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.
| Year | Manufacturer | Individual | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Chrysler | |||
| 1968 | Dodge | Kenneth O. Wilson | Baltimore, MD |
| 1968 | Todd Cochran and Roy Knight | San Francisco | |
| 1968 | Don Thomas | Newark, NJ | |
| 1968 | Arthur Bailey | Brooklyn, NY | |
| 1963 | Plymouth | Ed Davis | Detroit |
Ford Motor Company | |||
| 1936 | Ford | Dan Gaines | Chicago |
| 1967 | Bob Nelson and Ernie Banks | Chicago | |
| 1967 | A. Gordon Wright | Venice, CA | |
| 1969 | Lincoln Mercury | Dan Brown a} (see notes below) | New Rochelle, NY |
| 1969 | Leslie Bland | Chicago | |
General Motors | |||
| 1969 | Chevrolet | Ed Frazier | Tuskegee, AL. |
| 1970 | Buick | Joseph Wilson and Maurice McIntosh | Washington, DC |
| 1924 | Oldsmobile | Homer B. Roberts b} | Kansas City, MO |
| 1967 | Al Johnson | Chicago | |
| 1968 | Pontiac | Adam McFadden | Los Angeles |
| 1971 | Cadillac | Al Johnson | Chicago |
| 1989 | Saturn | Tony March c} | Hartford, CT |
| 1991 | Cornelius Martin d} | Clive, IA | |
| 2005 | Hummer | Norma Ross | Centerville, OH |
Other Manufacturers | |||
| 1989 | Acura | Greg Baranco | Morrow, GA |
| 1969 | American Motors | Van Vassall | Germantown, PA |
| 1966 | Fiat | C. G. Hairston | Danville, VA |
| 2-1979 | Honda | Bob Neal | Chicago |
| 3-1979 | Porterfield and Barbara Wilson | Detroit | |
| 1923 | Hupmobile | Homer B. Roberts | Kansas City, MO. |
| 1999 | Infiniti | Ellenae Henry-Fairhurst | Huntsville, AL |
| 1976 | Jaguar | Bob Neal | Chicago |
| 1999 | Lexus | Ed Fitzpatrick | Modesto, CA |
| 1999 | Mazda | Jim Mitchell d} | Winchester VA |
| 1979 | Mercedes-Benz | Bob Ross | Centerville, OH |
| 1961 | MG | Bob Nelson | Chicago |
| 1963 | Nissan/Datsun | Percy Washington | Keyport, NJ |
| 1962 | Peugeot | Bob Nelson | Chicago |
| 1940 | Studebacker | Ed Davis | Detroit, MI |
| 1967 | Toyota | Bob Neal | Chicago |
| 1962 | Triumph | Bob Neal | Chicago |
| 1970 | Volvo | C. G. Hairston | 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.