I have often thought that after over 50 years in the car business I should have kept a diary and turned it into a book. The problem is, I would have to label it fiction as no one would believe what occurred in the early “ rough and tumble years” in the car business. Through it all , way back in the '70s, I formulated how I might operate a dealership if I had the chance. It turned out to be a great learning experience. A few  anecdotes along the way:

1) The guy that held court in the middle of the showroom who got everyone down, would turn around and sell a lot of cars while he got everyone else to sulk.
2) I learned a whole new language from sales meetings.
3) As the sales manager read the local registrations in sales meetings from other competitors, hopefully your prospects name didn’t appear ( go back to #2).
4) With an “Open floor” older salespeople didn’t really have a lot of “cousins” walking in.
5) The porter who stole a new car off the lot wouldn’t be successful trying to trade it at another local dealership.
6) It’s wise for a body shop tech to empty the gas tank first before taking an acetylene torch to the undercarriage (We needed a new body ship anyway).
7) When the dealer takes the whole team to a Lions game, don’t sit next to a fellow employee who decides to throw an empty Crown Royal bottle he smuggled in on the field and stop the game.

Amazing that our store was as successful as it was. Thanks for the memories and thankful that the industry has gotten so much more professional. Proud to still be a part of it