AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEALERS
Listed By Individual Automotive Manufacturer
As was true in developing a chronology of those African-Americans appointed by date, it was also possible to develop a summary of those African-Americans who were the first to be franchised by the individual manufacturers. It is believed the listing below is 98% accurate. As research continues, this information will be up-dated as appropriate.
| Manufacturer | Individual | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrysler | |||
| Dodge | Kenneth O. Wilson | 1968 | Baltimore, MD |
| Todd Cochran and Roy Knight |
1968 | San Francisco | |
| Don Thomas | 1968 | Newark, NJ | |
| Arthur Bailey | 1968 | Brooklyn, NY | |
| Plymouth | Ed Davis | 1963 | Detroit |
| Ford Motor Company | |||
| Ford | Dan Gaines | 1936 | Chicago |
| Bob Nelson and Ernie Banks |
1967 | Chicago | |
| A. Gordon Wright | 1967 | Venice, CA | |
| Lincoln Mercury |
Dan Brown a} (see notes below) |
1969 | New Rochelle, NY |
| Leslie Bland | 1969 | Chicago | |
| General Motors | |||
| Chevrolet | Ed Frazier | 1969 | Tuskegee, AL. |
| Buick | Joseph Wilson and Maurice McIntosh | 1970 | Washington, DC |
| Oldsmobile | Homer B. Roberts b} | 1924 | Kansas City, MO |
| Al Johnson | 1967 | Chicago | |
| Pontiac | Adam McFadden | 1968 | Los Angeles |
| Cadillac | Al Johnson | 1971 | Chicago |
| Saturn | Tony March c} | 1989 | Hartford, CT |
| Cornelius Martin d} | 1991 | Clive, IA | |
| Hummer | Norma Ross | 2005 | Centerville, OH |
| Other Manufacturers | |||
| Acura | Greg Baranco | 1989 | Morrow, GA |
| American Motors | Van Vassall | 1969 | Germantown, PA |
| Fiat | C. G. Hairston | 1966 | Danville, VA |
| Honda | Bob Neal | 2-1979 | Chicago |
| Porterfield and Barbara Wilson |
3-1979 | Detroit | |
| Hupmobile | Homer B. Roberts | 1923 | Kansas City, MO. |
| Infiniti | Ellenae Henry-Fairhurst | 1999 | Huntsville, AL |
| Jaguar | Bob Neal | 1976 | Chicago |
| Lexus | Ed Fitzpatrick | 1999 | Modesto, CA |
| Mazda | Jim Mitchell d} | 1999 | Winchester VA |
| Mercedes-Benz | Bob Ross | 1979 | Centerville, OH |
| MG | Bob Nelson | 1961 | Chicago |
| Nissan/Datsun | Percy Washington | 1963 | Keyport, NJ |
| Peugeot | Bob Nelson | 1962 | Chicago |
| Studebacker | Ed Davis | 1940 | Detroit, MI |
| Toyota | Bob Neal | 1967 | Chicago |
| Triumph | Bob Neal | 1962 | Chicago |
| Volvo | C. G. Hairston | 1970 | Danville, Va. |
NOTES
a} 20% ownership – dealer principle
b} Appointed a "distributor" in 1924
c} Dual-retail
d} Exclusive
Sources: Based on research conducted by Rusty Restuccia beginning in 1995. Primary sources were the individual minority dealer associations, newspaper and magazine articles.
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