Written and photographed by Christina Santee
 Vintage photos and art from The Morgan County Citizen archives

More than a half-century ago, the Ford Motor Co., pulled the regrettable Edsel off the U.S. market.
Around the same time, the American car manufacturer gave consumers the Econoline van, the T-bird and the Galaxie — all successful models that gave Ford Motor Co. the fuel it needed to become one of the biggest car makers and employers in the world.

Fifty years ago last week, Madison got its own successful Ford venture — Youngblood Motor Co.  Jack Youngblood jump-started the business in 1961. He worked hard to make a go of the venture. “He worked hard for us so he could leave something for his kids,” said his son, Scott Youngblood, who was seven years old when the dealership was established.

The family-owned Youngblood Motor Co., 1600 Athens Hwy, in Madison celebrated its 50th year in business Wednesday, June 15, with a party at the Ford dealership.

An honorary plaque and pin were presented to the family by a representative of Ford Motor Co., Don Conroy, regional manager, Atlanta Region Sales.

“It’s memorable, it’s unique, it’s very special,” Conroy said of the 50-year achievement. “We don’t have dealers that turn 50 every day. What’s so unique about this particular dealership is that it’s been owned by the same family. It means a lot to us at Ford.”

Owned by brothers Scott Youngblood, 57, and Todd Youngblood, 48, the dealership has made it its mission to provide excellent service to friends and family (aka customers) since they took ownership in 1995.

Though the founding patriarch passed away in 2005, Scott is certain his father would be proud of the progress Youngblood Motor Co. makes each day.

“He started with nothing; and all he knew was hard work, whether it was here or at the farm, that was just the type of person he was. Anyone that knew him around here, knows that.”
Since his brother, Todd, currently has no children, it will be up to Scott whether his 18-year-old son, Evan, takes over the family business. Evan works in the repair garage, but Scott is unsure of his interest in the business. 

“When you look at any part of this country, you’ll find many dealers of this size,” Conroy said, “but not many with the same family from generation to generation like [Youngblood Motors]. What you’ll find is that they’re really a backbone for the Ford Motor Co. Ultimately, as Ford dealers, they’re the ultimate business people.”

As highly active members of the Madison community, the Youngbloods hope to continue running the dealership for as long as time will allow.

“I think it’s nice to get a reward for anything that’s been around that long,” Scott said. “Fifty years is a long time. We’re pretty highly motivated. We like to do a very good job — a very efficient job. We like to have structure and have things to where they work smoothly so when customers come in, things can flow and they can get the information they need to make decisions.”

Printed in the June 23, 2011 edition