Megadealer Dies in Motorcycle Crash

Cornelius Martin, founder and president of the Martin Management Group, one of the nation’s largest minority-owned automotive dealership firms, died Saturday when a pickup truck swerved into an oncoming lane and collided with his motorcycle on U.S. 79 in Logan County, KY.

Also killed was Alton Mitchell II, who was riding on a separate motorcycle. Charles W. Leachman, 61, another rider, was listed in critical condition at the Vanderbilt University Hospital trauma center in Nashville, TN.

A fourth rider was not hurt. All four motorcyclists were wearing helmets.

Martin, 57, began his automotive career in 1968 washing cars at a General Motors Corp. dealership in Ohio. Nine years later, he worked out a deal with Bob Shannon, a Dayton, OH-area Buick dealer to work as a service technician provided Shannon would help him buy a dealership someday.

Martin bought his first dealership in 1985, an Oldsmobile-Cadillac dealership in Bowling Green, KY.

He turned that dealership into one of the nation’s largest dealer groups, ranking 86th on this year’s Ward’s Megadealer 100, with $386 million in total revenue.

Cornelius Martin

Martin’s 15 dealerships, located in Arizona, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, sold 20,457 new and used vehicles in 2005.

Martin also owned a Harley-Davidson dealership and Co-Mar Aviation, both in Kentucky. He also was an active member of the General Motors Minority Dealer Assn., and served as chairman of the board of regents of Western Kentucky University.

According to the Dayton (OH) Daily News, the driver of the pickup truck was charged with first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She is in custody at the Logan County Detention Center.

Martin is survived by his wife, Gail, and three children, Amber, Chad and Coleman.

In a Ward’s interview last year, Martin spoke of whether his two children will follow him into the business.

“We’ll look at in the next five to seven years,” he said. “Probably we’ll have them work for someone else to have them work their way up the ladder, and then bring them back here.”

About his plans for himself, Martin said, “I figure I’m good for another 10 years at least.”

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