When Lloyd McCabe called his automotive dealership “Reliable” Ford, it is doubtful he had any idea just how apt that name would prove to be for the company he built here.
Lloyd’s grandson, Greg, threw a party for the dealership at the south end of Fergus on Saturday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the dealership and association with the company Henry Ford built.
McCabe had a car representative of each decade the company was in business, as well as a Ford race car that intrigued and attracted a large number of people, young and old.
When Lloyd McCabe handed over the business, Greg’s dad, John, took it on.
Greg McCabe said he and his staff were planning the party for about a month, and workers were busy answering phones. He offered inexpensive oil changes, a barbecue, birthday cake, and musical entertainment to a steady stream of well wishers and those curious about the cars, old and new. Out back, the Grand River Mustangs girls hockey team was washing cars as a fundraiser.
Inside the showroom, McCabe had on display an immaculate Model T, Henry Ford’s most innovative idea.
A sign explained that the Model T was the first mass-produced, assembly-line vehicle, and the more of them Ford sold, the lower he set the price. He also raised his workers’ salaries to $5 per day so his employees could afford one, too.
In 1999, the Model T was named the car of the century.
McCabe, who is fully aware of the difficulties some automotive companies have been having, said of his and Ford’s situation, “Sales are very good in the Ford world. It’s obviously a challenge, but things are going very well.”
He said the F150 is the Motor Trend Magazine Truck of the Year, and the 210 Fusion has “everybody raving about it.”
McCabe said the Ford company began its turnaround in 2002, and now is producing cars that are rated above many Asian vehicles.
He pointed to the Ford Flex, and said that when it first came out, he had his doubts about it, because it had a different look from any vehicle of its type on the road.
But, that difference makes it distinctive, something rare in vehicles these days, where many of them appear to be the same. Ford, he said, “dared to be different” and it has paid off.
The company moved to the south of Fergus a few years ago, and the lot is 4.5 acres. He said at peak times, he has 100 new cars and 40 used cars on the lot.
MPP Ted Arnott dropped by at noon to help Greg and his mother, Shirley, cut a birthday cake that was handed out by staff.
