Re: Dick Harrell medallions
Joe,
This is a great topic. If you dont' mind I would like to fill in some blanks about what I know of Dick Harrells dealer related efforts. Dick started with Fred Gibb in the fall of 1967. I don't know, but I bet he left Nickey after deciding to open his own shop. I am not sure if Dick lived in Chicago, or was just an "advisor". (maybe this was what is now call a "consultant" in the business framework) I think he worked with Don Yenko only for sponsorship, and maybe this helped him set up his first shop in East St. Louis during the summer of 1967.
Once he set up his own performance shop, he then maintained a permanent sponsorship from both Fred Gibb, and Ed Fitzgerald, owner of the Courtesy Chevrolet, based in Phoenix. Ed had at least 3 "Courtesy" dealerships in CA; San Diego (still there), Thousand Oaks (still there) and Santa Paula (now Ventura-Paradise Buick).
He visited the Phoenix location monthly during the time from the 1968 season till his death, according to a current employee of Courtesy in AZ. Fred, as we know, helped Dick every way possible as both a sponsor and friend, from when they first met in East St. Louis during the summer of 1967 until his untimely death in 1971. Helen Gibb has clearly stated and told me directly that Dick's association with Fred gave the Fred Gibb dealership the fame and notoriety that has lasted all these years. She recently said that Dick Harrell was the reason Fred and the dealership rose to the top. It also probably didn't hurt that Fred was personal friends with Ed Cole, who was the CEO of General Motors during this era.
At one time I thought Dick must have been sent around by the GM performance group to see that these front line dealers where given the most up to date technical assistance, but now have come to the conclusion that being in the right place at the right time was more like it. Herb Fox met Dick during the summer of 1967 when he got lost going to a baseball game. He just had to get Fred down there to meet this guy!
Does anyone else care to join in with more info. about Dick's relationships with dealers or GM?
|