Connecting Rod Ch. 10

I nodded. That might work. "Let me talk to Stumpy, Ted. I'll give you a call. In the meantime, why don't you sound out the guy in Boise and see if he'd be interested."

"Done," he smiled. He seemed relieved that I wasn't about to abandon his best station.

A couple of days later, we got some bad news. Nissan had already made an agreement in principle to set up a dealership in Bellingham with the current re-seller. But Kenny Hayashi hadn't stopped there. He had been talking to Fuji Heavy Industries, and they were about to launch a new brand of all-wheel drive vehicles called Subaru. Our first concern was if Audi would see them as a competitor. Would this be a conflict?

I put Kenny and Jurgen together to work out the details. We needed to know if we could get full factory support for both brands, and would they stand still for competing vehicles in the same dealership. One week later, we had our answer. Both companies were agreeable to granting conditional dealerships, subject to financial stability. The first hurdle was passed.

I sat down with Ray Pollard and let him know what progress had been made.

"Fuji Heavy Industries is huge in Japan, Ray. If they're getting into the car business in North America, it won't be half-way. They've got the resources to make it work. Audi is something similar, but not quite a strong. Fortunately, they have Volkswagen backing. Just the same, I'd like you to join me in meeting the two principles and having a look at their product."

"Fine. Where do we have to go?" he asked.

"Seattle. I'm setting up a meeting with the Subaru people and they'll provide a car for us to drive and test. I haven't got a confirmation from Volkswagen about the Audi, but it shouldn't be too long in coming."

"Great. I think we should take a technical person with us, and Taylor as well."

"Kenny Hayashi is my tech guy and he's a qualified engineer. This is an all-wheel drive car and I want to make sure we aren't getting in over our heads on servicing it."

"Fine. Why don't we take my old '56 Packard Executive. It needs a good run and it's plenty big enough for the four of us. Won't get any noses out of joint either," he grinned.

"Great idea. I'll get Kenny to arrange the meeting and let you know. By the way, I've never met Mr. McLaren. I guess I'd better go introduce myself."

I phoned Taylor McLaren and made an appointment to meet with him the following afternoon. If we were going to be partners, it made sense to get to know him better.

I waited a few minutes in the outer office until Taylor McLaren's secretary showed me into his office. I was surprised to see Ray Pollard already in there. I hadn't expected that. Mr. McLaren rose and came around the desk to greet me, his hand extended. We shook and I sat in a chair near Ray.

"I asked Ray to join us because I think it's important that if we're going to be in a partnership, we all know what each of us is thinking. I apologize that I haven't introduced myself sooner, Rod. I am very impressed with what you have accomplished in a very short period of time. I'm also impressed at the confidence you have in Brian Davies. I'm afraid I totally misread that young man. I let appearances dictate my feelings," he admitted.

"I almost made the same mistake," I grinned. "Luckily, I needed someone and quickly. He showed me he could do the work, so I took a chance."

"If I could just get him to dress a little more like a businessman," he laughed.

"Why don't you let Shannon look after that? I think she has more power over him than any of us." I was still smiling as Taylor McLaren admitted he was warming to Duke.

"Ray tells me you have a conditional agreement from two manufacturers. He feels they are responsible and won't leave us hung out to dry for parts and technical support."

I nodded. "That's the way it looks so far. I'll make sure my two "experts" go over the cars with a fine-toothed comb before we sign anything. Both companies want to break into the North American market, and the west is the strongest opportunity for foreign makes."

We spent the next hour and a half working out the framework for the partnership. Taylor volunteered the services of his legal firm for the contracts.

The Subaru passed the inspection and road-test without any problem. It wasn't a very big car, but the all-wheel drive and the flat-opposed engine gave it some unique features that would help sell it. Fuji, for their part, was rock-solid in backing this car. They had no intention of just sticking their toes in the water in the U.S.A. They had big plans, and we were just a starting point.

Three months later, we received a visit from the Los Angeles based Volkswagen-Audi representative. He had brought a new Audi 100 featuring the newest option, a three speed automatic. Another feature that would help sell the car. The fit and finish on the car were very good, just as we expected.

It seemed fitting that the first test-drive was given to Jurgen and he surprised the rep with a very aggressive run down Chuckanut Drive. Kenny and Taylor were a little more sedate and I think the guy was greatly relieved. In any event, we were pleased with the car and we signed our representation agreement as drafted.

So, looking back on it, that's how Williams Automotive was born. It all happened so fast that I don't think any of us had time to ponder what might have happened if we didn't make it work. We were too busy making it work!

August 12, 1989

I was sitting with my back to the picnic table, relaxing as I nursed a beer. It had been a long afternoon and early evening as we celebrated the summer with our family and staff at the annual picnic. It had been a perfect day, not too hot, but lots of sunshine. I lost count of how many kids were at this year's event, but easily more than thirty. After all, it was all about the kids and families.

