North Tama graduate and Wilson Automotive CEO David Wilson, second from right, celebrates his dealerships collectively selling its 1.5 millionth vehicle. SUBMITTED PHOTO

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – On Saturday, March 16, 2024, Traer native David Wilson’s Wilson Automotive celebrated a huge milestone by selling its 1.5 millionth automobile. It was almost exactly seven years ago that the company sold its millionth.

It’s been an interesting journey for Wilson, a farm boy from Traer, Iowa who graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Philosophy and once considered being a minister.

He started out in the car business working nights and weekends changing oil, lube, and filters at a local car dealership to help pay his way through school. He became a car salesman after forgetting to replace the plug in the oil pan of a telephone company van, ruining its engine. His laborer’s wages couldn’t cover the damages; so he switched to sales to make up the difference – also making a life-altering career decision.

Wilson’s first dealership was Toyota of Orange, which he purchased in 1985. Today the organization is comprised of 16 successful dealerships throughout Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. The company employs more than 2,100 talented associates and generates over $3 billion in revenue annually.

The 1.5 million vehicles represented by this milestone have been sold by all the Wilson dealerships and represent six manufacturers: Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Ford, and Mazda. Wilson Automotive is currently ranked by Automotive News as the 11th-largest dealer group and the fourth-largest privately held dealer group in the nation.

“Our achievement of selling 1.5 million vehicles reflects our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional experiences for our customers,” Wilson said. “We are grateful for the support of our loyal customers and the dedication of our hardworking team members who have made this milestone possible.”

Based upon recent calculations, having sold 1.5 million cars indicates that a Wilson Automotive dealership has sold a new or used vehicle every 13 minutes, 365 days a year, for the past 39 years.