Earnhardt History

Tex Earnhardt, founder and former CEO of Earnhardt Auto Centers was born on December 9th, 1930. By the time he passed away in 2020, his family business had grown. Today there are many Earnhardt car dealerships in Phoenix AZ. Proudly, this includes Earnhardt Honda dealership in Avondale.

Tex Starts His First Phoenix AZ Car Dealership

As a child, Tex was raised on a ranch in the Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas, establishing his affinity for ranching, agriculture and cowboy culture. In 1951, when he was twenty years old, his family moved to Arizona.

His father Hal Earnhardt, Sr., started a small gas station in downtown Chandler. The service station provided a small income by selling gas and auto parts.

Tex wanted to expand the business by selling new automobiles, but the factories in Detroit weren’t ready to do business with an unknown. They refused to ship to him because he couldn’t pay the expensive transportation costs.

He quickly found a solution. He and a friend drove to Detroit, bought a car from the factory, and drove both vehicles back to Chandler. As soon as he sold his first car, he drove right back to Detroit and purchased the second. He repeated the whole process for months.

Eventually his hard work translated into success when factory officials saw how dedicated and strong his work ethic was. Ford Motor Company awarded Tex his own franchise in September of 1951.

To this date, Tex holds the record for the youngest franchisee in the history of Ford. He was just 21.

Tex Earnhardt of Earnhardt Honda in Avondale AZ

Tex Becomes a Well-Known Phoenix Car Dealer

As his Phoenix AZ car dealership grew, Tex gained a reputation as a well-liked area car dealer and one of Ford's most respected owners.

Lee Iacocca, then a corporate manager, developed a strong relationship with Tex. When Lee accepted the position of CEO for the ailing Chrysler Corporation in the late 70s, he personally flew to Phoenix and asked Tex (and his sons) to become franchise owners.

With his keen intuition and respect for Iacocca, Tex accepted the Chrysler franchise and was soon open for business as a multi-brand Phoenix AZ car dealer. On the heels of those successes, Tex acquired several more car dealerships in Phoenix AZ.

He became widely known for his great deals as the cowboy car dealer who rode a bull in his commercials. The trademark slogan "that ain't no bull" was the ultimate truth in advertising. After all, the "bull" he rode in the commercials was really a steer.

The Family Expands its Phoenix AZ Car Dealership Business

Sons Hal and Jim Babe Earnhardt eventually joined Tex at his car dealerships. Later, his grandsons, Dodge, Derby, and Bull joined the family business.

Then and now, the Earnhardt family believes in a hands-on approach. As such, they are regularly at their car dealerships in Phoenix AZ. They personally oversee operations just as Tex did.

One of the nation's largest privately held automotive empires, Earnhardt Auto Centers is the most recognized Southwest auto dealer group. It currently includes more than 15 brands, more than 17 Phoenix AZ car dealerships and numerous related car service and repair shops.

Serving the needs of the car buying public, EAC inventory includes many certified pre owned vehicles and other used cars. Each dealership has a dedicated auto parts team. Plus they offer competitive car loans, even for those with poor credit.

More than 2,000 people work at their dealerships and service centers.

Like Tex, the Earnhardt family knows their success isn’t possible without the support of dedicated employees. In hundreds of cases, they have personally lent moral and financial support to employees facing an illness or family tragedy.

Various charities and needy causes benefit from the family’s philanthropy. When Tex passed away, the Earnhardt Family donated to St. Mary's Food Bank, Child Crisis Center and United Food Bank to honor his name. In November of 2020, St Mary’s Food Bank created the Annual Tex Earnhardt Charity Food Drive in honor of Tex and his legacy of giving.

Many employees participate in a company charity program called “No Bull Charities-Employee Contributions”. Individual donations are voluntarily deducted from their monthly paychecks and donated to employee-selected charities on a quarterly basis.

Although times have changed since 1951, what has never changed is the Earnhardt commitment to world class customer service, famous low prices and the best selection of America's most popular vehicles.

Earnhardt -- it's “a name you can trust” …and that ain't no bull!

Give our Honda dealership in Avondale a chance to serve you. Schedule with Earnhardt Honda for service and repair work or take a test drive of your favorite new Honda car truck or SUV..

Follow Earnhardt Auto Centers on social media: @Earnhardt_Auto_Centers on Instagram and EarnhardtAutoCenters on Facebook.


Earnhardt Honda

10151 W Papago Fwy
Avondale, AZ 85323
Driving Directions

Sales 888-907-2288
Service 888-418-9933
Parts 888-719-3322

Monday 8:00AM - 9:00PM
Tuesday 8:00AM - 9:00PM
Wednesday 8:00AM - 9:00PM
Thursday 8:00AM - 9:00PM
Friday 8:00AM - 9:00PM
Saturday 8:00AM - 8:00PM
Sunday 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Monday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Tuesday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Wednesday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Thursday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Friday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Saturday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Sunday Closed
Monday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Tuesday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Wednesday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Thursday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Friday 7:00AM - 7:00PM
Saturday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Sunday Closed

Contact Us