Don Mealey’s 50th Anniversary
by Kevin Fritz
In 1974, a 39-year-old Don Mealey moved with his wife and their sons from Maryland to buy and operate a Chevy dealership in Orlando, which he christened Don Mealey Chevrolet. Don’s legacy in Central Florida had begun.
Celebrating 50 years in the business, the patriarch of what grew into a family-owned and operated car dealership empire simply wishes to give thanks.
“I want to say thank you to the millions of customers and to the thousands of past and present employees and business partners over the years,” Don says. “They have all had some part in our success.”
The locally owned and managed operation is recognizing its golden anniversary through television spots and social media posts with that same message of gratitude. Long-time Central Florida residents might recognize the original Don Mealey Chevrolet classic jingle in the ads that played on radio stations for years in the early days.
“Fifty years later and people still come up to me singing that jingle,” says Don with a laugh.
Those visiting any of the family’s local dealerships will also be welcomed by a special commemorative anniversary decal on the entry doors.
When Don arrived in Central Florida in the ‘70s, there was one other Chevrolet dealership in town. At the time, one in four cars sold in the United States was a Chevrolet. Don’s dealership was located on West Colonial Drive and the average price of a car was about $4,000.
The area was growing, but it was also struggling through a post-Disney slump due to overbuilding.
Revving the Engine
“At first, we lost money,” he recalls. “Then in February 1978, we made $500, and I threw a party. Since then, we have never had a losing month.”
In 1980, Don began opening a family of dealerships, beginning with Mealey Smith Isuzu, followed by Mealey Clark Chrysler in 1981. Next came a line of Don Mealey-branded locations: Mitsubishi (1983), Acura (1985), Hyundai of Central Florida (1986), Kia of Orlando (1988), and Infiniti (1989). From 1991-93, he opened World Chevrolet, Don Mealey Oldsmobile, and Don Mealey Cadillac.
Don also branched out across the country, selling cars from Tallahassee and Burlington, North Carolina, to Dallas, Texas, and Pasadena, California. By the time he was 63, he had amassed 14 dealerships – 10 as an owner and four with partners. In 1998, he sold those dealerships to AutoNation to pursue a different path.
Three years later, Don was in the thick of things again, accruing another 14 dealerships including Nissan/Infiniti and Chrysler/Dodge. He became part of a 41-acre auto mall in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. One of his partners at the time was Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who got involved as a minority partner in a Porsche franchise. Once again, Don sold those dealerships to AutoNation.
But Don was still not finished with the car business. In 2007, he launched his third iteration of dealerships beginning with Don Mealey Sport Mazda and culminating with Sport Mazda North in Longwood in 2020. The Sport moniker is a nod to a dealership Don managed when he lived in Maryland – Sports Chevrolet.
Don’s empire today consists of six dealerships, all managed by his sons and family members.
Don’s son Jay manages Sport Mazda South, Sport Mazda North, Sport Subaru South, and Sport Mitsubishi, the latter with nephew Troy Mealey. The eldest son, Kevin, manages Don Mealey Chevrolet in Clermont with daughter Jennie Mealey. Son Robert, who was five years old when the Mealey family moved to Orlando, operates Sport Subaru and West Orlando Powersports & Marine. Don’s other son Mark is a pilot who flies corporate jets. Their mother and Don’s wife, Janet, lost her battle with cancer 12 years ago.
Don, who you can still find working at his dealerships, continues to make good on the promise he made to his customers 50 years ago.
Says Don, “Our original commitment of a better car-buying experience has never changed.”