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Old ford dealerships

J

juniur

Member
This topic came up in conversation the other day.
The ford dealership that my father worked at from
the mid 70's till early 80's sold fords complete line.
They sold cars, light trucks, medium duty trucks,
farm tractors, implements, lawn mowers, etc. My
question is where there other dealerships that sold
both tractors and automobiles or is that rare?
 
I would have to say that would be very unusual. The car and truck franchises would be part of the Ford car operation and the Tractor franchise would have been issued by Harry Ferguson in the N days and then Ford Tractor Division. At any rate in the late 50's when I worked for Ford Tractor in Dealer Relations I can recall only one, it was in Albuquerque.
 
The small town in SE Nebraska that I grew up outside of had a Ford card dealership (Kastens), and a separate Ford tractor dealership (Stubbendick), later Ford/New Holland, now I think they sell all kind of stuff that isn't Red or Green. My family has always been IH/Case for implements and Ford for trucks/cars. Funny, that the grand daughters of all of those dealers, Ford cars, tractors, and Case, all were in my graduating class and so was the bankers daughter and my dad never forced me to marry any of them.
 
The one that I am talking about was in south eastern va. The last owner of that dealership is still in business at a different location as a ford car dealer. Dad recalled that ford had put a lot of pressure on the owner in the 80's to separate the lines into 2 dealers. He ultimately had to give up the tractors when several of the mechanics left to start what is now our business.
 
The dealer in my town, east central Nebraska, back in the 50's and 60's sold both vehicles and the farm equipment. I'm not sure when they started both lines, I think the cars and trucks were first. It was separate dealerships by the time I came along in the 70's but I remember my dad talking about having a one stop place for parts back then and that was handy. In fact the 1959 971 I bought a couple of years ago still has the 'Rogers' dealership sticker on the tin below the shifter and steering wheel. Just wish it was in a little better shape but for as old as it is it's not too bad. Greg NE
 
I can think of two. One was in Ryan Iowa where my Dad bought his first tractor And I believe here in Medford, Wisconsin which is now called Medford motors'
 
(quoted from post at 16:31:56 11/05/15) I can think of two. One was in Ryan Iowa where my Dad bought his first tractor And I believe here in Medford, Wisconsin which is now called Medford motors'
Click to expand...

Yup, I know that place. Lived in Medford till '91 before moving to Tennessee.
 
My grandfather and Dad ran a combination Car and Tractor dealership in What Cheer Iowa until 1974. They sold cars, pickups,and farm implements. I'm not sure when my grandfather started, but he sold the N's and the last tractor he sold was a 601 gas that my Dad bought and my older brother now has today.
 
It was common for dealers to sell both in the teens and twenties, there is a dealer in New Jersey that started selling both in the twenties and still sells both today down the street from each other and a dealer in PA still sells both today a couple miles away from each other but not sure when they started. Old Henry wanted it but the next generation did not, a story was told that if a car dealer wanted more cars he had to take some Fordsons also, even if there were no farmers around, so that is why so many Fordsons were sold with industrial hard rubber tires for city and warehouse use.
 
I called on two dealers that sold both tractors and cars when I worked for Ford tractor in the early seventies. One was in Auburn Maine and the other was in Dushore Pa.
 
In this area there were 2 distinct Ford dealerships, circa, lets say the 1930's, from information I have uncovered. One was a favor to someone high up at the Green Island Ford radiator plant. That one sold automobiles, the building still exists and was owned recently by a friend, I did a bunch of renovations there for their company. The other was our former ford tractor dealership, that by 1947 expanded and serviced close to a 50 mile radius, given records and even old public bid results I have found. By 1947, it was expanded into a very large shop and it carried a full line of tractors and implements until the mid to late 70's. I think the implement line was reduced sometime prior to our involvement as much of them would have to be ordered, hay implements were prevalent, we did well in '72 with that line. I've never seen or heard of the 2 combined locally, but that just speaks for this area.
 
Nice, not far from me. I graduated in 1996. I live in Lincoln most of the time now and Austin, TX part time due to my job.
 
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