Huffines Auto Dealerships, one of North Texas’ largest automotive groups with 10 Dallas/Fort Worth-area dealerships, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Founded on May 5, 1924, by J.L. Huffines Sr., the family-owned and -operated business has grown across a century, continuously embodying the principles of treating customers with respect and actively supporting the local community.
This year, the Texas Historical Commission recognized Huffines with the coveted Texas Treasure Business Award in honor of its century of dedication to staff, customers and North Texas. The award, created by the Texas Senate in 2005, pays tribute to the state’s well-established businesses and their exceptional historic contributions to communities across Texas.
When the Huffines Motor Company first opened its doors in Denton, Texas, it sold Willys-Knight and Overland automobiles. Over the years, Huffines Auto Dealerships adapted through economic changes and challenges, including the Great Depression, when J.L. Huffines Sr. famously accepted livestock and farm implements in trade for vehicles.
Following in J.L. Huffines Sr.’s footsteps, J.L. Huffines Jr. became a dealership owner in 1950, at age 27, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. As CEO and president, he grew the Huffines brand tremendously across different locations throughout North Texas and was recognized statewide and nationally as an automotive industry leader.
In 1984, J.L. Jr.’s son, Ray Huffines, became a dealership owner at 31 years of age. He continues to grow the Huffines’ legacy, which now spans 10 dealerships offering Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru and Genesis. The company has more than 900 employees and has been voted one of The Dallas Morning News’ Top Places to Work 11 times. It has received multiple J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence Awards and has been consecutively named Best Automobile Group by Dallas Morning News’ Best in DFW awards.
Representing the fourth generation of Huffineses as a general manager, Sam Huffines continues to implement the family’s founding principles and belief that when you help someone buy a vehicle, you have made a friend for life.
To celebrate the company’s iconic “Huffines HAS IT!” jingle, introduced more than 30 years ago, the Huffines dealerships are taking to the streets to ask area residents to sing the song. For every jingle sung, the company will donate $100 to the singer’s local charity of choice, whether it’s the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Genesis Women’s Shelter, North Texas Food Bank, Salvation Army, Scottish Rite for Children or SPCA of North Texas, as part of its longtime commitment to giving back to the communities it serves.
“For the past 100 years, my family and I have been able to serve North Texas and become a household name to many. Our longevity in this competitive industry reflects the trust and loyalty our customers and the community have placed in us, and we want to thank them for their ongoing support,” says President and CEO Ray Huffines. “Our family legacy started when cars were a new thing, and today, we’re selling high-tech EVs, hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles with features no one would have dreamed of 100 years ago. We can’t wait to see what the next hundred years will bring to this industry, our dealerships and the communities we serve.”
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