Cecil Clark Chevrolet celebrating 50th anniversary
Cecil Clark and employees open doors in 1972.

Cecil Clark and workforce open up doorways in 1972.

LEESBURG — It was 1972 and President Richard Nixon would earn re-election in a landslide.

Five gentlemen had been arrested in a split-in at the Watergate resort, however the value of that would come out afterwards.

“The Godfather” was the No. 1 film.

And Cecil Clark Chevrolet opened its doors for small business in Leesburg.

Now, the dealership is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is opening its doors for a party Thursday.

The party is planned from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Readers can discover the dealership by recognizing the big American flag traveling in entrance of its small business, at 8843 U.S. 441.

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Cecil Clark got the rights to open up a dealership the really hard way — by functioning his way up the ranks in other dealerships. When Normal Motors presented him a probability to open a Chevy dealership in Leesburg, he jumped at it, transferring his spouse, Jackie, son Greg and his sister, Cindy, from Charleston, South Carolina.

Jackie and Cecil Clark celebrate 25th anniversary of dealership in 1997.

Jackie and Cecil Clark rejoice 25th anniversary of dealership in 1997.

A normal, he started out as a 19-year-previous World War II Navy vet as a traveling home furniture salesman. When an Alabama automobile vendor read that he marketed much more than everyone else, he employed him in 1947.

“I appreciate automobiles and trucks. I was usually intrigued in what makes an motor purr, what makes it tick,” he said in an Orlando Sentinel job interview in 1985.

Clark acquired an outdated orange grove for the web-site on U.S. Highway 441 and picked the oranges to pay out for his to start with parts stock, according to a dealership push launch.

A 1974 ad for Cecil Clark as shown in the Daily Commercial.

A 1974 advertisement for Cecil Clark as revealed in the Day-to-day Commercial.

Clark, a chief in the community and a deacon at First Baptist Church, died in 2004.

“He just beloved people today and men and women liked him,” said his daughter, Cindy.

His son, Greg, took above the dealership, and Cindy opened her possess dealership for a time in Wildwood.

Right now, Cecil’s grandson, Joseph Clark, is the income supervisor of Cecil Clark Chevrolet.

Factors have unquestionably changed over the years.

Inflation has amplified 594.97% according to Inflationtool.com.

The average expense of a new dwelling was $30,500, in accordance to 1970sflashback.com, and gasoline was 36 cents for each gallon.

Cecil Clark shown with a car.

Cecil Clark demonstrated with a car or truck.

Individuals could purchase a new Chevy pickup for $2,796, Joseph Clark stated.

Persons can however get a new Chevy pickup, but the price tag has altered with the situations. Today’s models, loaded with electronics from bumper to bumper and gizmos old-timers by no means even considered of, array from $38,670 to $83,345.

This write-up at first appeared on Each day Commercial: Cecil Clark Chevrolet in Leesburg hosting occasion for its 50th anniversary

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