Classic Chevrolet Earns Award from Chevrolet Motor Division

News                                                                             

For Immediate Release:                                                                               Contact:  Jenny Connally

 June 27, 2011                                                                                                   214-597-0907                                                                                 

Classic Chevrolet Earns Award from Chevrolet Motor Division

Chevrolet Motor Division continues to recognize superior performance and takes great pride in rewarding dealerships for their hard work and dedication. That’s why Chevrolet is proud to announce that Classic Chevrolet has been named the recipient of the 2010 Dealer of the Year Award.  This is an accomplishment reserved for only a select few Chevrolet dealerships and is a symbol of exceptional performance for sales, service and customer satisfaction excellence.  Classic Chevrolet has won this distinguished award every year since its inception in 2001.  Accepting the trophy from Tim Hughes, DFW Zone Manager for Chevrolet, Tom Durant, owner of Classic Chevrolet, addressed his employees, “This award is for all of you because you made it happen.”  Continuing, Mr. Durant remarked, “we appreciate being recognized; it is an honor. But at the end of the day, our customer is our true barometer.  That’s who we need to please. ”

After purchasing a Chevrolet dealership in 1988, Tom Durant and his wife Susan moved the store to Grapevine, Texas in 1992, bringing the small-town way of doing business in the auto industry to the city.  “Our business model has always been to treat our customers not as a one-time profit opportunity, but as a lifetime customer who appreciates being treated fairly.  My legacy will be that if you treat people well and give them a fair deal, they will come back and your store will succeed.”  Classic Chevrolet’s success is undeniable if their trophy case is any indication.   For five consecutive years, Classic Chevrolet has been recognized as the #1 Volume Chevrolet dealer in the nation, easily outselling over 3000 other Chevy dealerships. In fact, Classic Chevrolet’s sales for 2010 we up 17% versus 2009, doubling the national average.

In late 2008, Tom Durant saw opportunity in the wake of the financial crises and purchased two large Chevrolet dealerships in Tampa, Florida and Sugar Land, Texas.  Both of those stores are already ranked in the top 25 of Chevrolet dealers in the country. Don Kerstetter, managing partner of Classic Chevrolet in Sugar Land, and Steve Hurley, managing partner of Stingray Chevrolet in Tampa were both also awarded GM Dealer of Year for 2010.   “To have all three of our big Chevy stores recognized as Dealer of the Year is an accomplishment everyone in the organization is extremely proud of.  It’s a good time to be a Chevrolet dealer right now;” continued Mr. Durant, “our product is world-class, unrivaled by any other domestic or foreign product.  We have not only the most sought after trucks and SUV’s in the market, our market for passenger cars and fuel-efficient cars is exploding.  Chevrolet is at the cutting edge of technology and the Volt is just the beginning as far as electric cars are concerned.  The public is embracing the great American car once again and our future is extremely bright.” 

When asked what a “Dealer of the Year” does for an encore, Durant replied simply, “keep doing what we’re doing; taking care of our customers, and the future will take care of itself.” 

Pictured from left to right: Dave Nottoli- Regional Director - Chevrolet, Tom Durant – Owner Classic Chevrolet, Tim Hughes – DFW Zone Manager - Chevrolet