acquired (A)   Date             (Instr. 3 and 4) ative    Secur-    Deriv-     Benefi-
              Price    (Month/  8)        or Disposed                     ---------------- Secur-   ities     ative      cial
              of       Day/               of (D)         (Month/Day/Year) Title    Amount  ity      Bene-     Security:  Owner-
              Deriv-   Year)              (Instr. 3,                               or      (Instr.  ficially  Direct     ship
              ative                       4, and 5)      Date     Expira-          Number  5)       Owned     (D) or     (Instr.4) 
              Secur-                      -------------  Exer-    tion             of               at End    Indirect
              ity                          (A)    (D)    cisable  Date             Shares           of Year   (I)
                                                                                                    (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)           
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee
stock 
options with
tandem with-
holding                                                                    
rights                  
(right to
buy)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee
stock 
options with
tandem with-
holding                                                                    
rights                  
(right to
buy)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Explanation of Responses:

All share ending  balances have been adjusted to reflect a 100% stock dividend
in the form of a stock split.  Payment date on the dividend was August 31, 1997.


/s/ Charles H. O'Reilly, Sr.                        2/13/98
- -----------------------------------------------------------
**Signature of Reporting Person                  Date


**  Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute  Federal Criminal
    Violations.  See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
      If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information  contained
in this form are not  required to respond  unless the form  displays a currently
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