Edward Davis (car dealer) facts for kids

Edward Davis (born February 27, 1911 – died May 3, 1999) was an important American businessman. He became famous as a successful car dealer. He was also the first African American person to be honored in the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Meet Edward Davis

His Early Life

Edward Davis was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1911. When he was about 10 years old, his family moved to the Detroit area in 1921. He went to school and graduated from Cass Technical High School.

Building a Car Business

After finishing high school, Edward Davis started his first business. He opened a car wash. Later, he found success working in sales at a local Dodge car dealership.

In 1938, he decided to open his own business again. This time, it was a lot where he sold used cars. Just two years later, in 1940, he became a dealer for new Studebaker cars. This was a big step for him.

However, the Studebaker car company faced money problems in the 1950s. Because of this, Edward Davis had to close his Studebaker dealership in 1956. But he didn't give up! In 1963, he opened a new dealership. This one sold Chrysler and Plymouth cars. He ran this successful business until 1971.

From Car Sales to City Transit

After retiring from selling cars, Edward Davis took on a new challenge. The mayor of Detroit, Roman Gribbs, asked him to become the general manager of the city's public transportation system. This meant he helped manage buses and other ways people traveled around Detroit.

During this time, he also wrote a book about his life. It was called One Man's Way. The book was published in 1979.

A Special Honor

In 1996, Edward Davis received a very special award. He became the first African American person to be welcomed into the Automotive Hall of Fame. This honor recognized his important contributions to the car industry.