You’ve probably driven past the massive lot on Mahoning Avenue a thousand times. If you grew up anywhere near the Mahoning Valley, the name Bob Chuck Eddy Austintown wasn't just a business listing; it was a landmark. For nearly fifty years, those blue and white signs were as much a part of the landscape as the local high school football stadiums or the Wedgewood Pizza down the street.
But things changed.
The dealership world moves fast, even for titans. If you’re looking for the Bob and Chuck Eddy sign today, you won’t find it. It's gone. In its place sits a different name, a different owner, and a different era for Austintown’s most famous stretch of asphalt. To understand what happened, you have to look at the family legacy that started when "muscle cars" were actually new on the showroom floor.
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The 1969 Origins of Bob Chuck Eddy Austintown
It basically all started in 1969. That’s when the foundation was laid under the name Austintown Chrysler Plymouth Imperial. Back then, Mahoning Avenue looked a lot different, but the mission was the same: sell cars to the steel-working families of Youngstown.
Chuck Eddy Sr. didn't just walk into a corner office. He started by pushing a broom. Honestly, that's the kind of detail that sounds like a cliché until you realize it’s actually true. He worked his way up through every single department—service, parts, sales—before eventually taking the reins. By the time the dealership became known as Bob Chuck Eddy Austintown, it was a true family affair. We're talking sons, daughters, and in-laws all working under one roof.
Why the dealership actually mattered
This wasn't just a place to sign a 72-month loan. The Eddy family became power players in the national automotive scene. Chuck Eddy wasn't just a local guy; he was a heavy hitter for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).
- The 2009 Crisis: When Chrysler was staring down the barrel of bankruptcy, Chuck Eddy was one of the guys in Washington D.C. testifying before Congress.
- Community Footprint: They weren't just writing checks. They were giving away police cruisers to local departments and raising nearly $200,000 for Akron Children’s Hospital.
- The Personal Touch: People in Austintown didn't say "I'm going to the Chrysler dealer." They said "I'm going to see the Eddys."
The Shocking Sale to Jim Shorkey
In July 2018, the news hit the Mahoning Valley like a ton of bricks. After 49 years, the Eddy family decided to sell. The buyer? The Jim Shorkey Auto Group out of Pittsburgh.
It felt weird for a lot of locals. You’ve got this deep-rooted Youngstown institution suddenly becoming the first Ohio outpost for a Pennsylvania-based group. But that’s the reality of the modern car business. Consolidation is king. Small, family-owned single-point or small-group stores are increasingly being swallowed up by regional giants.
The transition happened fast. By September 2018, the ribbon-cutting was done. The name changed to Jim Shorkey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
What happened to the staff?
Usually, when a big group buys a family store, everyone worries about the "corporate" takeover. Surprisingly, the Shorkey group kept most of the original team. We're talking about retaining nearly the entire service department and a huge chunk of the sales force. They knew that in a town like Austintown, you don’t just buy the building; you buy the relationships those employees have built over decades.
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Bob Chuck Eddy Austintown: The Legacy Today
So, where is the family now? While the physical sign on Mahoning Avenue is gone, the Eddy name hasn't completely vanished from the automotive world. They've stayed active in various capacities, though the era of the massive Austintown Chrysler lot belonging to them is firmly in the rearview mirror.
There's a certain nostalgia when people talk about Bob Chuck Eddy Austintown. It represents an era of the "Dealer Principal" who lived in your neighborhood and sat next to you at the diner.
If you're looking for that same location today, it’s still there at 4850 Mahoning Ave. It’s just under new management. The inventory is still full of Rams and Jeeps, but the "Eddy" sticker on the trunk lid has become a bit of a local collector's item. You’ll still see those old dealer frames on cars parked at the Austintown Walmart, a small reminder of a fifty-year run that defined local business.
Things to keep in mind if you're a former customer:
- Service Records: Most records transitioned over to the new ownership, so your warranty info and service history should still be in the system.
- The Location: It’s still the same spot. 4850 Mahoning Ave, Austintown, OH 44515.
- Community Support: While the Shorkey group has taken over, they’ve tried to maintain that "local" feel by keeping the staff that made the Eddys famous.
The story of the Eddy dealership is really the story of Youngstown itself—resilient, family-oriented, and eventually, subject to the changing tides of the American economy. It’s a bit sad to see the old names go, but the fact that the dealership is still thriving under a new name says a lot about the foundation the Eddy family built over five decades.
If you’re looking for a vehicle in the area now, your best bet is to visit the current Jim Shorkey site to see their updated inventory or stop by the Mahoning Avenue lot to see how much has actually changed (and how much has stayed the same). Check your old paperwork—you might find that your favorite mechanic from the Eddy days is still turning wrenches in the exact same bay today.