Tex Earnhardt celebrates 65 years in the automobile business

Tex Earnhardt, one of the most recognized personalities in the Southwest, celebrates his 65th anniversary in the automobile business Sunday.

Earnhardt, 85, the founder of Earnhardt Auto Centers, grew up in southern Texas. Before moving to Arizona and getting into the automobile business, he was a professional rodeo cowboy, a career that was fun, but shy on financial rewards.

In 1951, when he was 20 years old, Earnhardt joined his family in moving to Arizona. He started a gas station in Chandler, and soon expanded to selling auto parts, eventually opening a new Ford dealership. The original dealership started one car at a time — literally. Earnhardt could afford to stock only one car. The dealership didn’t pick another car to display until the first car sold.

Throughout the years, both the dealership’s and Earnhardt’s persona grew. He became widely known for his great deals and as the cowboy car dealer who rode a bull. His trademark slogan, “That ain’t no bull,” was the ultimate truth in advertising. The “bull” he rode in the commercials was really a steer.

Earnhardt’s sons, Hal and Jim Babe, eventually joined him in the business, as did several of his grandchildren. Today the Earnhardt family is at the helm of the Southwest’s largest automotive empire, a business that now has nearly 4,000 employees. From its humble beginnings in 1951 of selling one to two vehicles a month, the organization now sells more than 48,000 vehicles a year.

The Earnhardt automobile organization, which now has two new Las Vegas locations, sells 18 automobile brands — Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Toyota, Scion and Volkswagen.

Being committed to excellence is one of the reasons for the extraordinary success of Earnhardt Auto Centers. Earnhardt’s favorite tongue-in-cheek maxim always has been, “Being second is being the first loser.” Many of the Earnhardt automobile franchises are No. 1 in retail sales and/or customer satisfaction at the national, regional or state level. In a world where many of the largest automotive groups are owned by big business, the Earnhardt organization is one of the few holdouts, which has remained family-owned and -operated since 1951.

When asked what he attributes his success to, Earnhardt said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

The Earnhardts have demonstrated over a long time that they can build a business in an industry that has its ups and downs. Ever humble, Earnhardt and his family credit much of their success to their top-notch managers and hardworking employees.

What does the future hold for Earnhardt Auto Centers?

According to Earnhardt, “We will continue to expand, no question. There are many opportunities in the automotive industry right now, and the key to our continued success is flexibility.

“In the 65 years that we have been in such a business with its many ups and downs, we have weathered the storms by continuing to think big and by spending to get and keep customers and employees. We pay the best, advertise the most, stay open the longest, and we promise and deliver the No. 1 customer experience … and that ain’t no bull!”