Long-Lewis Automotive Group
Long-Lewis Automotive Group (originally Long-Lewis Hardware Company, later Long-Lewis Ford Lincoln) is a Ford automobile dealership located at 2551 John Hawkins Parkway in Hoover.
The company was founded by William J. Long in Bessemer and sold a wide variety of goods, including safety razors. In 1911, Bessemer merchants held a raffle for a Ford automobile. The winner, a farmer who did not want the car, sold it to Long, who used it to advertise his hardware business. In 1915 Henry Ford granted one of the first Ford franchises to Long-Lewis. Ford automobiles were first sold from the hardware store at 430 9th Street North. In 1921 a two-story addition was added to the hardware store for the Ford dealership.
In 1929 the company completed a new Long-Lewis Hardware Co. building on a combined 12 parcels in Smith Park, forming the southwest corner of 5th Avenue North and 9th Street. The limestone-trimmed brick building was expanded with additional warehouse space. It has since been redeveloped as Hardware Park.
Long-Lewis later moved its Ford dealership to its hardware location at 2014 2nd Avenue North in Bessemer. In 1965, the automobile dealership moved to 4200 Bessemer Super Highway. The Bessemer hardware department closed in 1982. Long-time general manager Vaughn Burrell bought Long's interest in the company in 1986.
Burrell brought Todd Ouellette on as a partner in the business as it expanded to Muscle Shoals. They moved the Bessemer dealership to a new 84,000 square foot location on U.S. Highway 150 in Hoover in 1999. The former location became Long-Lewis Sterling Western Star, dealing in large trucks. Long-Lewis was granted a Lincoln dealership in 2009. Todd became the sole owner of the Long-Lewis Automotive Group in 2020. He later brought on Allen Vines, Christopher Ouellette and Joe Burrell as partners.
The dealership used a cartoon rebel colonel in their commercials, which ended with his catchphrase, "Ya'll come back now, y'heah." The cartoon rebel is still displayed on the windows of the Bessemer Super Highway location, which has since been converted into a tractor and equipment dealer.
In 2022 Long-Lewis acquired the former Ernest McCarty Ford dealership in Alabaster, along with its associated Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center in Calera. The dealership was converted to a used car lot with a service-only agreement with the Ford Motor Co.
Dealerships
- Long-Lewis Ford/Lincoln of Hoover, 2551 John Hawkins Parkway
- Long-Lewis Tractor & Equipment, 4200 Bessemer Super Highway
- Long-Lewis Ford/Lincoln of the Shoals, Muscle Shoals
- Long-Lewis Volkswagen/Mitsubishi of the Shoals, Florence
- Long-Lewis of the River Region, Prattville
- Long-Lewis Ford/Honda of Selma, Selma
References
- Thornton, William (September 14, 2022) "Long-Lewis Automotive Group acquires Ernest McCarty Ford." The Birmingham News
External links
- Long-Lewis Auto Group history on longlewis.com