The saga began in 1847 when Wesley Hare started building chevy dealers ct, carriages and buggies out of his log cabin in Noblesville, Indiana. His primary market was the steady stream of Americans heading west to California to pan for gold. All his vehicles came with a one-year warranty on his axles, wheels, and springs.

Hare’s business was booming. Within a short time, he added 45 employees and accumulated a small fortune.

Shortly after the Civil War ended in 1865, Hare’s son E.M. took over the business, and the company officially became W. Hare & Son. Operations moved into a four-story building complete with an elevator, a rare commodity for the time. Eventually the business churned out about 700 buggies annually.

Around the turn of the century, however, E.M. realized that the “horseless carriage” might have a future. Against the advice of his employees, Hare signed contracts with Hupmobile, Studebaker and Cadillac to sell a few of these motorized buggies. By 1912, these automobiles comprised most of his business.

Eventually six generations of Hares would manage the milford chevrolet. Each manager had his or her own unique challenges of business. For example, during the Great Depression, the dealer had to rely on its towing service to plump up the bottom line. When manufacturers ceased all car production in the course of World War II, Hare had no cars to sell for three and a half years. Lube jobs and tune-ups filled within the gap.

Today, visitors to the Hare showroom can view a bit in the company’s history. The walls display a 90-foot long mural depicting the journey. Plus, the showroom also houses two Hare buggies built in the 1870′s.

The present managers, Courtney Cole and Monica Peck, who are the great-great-great granddaughters of Wesley Hare, have to keep up with existing marketing trends. Currently Hare offers 50 service stalls, a photo booth for online ads, and about 1000 new Chevrolets in its sales great deal. They sell about 300 cars per month and employ 150 people.

Indiana Auto Dealer Listed As Oldest In USA is a post from: WiredWriter