August 6, 2018
www.usedcarnews.com
Oldest Auction Celebrates Eight Decades
Rush - Dated Material
Rawls Auto Auction celebrated a milestone May 15, hosting its 80th anniversary sale. The Leesville, S.C., sale was started 80 years ago by J.M. “Martin” Rawls. “The entrepreneurial spirit my father showed starting this auction and instilled in me motivates us to keep looking forward as we continue to innovate and improve our business,” said Jimmy Rawls, the auction’s current owner and general manager. “As we celebrate this historic occasion with great fanfare, it’s inspiring to see a new generation of young managers at our auction perform with great pride to strengthen our legacy.” Martin Rawls spent his adult life in the car business, irst as a Chev-
rolet salesman and then as a usedcar dealer. Martin Rawls also spent a lot of time around cattle auctions. In 1938, he came up with the idea that an auction could work just as well for cars as it does for cattle. Martin Rawls talked his partner, S.L. “Monty” Montgomery into starting just such a venture and they ran their irst sales in March 1938. The auction started at the dealership. It then moved to a one-lane Quonset hut. It grew to two lanes and then four. Today, Rawls Auto Auction runs seven lanes and ofers full mechanic and reconditioning facilities. Last year, the auction upgraded its Auction Edge Simulcast cameras to
high deinition and renovated the lane looring. National Auto Auction Association Executive Director Frank Hackett said Rawls will always be known as the irst auto auction. “They have a great story from the early days,” Hackett said. “If auctions worked for cows, why not cars?” The irst car sold at the auction was a Ford Model A, he said. “The Rawls family have a lot to be proud of, and the members of NAAA are equally as proud to call Rawls Auction Auction the irst auto auction,’ Hackett said. “Jimmy Rawls should be congratulated on keeping a great tradition alive.” The NAAA is celebrating all of its members the week of Aug. 13 during
National Auto Auction Week. The annual event is an opportunity for NAAA members to connect with their local communities. New this year will be the announcement each day of one of the four auctions receiving the Chapter Auction of the Year Award as inalists for the Auction of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service. The NAAA will also be focusing on safety awareness and accident prevention with the message that auctions are a safe place to work and conduct business. The association ofers an online campaign kit with suggested activities and publicity materials to help plan and promote each auction’s celebration