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In 1899, Charles F. Kerbeck, patriarch of the Kerbeck family and grandfather of the three Kerbeck brothers who are the present day owners, began bringing his dream of providing quality transportation to the growing Philadelphia-area population. He sold horse-drawn buggies to well-to-do families and when their chauffeurs would bring the buggies in for repair, or to change their configuration from winter to summer or vice versa, Charles F. Kerbeck provided overnight lodging for them. Horse drawn carriages evolved into coaches powered by gasoline engines, which evolved into automobiles. Over 100 years later, the Kerbeck dealerships are among the most prominent and successful in America, with 16 highly successful franchises, 12 different brands and six separate showrooms. It is, unquestionably, one of the great American success stories.
In the early 1920’s, Frank C. Kerbeck continued in his father’s tradition by opening an automobile dealership in Philadelphia. In the early 60’s, as the population spread outside of the city, Kerbeck opened what was at that time a very large showroom on Route 73 in Palmyra, N.J. at the foot of the Tacony Palmyra Bridge, which was known as the “nickel bridge.” He named this new establishment F.C. Kerbeck & Sons and began a unique marketing plan: selling pre-owned Cadillacs exclusively. After Kerbeck passed away in 1968, his wife Jennie along with his eldest son Charles, operated the dealership. Shortly thereafter, Charles’ two younger brothers, George and Frank, joined the business and the company began developing into the mega-dealership of today. In the late 1970s, the Kerbecks foresaw an exciting opportunity and expanded into Atlantic City. They began growing, earning the respect of manufacturers, and were awarded franchises for some of the automobile industry’s leading brands. They became authorized by both import and domestic manufacturers. The Kerbecks were now selling and servicing automobiles from Chevrolet to Rolls Royce. One by one, their vision turned into reality. Aligning themselves with General Motors, they were awarded highly coveted franchises for Cadillac, Chevrolet and Pontiac. Then they earned franchises for Subaru, Mitsubishi, Rolls Royce and Bentley. More recently, Buick and GMC were added to the roster. To meet the increasing demand, another large operation in Pleasantville NJ was added by the Kerbecks. At the dealership in Palmyra N.J. where it all started, luxury car franchises were awarded by Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, Saab and now Aston Martin. On the domestic front, Buick and GMC were added to the pre-owned Cadillac and Lincoln division. Today, the Kerbeck dealerships are among the most successful in America. |
