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History Any member of your family ever worked the new or used car business during the '65 and earlier era?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, Oct 11, 2019.

  1. My granddad, on my fathers side was a part owner in Hampton Motors in Columbia, South Carolina when I was just a kid and unfortunately died when I was 8 years old, on the other hand my uncle, Harold White had a used car lot here in Anderson, South Carolina.

    I remember Harold's slogan was, "Cleanest used cars in town", and they were, recently I was talking to a old friend that his dad owned a lot close by called Trader Wades and he told me people would come by his dad's lot wanting to sell a car and he would say. that's too nice for me ,"That's a Harold White's car".

    I remember my cousin Steve having the nicest '57 Chevy in the high school parking lot in the late 60's and it was mint.

    My dad wouldn't buy a car from anyone but Uncle Harold.

    I'm at work now but I have a couple of give away promotional items they passed out, I will post photo's later. HRP
     
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  2. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    Having a family member in the used car business, and admitting it are two different things!
     
  3. theboss20
    Joined: Dec 30, 2018
    Posts: 274

    theboss20

    My Dad started selling for a Chevrolet Dealer in 1954 just before the great years of 55,56 and 57. He started as the used car manager, then new car manager and eventually part owner. As a 16 year old I knew the dealership and all the employees...it was great fun for a car guy like me.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  4. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,605

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yes... I do.
    My brother-in-law... married my youngest sister. His family has had new car dealerships for years. I will tell you who he is, but he's a dark-complected and handsome...
    Asshole.
    Big Man on Campus kind of guy.
    My niece bought a used car from him. Turned out to be a lemon. She asked if he would take the car back... possibly exchange it for another.
    He said...
    Sorry, can't do anything for you.
    My wife bought a new F-150 pickup. She got it from a dealership pretty far from us because her girlfriend worked there and helped with the deal. The engine went bad and I had difficulty getting the dealership to honor the warranty. I asked my brother-in-law for advice. The only time I ever ask him for anything.
    His concern?...
    That we hadn't bought the truck from him.
    No advice. No help. Told me he'd call me back but didn't.
    Don't feel bad for bringing up a sore subject with me, Danny.
    It's okay.
    I feel kind of bad for him.
    Poor clueless asshole.
    LOL.

    Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  5. Rex_A_Lott
    Joined: Feb 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,148

    Rex_A_Lott
    Member

    My grandpa on Daddy's side died 10 years before I was ever born. When I was small my Granny re-married and her new husband worked part time as a salesman at a place you probably know. It was in Anderson, the guy that owned it was named Wade Ashley. I remember going by there a few times, but I dont remember a lot about it. Wade had a son, I cant remember his name right now, but I remember he had a GTX, and there werent a lot of those around, even then.
    My favorite place to eat was a little place down the street called Mary's, I loved their hamburgers.
    Granny also lived in Iva for a little while, before they moved to Anderson. Funny you posted on that other thread about going there this weekend. I was more impressed with Starr, they had a place that made house trailers, and I got to take a tour inside there once. It was pretty impressive to a little kid.
    Thanks for the memory jog.
     
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  6. Wade Ashley was called Trader Wade, he passed away a few years ago, His Son is Steve Ashley, Ashley Motors was right down the street from my uncles place.

    Starr is basically like your area, kind of a wide place in the road and Iva ain't a whole lot bigger, BTW, the trailer manufacturing place has been gone for many years. HRP
     
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  7. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,198

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    Sold American Motors products in San Diego in 1961. Quite frankly, it was easy money for short hours. In fact, if anybody out there with a decent Rambler American convertible is interested in selling, PM me.
     
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  8. Davies Motors?
     
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  9. arkiehotrods
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 6,803

    arkiehotrods
    Member

    My Granny's brother Walt owned a Dodge dealership in Beckley, WV for many years. My dad worked for him for a few years after WWII. I had a used shop coat as well as a new, never used shop coat from his dealership with very large embroidered MoPar patch on back, with Duncan-Catron Motor Company embroidered around the patch. Unfortunately, they were stolen along with some other things in the early 80s
    DuncanCatrona.JPG DuncanCatronc.JPG DuncanCatronb.JPG DuncanCatron.JPG
     
  10. Current and past - so what - didn't everybody ?
     
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  11. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,198

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    JR Townsend at State & A street. Davies was on Broadway and 14th. Townsend also had a lot on El Cajon west of the Carnation at 30th.
     
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  12. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,709

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    Nope. Both sides of my family were farmers. My paternal Grandpa never owned a car or even learned how to drive, he died in 1976 at 65. Maternal Grandpa farmed and worked at a sawmill. He died in 1956 at 45. My old man did work at a factory that made car parts though.
     
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  13. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    My mother's brother-in-law, who was also my dad's first cousin, sold new and used cars for Nye Chevrolet, in Athens, Ohio back in the mid '50's up into the early '60's. Later on he briefly sold cars for Taylor Chevrolet, in Lancaster, Ohio.
     
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  14. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    I was lot boy at our Dodge dealer for 2 months in 1963. The salesmen were the most foul mouthed, dirty minded, loose moraled, cheatingest bastards I've ever been around.
     
