TAMPA, Fla. — In a race that went down to the wire, Brandon Ford in Tampa came up just short of beating out Los Angeles-based Galpin Ford to become the number one volume sales dealer of the year across the country.
- Dealership had record-breaking year
- Epic competition came down to final minutes
- Dealership hopes to contend for No. 1 again in 2019
- More Hillsborough County stories
“It actually came down to the final minutes,” said Tom Murray, Brandon Ford’s marketing manager. “We had all hands on deck. We were slashing prices. It was a lot of fun and an honor to be a part of.”
The fiscal year for Ford dealerships ends at midnight on January 2. Murray said Brandon Ford was up by 575 units going into that day, but somehow Galpin Ford managed to make up that number and ultimately won by 161 units.
“Hats off to them,” he said. “They’ve actually had it for the last 28 years and they just got it for the 29th record year.”
David vs. Goliath
Nearly knocking off Galpin Ford was quite a feat considering Tampa has a population of 385,000 and Los Angeles’ population is 4 million.
“I think we did an awesome job for what we’ve got,” said Brooksye Hall, Brandon Ford’s senior sales manager. “I about cried when I got the email that we didn’t win.”
Hall said they’re able to compete with L.A. because they draw customers from all over Florida with their large selection of cars on the lot, low prices and friendly service.
The most popular vehicle sold at Brandon Ford in 2018 was their F-Series pickup truck.
Murray said they’re still proud to be the number 2 Ford dealer in the United States.
“A record breaking year,” he said. “We actually sold over 7,000 new vehicles.”
Sights set on 2019
Murray congratulated their West Coast rival on Facebook, posting, “Brandon Ford enjoyed 2018’s epic battle of the coasts that came down to the final minutes! From our team to yours: tops down and hats off.”
Galpin Ford’s Vice President, Mike Schwartz, responded, “Appreciate the healthy competition, but more importantly, appreciate the classiness. Let’s do it again in 2019!”
Murray said they’re already focused on trying to take over the title for this next year.
“I don’t know if they’ve ever had a run like that,” he said. “We’re going to after them again for 2019.”