© 2025 WFAE

Mailing Address:
WFAE 90.7
P.O. Box 896890
Charlotte, NC 28289-6890
Tax ID: 56-1803808
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WFAE's HD signals are impaired. Learn more.

The World's Oldest Ford Dealer

As the Ford Motor Co. marks its 100th anniversary, a Ford dealership in central Minnesota is also celebrating its centennial. The Tenvoorde family began selling Fords a century ago, just as Henry Ford started his business. It's now considered the world's oldest Ford dealership. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.

Jack Tenvoorde, 63, the president of Tenvoorde Ford says his grandfather, Stephen, and a friend brought the first automobile to St. Cloud in 1899. It was "the first time people had seen a horseless carriage," Jack Tenvoorde says. It wasn't long before Stephen Tenvoorde was selling cars to local residents.

Eighteen-year-old Eric Dahl will join the service center this summer, marking the fifth generation of the family to work at the dealership. He says he'd love to take over the family business someday, but it's too early to say for sure.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
United States & World Morning Edition