For the first time in 73 years the car lot at E. O. Berry Motor Company is void of the sea of automobiles that lined both sides of Old Highway 149. The business that opened in 1951 is now for sale.
Owned by brothers Dale and Hal Berry, the business was inherited by the two when their father died unexpectedly in 1993 at 69. Ed Berry had grown the business slowly after owning a gas station in downtown Magee and a taxicab service. It was at the gas station that Ed began his used car business by getting a few cars and then selling them.
In 1951 he moved to the current location at 600 Laurel Drive and began his used car business and salvage lot in earnest. According to Dale, his father would travel to Dallas, Texas and Chicago, Ill. to purchase used cars, bringing back as many as 15 at one time. In addition, Ed tried his hand at a new car dealership but realized he preferred to control what he purchased rather than having to purchase what he was told by the dealership. Dale recalled, “He told me one time the two happiest days of his life was when he got a new car dealership and when he got rid of it!”
In those early days many people could not afford to purchase a vehicle outright so Ed would self finance his used cars. Dale said, “In the old days you may sell a car but you had to wait till everybody’s crops came in till they could pay you, mainly cotton crops.”
Johnny Hancock, whose father was one of those people, confirms the story, saying his family bought many cars from Ed Berry over the years in that way. “If it hadn’t been for E. O. Berry providing an automobile we wouldn’t have had cars.”
Dale shared a lot of history on Berry Motor Company. “Back then the new car dealers didn’t care about used cars. Now it’s just the opposite. They make their money off the used cars and the service department. We knew every new car dealership up there. Daddy would buy all their trade-ins.” While Dale and Hal were too young to travel to Texas or Illinois, they did make many road trips to State Street and Highway 80 in Jackson to pick up used cars for the business.
Ed Berry began his salvage business by repurposing cars that would no longer run.
“If someone bought a car and something happened to it, tore up, nine times out of ten Daddy had the part for it.” He would give them the part, but the purchaser had to put it on himself.
Ed Berry’s final long haul trip was in 1968 when Hurricane Betsy hit New Orleans. The salvage business was so good that Ed could purchase a car that needed parts to run and repair it on site, then sell the car at a profit. He always had a mechanic at work and at the height of Berry Motors, Ed employed 30 people. He shipped parts worldwide and ran three trucks a day to deliver parts to Jackson.
Dale remembers that his father was extremely smart, really good with numbers and a hard worker. “He never used a calculator and he knew exactly where everything was on his lot from cars to parts.” Hancock added, “The man was a genius.”
In 1988, Dale wanted to go to a computer system but his father said, ‘Why do I need a computer system? I got it all right here (in my head)’.”
Dale has so many fond memories of his days with his father at the car lot, some of them humorous now. He remembers a Christmas his mother, Theda, was trying to decorate as she always went all out with yard decorations. “She cried one time. Daddy had 60 cars in the yard and he finally got a crew to move them out. They were everywhere!”
Ed Berry knew his cars too. Growing up Dale had wanted a Corvette of his own but his father never allowed it. Once Dale was on his own making a living for himself, he decided it was time to buy that Corvette. Ed still advised against it, that they did not meet up with the hype. Dale bought one anyway. After six months he sold it. “I told you, you weren’t going to like it!” his dad said.
It is evident from his memories that Dale is proud of his father and the legacy he created. And while he no longer works there week in and week out, Dale can be found there every Saturday morning, just as his dad would.
