Rest In Peace: James O’Connor Former Ford Division President

I talked about Jim on the air a couple of weeks ago when I got the word of his passing. He was a friend and someone I spent hundreds of hours with when I was the Ford National Dealer Council Chairman. I was, in fact, the first one to ever serve two consecutive terms. The Dealer Council asked me to stay for the second term, but it was Jim who convinced me. You see, Jim was a “dealer guy” a rarity in his position. Most in his job simply carried the company view, but Jim had an uncanny way of seeing both sides. That is why I trusted what he told me.

According to an email I got from his two daughters, Jim died September 25 at age 83. He joined Ford in 1964, the same year the Mustang debuted, and his career included serving as CEO of Ford Canada, president of Lincoln-Mercury, and president of the Ford Division before becoming group vice president for North American marketing, sales and service. Those were impressive titles, but what mattered to those of us selling the cars was the man behind them.

Credit: Ford.

Jim understood our business because he had lived it. Automotive News reported that he left Ford in 1970 to become a partner in Kelly Ford near Atlanta, returning to the company in 1973 after the dealership was sold. He knew the factory-dealer relationship from both sides, and that experience became especially valuable when Ford decided it could operate dealerships itself.

The company’s Auto Collection experiment in the late 1990s infuriated dealers, who suddenly found themselves competing with their own manufacturer. Ford eventually sold off that dealership network, but rebuilding trust took more than selling the stores. As I told Automotive News: “It was a terrible time for Ford and the dealers, the worst dealer relations ever. Jim got us through that.”

He did it by acknowledging what had happened. Jim and his sales team traveled the country meeting with dealers, and he was willing to admit the company had made a mistake. That carried enormous weight with people whose livelihoods depended on Ford. “He was always straight with the dealers and always told them the truth,” I told Automotive News. “He just had a way of cutting to the chase. He’d get things done."

He also had a booming voice and a personality to match, although his enthusiasm did not extend to email. As I recalled for Automotive News, his secretary would print his emails, Jim would turn the paper over and write his reply by hand, and she would email it back. Jim found a way to communicate on his terms.

One of my favorite memories involved a trip aboard Ford’s private jet with Jim and then-CEO Jacques Nasser. Jim privately told me he felt he wasn’t being compensated enough and was considering retirement. He suggested I gently mention it to Jacques. When Jim stepped into the bathroom, I did, and Jacques promised to address it immediately. As I told Automotive News, “I got the president of the Ford division a raise, and I’ll always be proud of that.”

Jim affectionately called me “Big Buckle,” a nod to the big belt buckles worn by top Texas rodeo performers. When my council chairmanship ended, he sent me one. That personal touch was pure Jim.

I know Andrew Frick and dealer Jim Seavitt, both quoted in Automotive News’ tribute, and their observations rang true. Andrew described Jim as an advocate for dealers. Jim Seavitt put it beautifully: “He liked his cars, but I think he liked people more.”

When Automotive News asked Jim about his greatest professional accomplishment, he pointed to representing dealers and advocating for the work they did. That says everything about why he earned our respect.

Jim attended the Grand Opening of my Ford dealership in Garland, TX, but the most heartwarming moment for me was when my Mom passed away. As the service was about to start, in walked an entourage of Ford Motor Company executives, six of them as I recall, led by Jim O’Connor. They had all cleared their schedules, reserved one of the company private jets, and attended the service. To say it was a shock to see them is a severe understatement.

Rest in peace, my friend. Thank you for telling us the truth, standing up for us, and remembering that behind every dealership sign were people counting on you.

VIDEO:
FordDirect Launch in 2000, featuring then-Ford National Dealer Council Chairman Jerry Reynolds and Jim O'Conner, then-President of Ford Division and VP of Ford Motor Company.
True Stories From a Former Car Dealer #30: FordDirect→