William Packer, one of the first owners of the dealership now known as Brickell Motors, was a member of the “Greatest Generation” that lived through and won World War II. The U.S. auto industry shut down during the war in order to support the wartime manufacturing efforts. Many dealerships didn’t survive, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a source of great pain for most Americans. When Honda began efforts to sell cars in the United States in 1970, Packer had no interest. Even though owning a Honda dealership required very little investment, Packer thought it was his patriotic duty to avoid the brand.
The general manager at the time, Dan Horvath, thought otherwise. He recognized that there could be a market for the fuel-efficient cars and convinced Packer to give him a little space on the lot for Hondas. Horvath was given one parking space to display one car near the front of the parts department, and the rest of the Hondas were relegated to the back lots.
When the 1973 oil crisis hit, the gas-sipping Hondas started to sell. Still not a fan of the brand, Packer purchased the lot across the street from the flagship Pontiac showroom, placed a small trailer on it for the sales staff, and tolerated the sale of Hondas on 8th Street in the coming years.
Today, Brickell Honda sells more than 3,600 Hondas per year – from a dealership that almost wasn’t.