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  15. Flathead Dave
    Joined: Mar 21, 2014
    Posts: 3,959

    Flathead Dave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from So. Cal.

    Why? I sold new and used cars in the mid 70's.
    I don't see anything wrong with it.
    I worked at Warren Anderson Ford in Riverside, CA. and Corona Dodge in Corona, Ca. 1974 to 1976 while also working at McDonald's.
     
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  16. brad2v
    Joined: Jun 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,652

    brad2v
    Member

    I've been a parts guy in various car dealerships for 30 years. The above statement remains accurate.
     
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  17. I am related to the Metzger of electric cars, motor cars and the EMF company.
    My grandfather and father had a vehicle repossession company just before I was born.
     
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  18. Rex_A_Lott
    Joined: Feb 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,148

    Rex_A_Lott
    Member

    Before he had the used car place (or maybe at the same time?) Wade was the promoter at Laurens Speedway. This was back when the Sportsman cars were V-8's, the Hobbies were 6 cylinders, and the Cadets or Rookies, I cant remember. The '55 Chevys and '54-'56 Fords were what most everybody was running, Chevy II's, Falcons and such hadnt started being used yet.
     
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  19. 28dreyer
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 1,166

    28dreyer
    Member
    from Minnesota

    In Minneapolis in those days, Lake Street was full of used car dealers.

    There was also a used plumbing store named Carr’s,

    We called it “Honest Carr, Used John Dealer.
     
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  20. JWL115C
    Joined: Jan 28, 2010
    Posts: 286

    JWL115C
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My father was the Packard dealer in Santa Fe, N. Mex. from 1929 to 1954. After Packard he sold Hudsons and had an International service franchise finally finishing up his automotive career as owner and operator of an independent garage. He retired in the late 1960s making more income renting his buildings than he could running a business in them. JWL
     
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  21. Townsend had an ad jingle on the radio that went like:
    "JR Townsend Companyyyyyy
    New and used cars all three corners State and Beeeeeee"

    I remember them being a Studebaker dealer in San Diego and then later Lincoln-Mercury in Mission Valley but I never knew that they had a connection with the AMC.
     
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  22. 3W JOHN
    Joined: Oct 8, 2015
    Posts: 1,156

    3W JOHN
    Member

    My dad worked at Baker Auto in the 1930's. I think that was in Salt lake City.
     
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  23. alphabet soup
    Joined: Jan 8, 2011
    Posts: 2,017

    alphabet soup
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My uncle went to work at a Chrysler dealer in Baltimore right from high school in 1965. When the dealership was sold he went with them. He retired in 2015. 50 years! He still does all his own work on his and his son's race car. And some side work too!!
     
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  24. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,025

    19Fordy
    Member

    Any sales folks here have the experience of actually selling a 1960's muscle car to a customer who
    sat down and picked all the high performance options available? For example: A 426 Dodge with all the speed
    options the manufacturer or dealer options offered.
     
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  25. My late uncle Frank worked as a salesman for Stamford Studebaker. Around 1960. I actually worked there on Saturdays helping out and cleaning. I was only 14 and was paid $5. for Saturday 8 to 12. Note: My uncle Frank was the best!
     
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  26. paul philliup
    Joined: Oct 3, 2013
    Posts: 213

    paul philliup
    Member
    from ohio

    My dad worked for a Chevrolet Dealer in Columbus Ohio in the early 50's . Chrysler Corporation Dodge Division recruited him to be a dealer representative in 1952 the year I was born. In 1968 he bought into a Chrysler/ Plymouth/ Dodge- AMC - Jeep Dealership which he had until 1980.
     

    Attached Files:

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  27. paul philliup
    Joined: Oct 3, 2013
    Posts: 213

    paul philliup
    Member
    from ohio

    Yes I did from 1970 to 1975 working as parts manager my dad would have me come to the sales office to talk to people ordering a new performance car.
     
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  28. I finally located the key chain from my uncle's used car lot.

    White Motor Sales .HRP

    keychaines001.jpg
     
  29. 0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Joined: Nov 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,782

    0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Member

    When my Dad came back from Korea in late 1954 he tried his hand at being a car salesman at a Chevy dealership in Milwaukee selling new 55's. He decided being a cabinet maker was a better choice, He also shook his head in amasement at the amount of money people paid me in the 1990's and early 2000's to restore a tri five chevy. Brand new 55 hardtops where selling for less than 3 grand and yet I was charging 3 grand for paint and materials alone in 1998 and a frame off could run forty thousand and higher.
     
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  30. BuckeyeBuicks
    Joined: Jan 4, 2010
    Posts: 2,705

    BuckeyeBuicks
    Member
    from ohio

    My Mom's brother. my uncle Clark was a Ford dealer mechanic from the 30's up until the mid 50's when he opened his own garage/ Sohio gas station/ wrecker business/ used car lot. I remember a lot of the cars he had on the car lot, the ones that stick in my mind are a 55 Buick 2door with a 3 on the tree, a 53 Olds 98 convert, a 57 Ford convert with 2X4s and a Cadillac Eldorado. My older cousin turned wrenches at a Buick-Pontiac dealer in about 61 and 62 until the shop foreman screwed him out of pay on a bunch of 50/50 jobs and he had to take him out in the back alley.
     
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