My grandchildren would be coming to this picnic some day in the not too distant future. Frank would be off to college in a few days, starting his second year at U. W. while Kelly would be entering her senior year of high school. They've grown up so quickly, I thought. They're making their mother and me old. At least Shelly doesn't show it. I would be fifty next year. The graying hair was proof. To me, Shelly looked more like thirty-five than forty-five.

Frank reminded me of me. Girls were part of his life, but not a very big part. He was a serious student with goals in his mind that he placed in front of other distractions. Unlike his father however, he wasn't going to be very handy with a monkey wrench. On the other hand, he knew how to organize and delegate and convince people to follow him. That was a gift from his grandmother.

Kelly was completely different. A good student, she had been attached at the hip to Sammi Numminen almost since birth. Big Mike's son was just as big and just as blonde and just as blue-eyed as he was. Kelly and Sammi were born two weeks apart and they might have been brother and sister they way they were brought up. But somewhere along the line, friendship was turning into love and their future seemed inevitable.

I was three to five years away from stepping back and letting the next generation run Williams Automotive. The dealerships, the leasing and rental company, the service stations, the SCCA sedan race teams. They all required attention and it was good to see that we had the right people in place to manage each of them.

Jurgen had retired and turned the reigns of the Audi dealership over to Tommy "Turncoat" Nakano. Tommy got the nickname from Kenny Hayashi when he decided he liked Audi better than he liked Subaru. Kenny was not impressed. But Kenny had his own responsibilities; Vice President of Operations, Williams Automotive Group. Four dealerships, the field service operations, fleet truck services, and vehicle rentals. It took an overachiever like Kenny to handle all that.

Mike Numminen was in charge of the SCCA team, W2 Racing. We had four cars in two separate classes: two Nissan Skylines and two Audi Sport Quattros. Mike had found his passion and he thrived in it. He was far too big to fit into the cars, but he was anxiously awaiting vintage sports car racing in the Northwest. He was already race-prepping a '67 Shelby GT 350 with every known legal modification, and some that were questionable. His wife, Sarah, could only shake her head in mock disgust as he poured his soul into the white and blue money pit.

Duke and Shannon Davies had brought their brood along; their oldest, Brianna, was sweet sixteen, while "Mac" McLaren's pride and joy, Taylor, had just turned twelve. Any time you name your only son after your father-in-law, you are bound to win "brownie points." Duke ran all the service operations. He oversaw field and fleet maintenance as well as service training at the dealerships. Naturally, he was "Big Mike's" technical consultant on the Shelby.

Mom and Jurgen had left a little early. Now in their seventies, they didn't have the staying power they used to have, but they were both still relatively healthy and we are grateful for that. They will have been married twenty years this Christmas. After losing Dad, I was very happy that she had found a man to be with in her later years. They had a quiet passion about them, but it was a passion. They lived in a lovely bungalow up on the South hill, overlooking the bay. It was perfect for them.

Stumpy Jorgensen had passed away earlier this year. It didn't seem quite like the usual picnic without him. I was going to miss the little, round man. He had been an integral part of Williams Automotive and its success.

Ray Pollard was living in an assisted-care home in San Diego, but I still heard from him now and then. He never failed to thank me for reviving the old dealership and making his last years in business happy and successful ones.

Ted Reynolds was retired and living in Arizona. He sent his regrets, but Molly was suffering from severe arthritis and getting around was become a big chore. Shelly and I missed them, but we would be down there later this coming winter and would visit with them then.

I guess I must have closed my eyes for a few moments while I reminisced. I sensed her scent before I felt her presence. I'm sure I must have smiled, even with my eyes closed. She always had that effect on me. Twenty years had slipped by so quickly. So much had happened and yet, there was so much more for us to come. I opened my eyes just as I felt her soft lips on mine.

"What are you dreaming of, lover?"

"You. All the good times. Our friends. Our family."

"Yeah. That's where the smile came from. My cowboy is happy."

"Yeah. Your cowboy is happy," I agreed.

Shelly sat beside me with arm around my back and her head on my shoulder.''

"It's been a great day, Roddy. Time to go home. We can have a nice shower and then we can play," she whispered seductively.

"I like the sound of that. Is everything cleaned up?"

"Yes. It's all looked after. Nothing for you to worry about until next year," she laughed.

We walked slowly to the car, putting the big cooler in the trunk and preparing to drive the five minutes to home. Our big house in the old town was waiting for us and our children. But they weren't children any more. We were going to be on our own in the next year and I wondered how we would handle it. One thing for certain, we would handle it together.

The End

As always, my thanks to Erik Thread for his helpful and patient editing skills. Any errors are mine alone.