A Brief History of Smart Motors Toyota

The history of Smart Motors is filled with twists and turns, but the driving principles through every obstacle have been the core values handed down to me from my grandfather O.D. Smart. Commitment to Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Continuous Improvement are our core values and continue to be the guiding light for myself and our entire team at Smart Motors Toyota.

 

Smart Motors first opened its doors in 1908 when O.D. sold his first car, an Apperson Jackrabbit out of his father's livery & grain business in Waukesha, WI while attending Carroll College. He continued to successfully sell cars until, in 1912, O.D. moved Smart Motors to Madison (617 University Avenue), before being involved in a horrific car accident for which he was not expected to survive. Against all odds he pulled through and completed his Mechanical Engineering degree at UW-Madison. Two short years later, the dealership was relocated to 601 University Avenue. In 1929, the Great Depression hit the nation hard, and every car dealership in Madison declared bankruptcy except one...Smart Motors.

 

By 1933 O.D and his team had sold over 9,000 cars and trucks, averaging a car a day in a time where it was unusual to have even two vehicles in a dealer's inventory. In 1939, he expanded the business to include a paint and body department. After the US entered World War II, no automobiles were manufactured for civilians as a way to save metal for the war effort. Doctors with special permits were the only individuals allow to purchase a new vehicle. To make ends meet, O.D. worked nights at the Gisholt Machining Co., and supplemented his income as a Justice of the Peace, performing wedding ceremonies in his home at all hours of the night. Finally, when the war ended in 1945 and automobile production resumed, O.D. sold the first "post-war" vehicle in Madison - the Universal Peace Jeep, by Willys.

 

1953 was a special year as it ushered in a new era for the business and our family as O.D.'s son, F.J. Smart joined the family business and took over the day to day operations. Several years later, in 1957, my grandfather (O.D.) retired after an amazing 49 years in the car business.

The early 60's proved to be great learning years for F.J.. In 1960 the dealership experienced a severe flood totaling out 15 vehicles, and then, in 1964, the City of Madison, looking to expand downtown and make way for what is now Campus Drive, made my father a "fair offer" for the property using Eminent Domain. Believing everything happens for a reason, and always looking for ways to enhance the business, in 1966, my father relocated the dealership to Odana Extension (now Odana Road), where we remain today. The move drastically increased the dealership's size and service capacity and we welcomed Toyota and Volvo to the franchise line-up. My grandfather and founder of Smart Motors (O.D.) passed way in 1966.

 

In 1971, and having grown up in the family business, I had the opportunity to join the family business alongside my father, and in 1975 my brother Brian Smart, decided to join us as well. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's we continued to grow and work on the family business by expanding our campus along Odana Road to include a separate Used Car facility in 1987, a separate Toyota showroom and sales facility in 1989, and remodeling the Volvo showroom and adding nine service bays to our service center in 1992.

 

As the twenty-first century approached, we had big plans on the horizon. It started quickly in 2003 with the addition of the Scion franchise to the new vehicle line-up, followed by celebrating our 40th anniversary as a Toyota dealer in 2006. This was also the year we sold off the Volvo franchise - marking the first ever franchise we sold, instead of outlasting - all in preparation for a new Toyota facility. Then, on December 19, 2006, our father F.J. passed away, after only being able to see on paper the plans for our grand new facility, which was completed in December 2007.

2008 marked our 100th Anniversary, and the kick-off of our Centennial Celebration! We started with an employee appreciation party for our staff and family, followed by an evening entertaining dignitaries from Toyota, local business owners and contractors who made the new facility come to life, and culminating with a week-long public grand opening celebration. We even hosted five community events throughout the area as a "thank you" for supporting our business for the past 100 years. It was a very special time in our company's history - certainly a once in a lifetime milestone, but we certainly were not done.

 

In 2010 we earned the title of Wisconsin's #1 Volume Toyota dealer - a title we have retained ever since - as well as receiving the prestigious President's Cabinet Award from Toyota Motor sales - an award bestowed to only the top 1% of Toyota dealers nationwide for superior customer service and sales volume. As our sales and service business expanded, so has our body shop operations, and between 2010 and 2013 we purchased Ball Body Shop, (May 2010) totally renovated the facility and opened a NOVUS auto glass repair and replacement franchise, extending the scope of the services to our customers and families throughout southern Wisconsin. And in 2016, we celebrated 50 incredible years as a Toyota dealer.

 

From building relocations and new facilities to 27 different vehicle franchises and industry awards, our core values have remained the same; Commitment to Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Continuous Improvement. We are grateful for our incredible staff and surrounding communities who have supported our business over the years, and we invite you to experience why generations of families choose Smart Motors.

 

J.R. Smart
President/CEO