MR. ED TUTWILER IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND REVERED CADILLAC DEALERS IN AMERICA. HE OWNED AND OPERATED A BEAUTIFUL NEW CADILLAC PALACE ON NORTH MERIDIAN STREET IN INDIANAPOLIS BY THE NAME OF ED TUTWILER CADILLAC.
TO GET A JOB HERE AS A SALESMAN, SOMEONE HAD TO DIE OR RETIRE ON THE PRESENT SALES STAFF. IN ORDER TO BE HIRED BACK THEN, YOU HAD TO BE APPROVED PERSONALLY BY THE ENTIRE SALES STAFF WHO WERE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY, POLISHED GENTLEMEN, REFLECTING THE PROFESSIONAL IMAGE OF CADILLAC SALES PEOPLE. I HAD KNOWN ALL OF THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I HAD PURCHASED TWO NEW CADILLACS OF MY OWN AND HAD THEM SERVICED AT TUTWILER.
MR. TUTWILER HIMSELF APPROACHED ME AND SAID, YOU MUST REALLY LOVE CADILLACS. YOU HAVE HAD TWO NEW ONES THAT YOU BRING HERE FOR SERVICE. I UNDERSTAND FROM MR. HOWARD HAUSER, OWNER OF OAKLANDON SALES, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN THEIR TOP CHEVROLET PONTIAC PRODUCER FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND SEEM TO SPECIALIZE IN CLIENT DEVELOPMENT AND AWARD WINNING PRODUCT PRESENTATIONS. YOU ARE ALSO CHEVROLET’S MAN OF THE YEAR FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS ZONE. TOUGH TO DO IN A DUAL DEALERSHIP.
HE SAID, I AM TELLING YOU THAT ONE OF OUR SALES STAFF HAS SUCCUMBED TO CANCER. RAY MOXLEY IS A FRIEND OF YOURS AND CONSIDERING A WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT. CARL FARNSWORTH, OUR SALES MANAGER, IS ALSO CONSIDERING RETIREMENT. YOU HAVE A FAN FROM CADILLAC MOTOR CAR DIVISION, MR. CLIFFORD C. WAGNER. I HAVE GOT DESK DRAWERS FULL OF APPLICATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME HERE TO SELL CADILLACS. WE WANT ONE PERSON – YOU. IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU.
I WENT TO WORK FOR THEM AND HAD TWO OFFICES. ONE IN THE OLD BUILDING AND ONE IN THE NEW SHOWROOM. DID I MENTION THAT ADJOINING THE SHOWROOM WAS AN INDOOR DISPLAY AREA WITH GREEN CARPETS AND HEATED TO SHOWCASE 40 NEW CADILLACS STANDING TALL FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN THE SNOWFALL IN INDIANA . . . REMEMBER THE BLIZZARD OF 1978?
I ORDERED A BRAND NEW 1970 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE WITH FACTORY AIR AND 60/40 DIVIDED SEATS. YOU COULDN’T GET AS MANY CADILLACS AS YOU WANTED. YOU HAD TO EARN THEM BY YOUR SALES RATE OF WHICH TUTWILER WAS ON TOP JUST AHEAD OF CLEVERLY CADILLAC ON KEYSTONE. I WANTED RED. RED CADILLAC CONVERTIBLES WERE SOLD OUT FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
I GOT COTILLION WHITE, WHITE LEATHER, RED CARPETS AND DASH. THAT’S MY DAUGHTER THERESA ON THE HOOD OF MY CADILLAC AT HOME (NO HOOD ORNAMENT BACK THEN) . NOTE K OF C FRONT LICENSE PLATE. YOU WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO BUY ONE NEW CADILLAC A YEAR AT INVOICE. THEY WERE ALL SOLD AT LIST PRICE BACK THEN.
I HAD SELECTED AS MY DEMONSTRATOR A BYZANTINE GOLD CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE WITH A WHITE HALO TOP AND GORGEOUS GOLD BROCADE INTERIOR. THAT LACQUER WAS POLISHED TO PERFECTION INCLUDING DOOR JAMS AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MRS. TUTWILER SAID, I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND BUT I LOVE THE WAY YOU TAKE CARE OF A CADILLAC. I WANT TO TAKE THAT CAR TO OUR WINTER HOME IN BOCA ROTAN FLORIDA. WE REMAINED GOOD FRIENDS FOR YEARS. NATURALLY ANY TRAINED SEAL CAN SELL A TITLED CURRENT YEAR CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE WHEN THERE AREN’T ANY AVAILABLE AND I SOLD IT.
