Gilchrist was originally founded by James Gilchrist in 1927 when he opened a REO Motor Car Company dealership downtown.. In the 1940’s the dealership transitioned to selling Chrysler Plymouth automobiles. In the 1950’s the Gilchrist family added Borgward and Buick. James introduced his son, John Gilchrist Sr. into the automotive industry and John Sr. eventually became the dealer in the 1960’s. Opel was the next brand to be added during this time. John Sr. continued to serve the local Tacoma Community while raising his sons, John Jr. and Gary, into the industry. By late 1980’s the Gilchrist family had stepped away from all of the brands except Buick. John Sr. decided to grow from being just a Buick dealership to adding the Chevrolet franchise in 1988. In 1991 John Sr. passed the legacy along once again to his sons, John Jr. and Gary. In 2009 the Gilchrist family decided to grow the brand again and added GMC to the mix. After years of working in the dealership John’s daughter Stephanie and Gary’s son Nick have begun to transition the dealership into the fourth generation of Gilchrist’s. In the 90+ years of serving the local community, the Gilchrist family has been able to keep the dealership within the family and help countless other families get reliable vehicles at a great price.
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