The Roanoker - March/April 2021 - 98
then & now
Magic City Ford
M
agic City Ford is a household name in Roanoke
and an icon that harkens back to 1938, when
Harry Johnson opened the dealership on Salem
Avenue, selling new and used Ford vehicles. Four
generations of the Johnson family have operated
the automobile business since then, with Cameron Johnson, Harry
Johnson's great grandson, now chairman and CEO.
The dealership has expanded into a four-location operation over
the past 83 years. In 1964, it moved to Williamson Road, at a site
pictured here in this 1968 photograph.
Four decades later, the dealership purchased a neighboring
hotel for a $4 million expansion. Magic City Ford continued to
grow in 2008 with the addition of a Friendly Lincoln franchise in
Salem.
About seven years later, it acquired Rockbridge Ford in
Lexington, Virginia, and in 2018, it added two non-Ford brands
- Chevrolet Buick GMC and Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM
dealerships, both in Covington, Virginia.
The business, now Magic City Auto Group, still operates its
main headquarters at 809 Williamson Road.
Harry Johnson's son, Harry Johnson Jr., and grandson, Bill
Johnson, each ran Magic City Ford until Cameron Johnson
became president in 2011. In 2016, Cameron Johnson became
chairman and CEO after buying out several family members'
shares of the company. At 99 years old, Harry Johnson, Jr. still
lives in the Roanoke area.
" The majority of Roanoke knows the nickname the Star City,
but what many don't perhaps remember or know is that Roanoke's
other original nickname was the 'Magic City,' " said Cameron
Johnson. " I hope we're thought of as a good community servant
to the charities we've been able to support, the team members
we've been able to maintain, and while continuing to grow. That's
certainly how we want to be thought of in the community - as a
partner. " I
JENNY KINCAID BOONE is a Roanoke-based freelance writer and former business journalist. She is a Roanoke College and Northwestern University graduate who is passionate
about exercise and chai latte.
98 MARCH/APRIL 2021
TheRoanoker.com
JULIANNE RAINONE JACOB / ARCHIVAL IMAGE COURTESY OF THE VIRGINIA ROOM, ROANOKE PUBLIC LIBRARIES
written by Jenny K. Boone One well-known local business celebrates four generations of family ownership.
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - March/April 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - March/April 2021
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