Thomas Lambert of West Chester, the first African American Chrysler auto dealer in Pennsylvania and owner of
Lambert Auto Body Shop, has retired, writes Bill Rettew for The Daily Local News.
Lambert launched his career in 1967 following his graduation from Morgan State University with a degree in business. He joined Girard Bank’s management program for three years and then partnered with his father in 1970 to open a Chrysler Plymouth dealership in Coatesville.
The dealership’s first two years brought considerable challenges due to the prejudice they encountered.
“The culture of the business world had been designed for us to fail,” said Lambert. “I was disappointed. The corporations did not provide us the loans for capital for cars and building improvements as they did the non-African American dealerships.”
After Lambert brought his concerns to senior leadership in Detroit, the matter was ultimately addressed. Through the many highs and lows that followed, the dealership continued to operate with the support of a dedicated customer base.
With retirement now underway, Lambert shared that he will miss the many relationships he formed with customers over the decades.
Read more about Thomas Lambert retiring after decades of dealing the county’s cars in The Daily Local News.
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A tour of an auto repair shop that fixes classic cars.
