Top-Rated VW Dealer - Started from a Hot Rod Shop! - Ontario Volkswagen
Would you believe Ontario Volkswagen (in Ontario, California) basically started as hot rod shop in the sixties in Pasadena, CA? Or how about that Ontario VW’s General Manager, Earl Reed, got his start in the business washing cars? Yes is the answer to both of those questions. And those humble beginnings help to set this family-run Volkswagen dealership in a class of its when it comes to accolades from their customers and VW alike. Hear the details of this uniquely American story in this iDriveSoCal Podcast.

 
***Transcript***
Recording date – March 29, 2018

Earl Reed: He started with a hot rod shop in the city of Pasadena in 1966 called Sticks Unlimited. In June of 2003, we built and opened up this facility, Ontario Volkswagen, coming into a car dealership doesn't have to be an anxiety-filled transaction. We're really a family-owned and operated business is what we are. Look at the third party review sites. Look at what Yelp customers are saying about us. Look at what Google plus customers, Facebook customers, these are all very valid third party websites that offer customer reviews, unsolicited customer reviews. You really have to experience it.

Tom Smith: Welcome to iDriveSoCal, the podcast all about mobility from the automotive capital of the United States--Southern California. This is a special episode as we welcome our newest partner from the world of automotive retailing, Ontario Volkswagen. Ontario Volkswagen, obviously, located in the Los Angeles suburb of Ontario just off the 15. And with me today is Mr. Earl Reed who is the general manager of Ontario Volkswagen. Earl, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for partnering with the program, and we're so excited to begin working with you.

Earl Reed: Well, thank you. We're really excited to be part of this fast growing podcast community.

Tom Smith: So we were just talking off mic a little bit about how Ontario Volkswagen became, and it's a family-owned and operated store, has been for a long time, but it has a pretty rich history in the automotive culture here in Southern California. So why don't you take us from the beginning?

Earl Reed: Sure, yeah. Mr. Gary Sherman is the owner of Ontario Volkswagen and Ontario Volvo, and he started with a hot rod shop in the city of Pasadena in 1966 called Sticks Unlimited. And from the growth from Sticks Unlimited, he ended up getting a Fiat Peugeot dealership in the city of Pomona. And he triumphed during those days of the late 60s and early 70s. And then I think it was 1973, he acquired a Volvo dealership, Volvo and Fiat dealership, in the city of Pomona. It was called Frank White imports. It was down on Holt Boulevard there for many, many years. From there, Mr. Sherman acquired the Chrysler Plymouth dealership, which was called Montclair Chrysler Plymouth, as well as the Volvo franchise was moved from the city of Pomona to the city of Montclair under the name of exclusively Volvo. Opened up in 1986 on Central Avenue, Central and Holt, in Montclair as exclusively Volvo. And then he added Audi and Porsche in 1991, which was the old George Follmer Porsche and Audi. Then I joined Mr. Sherman in September, August, September of 1992 and, at that time, it was exclusively Volvo and Porsche in that same building in Montclair. So he's been serving the automotive community since 1966 and primarily been in the Inland Empire since [inaudible] tell you late 60s early 70s in the Inland Empire. So in 1995, we acquired the Volkswagen franchise here in the city of Ontario, and we moved Volvo and Porsche over the Ontario auto center in late 1995, early 1996, and we ran it as exclusively Volvo, Porsche and Volkswagen. And subsequently, in June of 2003,