Jim Skinner
James H. Skinner, Sr (born 1920 in Michigan - died August 4, 2007) was the founder and owner of Jim Skinner Ford in Huffman, one of the state's oldest family-owned automobile dealerships. He was best known in the Birmingham area for the long-running series of gimmicky television commercials starring himself and his sons in which they repeatedly promised to "beat your best deal, regardless." He also owned Jim Skinner Honda in Dothan.
Skinner served as an Air Force major during World War II and later flew commercial planes for Trans World Airlines. After moving to Birmingham he got his start in auto sales with O. Z. Hall Ford in the early 1950s. He invested in a network of partnerships with other car dealers. He sold his shares in 1958 in order to open his own Ford dealership in Ensley.
Beginning in the 1960s Skinner became known for poking fun at himself in a long-running series of self-produced television commercials. In 1974 he moved the business to Parkway East from Ensley. The series of TV commercials was re-launched in the 1980s with his two sons, Jimmy and Bobby. Skinner typically inserted a reference to "Momma" in his banter with the boys, referring to his wife, Edna, who died in 2001.
On March 20, 2003 Skinner recieved the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Birmingham Automobile Dealers Association, a group which he helped to found. He died in August 2007 at the age of 87. He was survived by four children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
References
- "Jim Skinner dies." (August 4, 2007) Birmingham News.
- "Car dealership owner Skinner dies." (August 4, 2007) Dothan Eagle.
External links
- Jim Skinner Ford commercial on YouTube.com