Jim Burke Automotive Group
The Jim Burke Automotive Group was founded by Jim Burke in 1945 as a Nash dealership located at 300 22nd Street South. He had previously owned a Ford dealership in Rochester, New York. The company was incorporated in 1947.
Burke sold his 25,000-square foot Nash showroom to William Bailey when he landed a Buick franchise in 1952. He built a new showroom north of downtown, beginning a series of expansions that was continued by his son, Jim Burke Jr, who took over the company in 1976.
The downtown cluster of dealerships grew into what became known as the Jim Burke Downtown Auto Mall on lots owned by the company and leased from the Phoenix Building Company. By 2007 the group was comprised of 13 dealerships in 5 locations and employed over 385 people. The group's headquarters were at 1301 5th Avenue North. The CEO was Mark Livings.
In 2020 a group of current and former employees filed a racial discrimination complaint against the dealership with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Hallmark ACQ LLC of Franklin, Tennessee purchased the business, and also acquired all the Auto Mall parcels in early 2024 for $18.2 million. They rebranded the dealerships as the Hallmark Automotive Group.
Locations
- Jim Burke Jaguar/Subaru/Isuzu/Saab, 2415 7th Avenue South, Birmingham
- Jim Burke Hyundai, 2505 Ensley Avenue, Ensley
- Jim Burke Pontiac/Buick/GMC, 1301 5th Avenue North, Birmingham
- Jim Burke Nissan, 1300 3rd Avenue North, Birmingham
- Jim Burke Chevrolet/Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, 1409 5th Avenue North, Birmingham
Former locations
- Jim Burke Jaguar/Saab, 2415 7th Avenue South, Birmingham
- Jim Burke Nash, 300 22nd Street South, Birmingham (1945-1952)
References
- "Jim Burke sells Nash dealership, to open agency on Northside" (September 1952) The Birmingham News - via Birmingham Rewound
- "Jim Burke Automotive Group." (January 2007) Birmingham Then & Now Special Promotion. Birmingham magazine. Vol. 47, No. 1, p. 141
- Thornton, William (October 20, 2020) "Jim Burke Automotive Group employees say executive discriminated, used racial slurs." The Birmingham News
- Stettheimer, Samuel (May 21, 2024) "Birmingham dealership sells for $18.2 million." Birmingham Business Journal
External links
- Jim Burke Automotive Group website