Huffines: Preserving A Reputation Built Over a Century

Ask Huffines General Manager Robert Goodwin how long he’s been with the Huffines Subaru and Kia Dealerships in Corinth, and he’ll be quick to boast that it’ll be 20 years this November. As proud as he is to have served in his role this long, however, Goodwin is understandably busy praising the great family he works for instead. 

After all, Huffines has its own anniversary to celebrate — one that recently surpassed the century mark.

“We’re working on four generations of the Huffines family now,” Goodwin said. Huffines Auto Dealerships started selling cars in Denton in 1924 and celebrated 100 years in business this May. That makes Huffines one of the oldest car dealerships in the nation and easily the oldest in North Texas by a mile. “Honestly, a milestone and reputation like that is practically unheard of in the car business.” 

He added, “What they’ve built is incredible, and it’s our job to further that reputation.” 

The Corinth dealerships, Subaru and Kia, sit side by side and are two of 10 Huffines locations in North Texas. They are also the perfect representation of what the Huffines name means to local consumers — whether they are in the market for a new vehicle, want to keep their existing vehicle working properly, or crave relationships with a team of car professionals they can trust. 

When Goodwin took over as the GM two decades ago, the two Corinth locations had 46 employees. There are now 122. The facilities expanded and moved to their current location in 2019, though Goodwin joked that they are already looking at expanding again.

That story of growth has played out time and again over the years. J.L. Huffines, Sr. opened his first dealership (then known as Huffines Motor Co.) on May 5, 1924, at 116 E. McKinney St. in downtown Denton. By the end of that same year, the dealership had tripled in size. It was eventually renamed Huffines Auto Dealerships, and its reputation for excellence and quality business practices helped it survive debilitating events such as the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II, and even the more recent subprime housing bubble burst of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Today, Huffines is one of the largest auto dealerships in the region, with locations in Corinth, Lewisville, Plano, and McKinney. Being family-owned and operated makes it more and more of a rarity.  After J.L. Huffines, Sr., there was J.L. Huffines, Jr., who died in 2009, followed by current president and CEO Ray Huffines. Ray’s son, Sam, is also now in the family business. 

Per the company’s website, J.L. Huffines, Sr. always believed that he had made a friend for life when he helped someone buy a vehicle. These values were passed from father to son to grandson. Even though Denton and Collin County have grown up since 1924, Huffines is still the dealership where you will experience small-town friendliness and a commitment to exceeding customer expectations. 

“Anyone who works for the Huffines organization is blessed to do so for many reasons,” Goodwin said. “Most dealerships today are corporate-owned and don’t have the same values and reputation we do as a family business. That’s one of the reasons why you see a lot of longevity — people work here for 20, 30, and sometimes 40 years. That translates to the customer, who is always cared for by someone with a lot of experience. We’re always going to do the right thing for our customers.” 

And that goes for the next 100 years, too.