Lifelong Chattooga County resident Brimp Warren was born May 8, 1924 on the family farm near Berryton. Brimp was one of six children and never spent a night away from home until he entered the Armed Forces in February 1943.
Brimp and his wife, Clara, have been married since 1947. They have two children, Cindy and Matt, and several grandchildren.
"The first car I ever bought was a 1936 Ford coupe. I bought it from Bob Smithson, and it was also the first car I ever sold. I didn't keep it long."
After the war, Brimp worked for Frank Prince for six years. In 1954, he drove to Detroit, bought two used cars, brought them back to Summerville, and sold them. For the next two years, he continued driving to Detroit, picking out used cars, and selling them back home.
In October 1956, Fred Aldred asked him to come work for him as the sales manager at his Ford dealership on South Commerce Street in Summerville (where BB&T bank is now located). Soon, Aldred sold the dealership to a man from Lafayette, and Brimp and a partner decided to buy the Ford dealership in Rockmart. The partners kept it for two years before selling out.
Meanwhile, the Summerville Ford dealer moved from South Commerce Street to East Washington Street in the building formerly occupied by a Pontiac dealer. The business lanquished with changing ownership until Brimp purchased it in September 1960. He remained at this location until moving in September 1968 to a new facility on North Commerce Street across Highway 27 from Marvin Avenue.
Opening day in September 1968 saw the lot full of new 1969 model year Fords.
A 1969 Torino, Mustang, and LTD await customers in the new showroom, decorated with flowers for the occasion.
A reverse angle from the previous shot.
Brimp Warren stands with his favorite car, the Ford LTD.
Brimp Warren (left) with Sales Manager Hobson Cavin (center) and salesman Hansel Baker.
Brimp Warren stands with the office staff which included, from left to right, Anita Johnston, Glenda Surles, and unidentified.
Good friends Mr. and Mrs. Austin Scoggins visited at the grand opening of the new location. Mr. Scoggins was a former employer.
The Service Department included, from left to right, G.T. Myers, Frank Bearden, Buddy Dunn, Wayne Shipman, James Smithson, Josh Hudgins, Bill Blackwell, Howard Pollard, and Mamon Price. That's a 1965 Chevrolet on the lift behind the men.
Brimp Warren became Summerville's Ford dealer in 1960 and remained in that role until selling his business in 1986. In an interview, he stated that owning a business left little time for hobbies or other interests. Many a Sunday afternoon would find him mopping the showroom and cleaning up the shop.
Chattooga High School student Faye Mattis takes the keys to her new 1970 Ford Maverick from Brimp Warren Ford's sales manager, Hobson Cavin, in this photograph taken in Fall 1969.
A picture taken in August 1972 shows several Ford Pintos lined up in front of the dealership on North Commerce Street.
Brimp Warren shared many memories of the car business on a visit to his home in October 2013. Two Fords were parked in his driveway.
A souvenir of Mr. Warren's business greets visitors to his home.
Photographs by T. Emmett Nunn (except the last two). Courtesy of Chattooga County Library. Some details of car dealerships in the county came from Robert Baker's book, Chattooga: The Story of A County And Its People.