In Memory Of Hayward Ford

I was very sad to learn that Hayward Ford has shut down. Built in the early 60’s Hayward Ford one of the iconic car dealerships in the Bay Area. In its time it was the Big Leagues, one time one of the top Ford dealerships in the country. And now it’s gone.

My connection to Hayward Ford goes back over 40 years. My older brother, Danny, went to work there as a salesmen in 1964. By the end of the decade he was the sales manager, and was part owner in the mid-70s. I started working there in 1969 when I was 19. I washed cars, did dealer trades and any other odd job they would throw my way. On October 20, 1970 I started work there as a salesman. I was dumber than dumb, but I managed to sell a car on my first day!

To hundreds of Bay Area car salesmen Hayward Ford was the mother ship. It was the place where many learned their trade. It was home for many pros whose abilities still astonish me to this day. It was a place of good times to be savored for a lifetime. It was also a place of incredible stress and long hours. In other words it was a real big-time place to learn and work.

Many of the stories I have told on this blog occurred at Hayward Ford. In those first heady years of my introduction to the world of a Car Man, everything seemed bigger than life, and for the most part it was. There are many stories I have never written about Hayward Ford. Some of these stories I wouldn’t dare tell you; others I will surely tell in time.

In its lifetime Hayward Ford had many owners, but at its soul were two men: Lionel “Sully” Sullivan and Art Brabant. They were the two men who built the facility and set in place the careers of so many people. I believe that much of what I know about selling cars emanated from Sully who taught my brother, who then taught me.

Random memories: For many years Hayward Ford had a huge tower out front about a hundred feet tall with a revolving Ford emblem at the top. In the early 70’s Ford standardized its signage, so the tower had to come down. There was once a huge fountain in front of place. When a salesman was having a bad spell, my brother would gather all the guys around, take him out to the fountain and splash water on him to change his luck!

The service department was in back of the dealership separated from the parts department by the length of a parking lot. The parts guys used to run parts out to the mechanics on these three wheel electric carts. On Saturday mornings we would go into the shop, take the carts off their chargers and race around the huge T-shaped building. Lots of fun!

Hayward Ford was one of few Shelby/Cobra dealers in the United States. I have memories of a gray 1964 A/C Cobra on the showroom floor. Damn I wish I had that car! As a teen my brother let me drive a ’66 GT 350, the first stick shift I ever drove! If you were a performance car nut, Hayward Ford was like going into a candy shop.

I know I speak for many that Hayward Ford is kind of like an automobile shrine, and it seems almost sacrilegious to see it go. But as George Harrison used to sing, “All things must pass. . .”

So here’s to you Hayward Ford! Thank you for giving me a start in my career. Thanks for making me learn and stressing me out to the max. Working for you was like going to a boot camp, but I will always remember you fondly.

One last memory. Late one evening in December 1970 I remember my brother giving me a “wash out” check for $480. (I had received a $300 draw earlier in the month.) It was the most money I had ever had in my hand at one time. I remember that feeling to this day. Thus is the magic that is the car business. I hope you have a similar memory too!


Talk to you later,


David