CALGARY — One hundred years may be a long time, but that’s how long the McCullough family has been connected to Ford motor products.
In 1915, Ernest A. McCullough became a salesman for Ford. In those days, there were no Ford automobile dealerships in Calgary, and individual Ford representatives made all customer contact and subsequent sales.
Hard work and perseverance put McCullough at the top of the heap in 1916, when the Calgarian led all Ford salesmen in the country.
“That was a major step towards him being awarded the first Alberta Ford franchise as we know it,” said Maclin Ford dealer principal Shelley McCullough.
By 1917, E.A. McCullough partnered with T.W. Lines to form Maclin Ford – an amalgamation of the two surnames. According to Maclin Ford’s documented history, Lines was with the company for only a few months – but the name was never changed.
“Ernest left the business himself in 1918 to serve with the Royal Flying Corps,” McCullough said. “He was gone only part of that year, though, as he returned to the dealership late in 1918.”
E.A. McCullough remained president and general manager of Maclin until the mid-1950s, when his oldest son Ernie J. McCullough assumed those roles.
Maclin Ford circa the 1960s.
Maclin Ford, Driving
In 1960, his son Danny McCullough took over, as E.J. went on to become a philosophy professor.
Danny was dealer principal until the early 2000s, when illness forced him to back away from the business. His wife, Shelley, took an interest in the day-to-day operations and after Danny’s death became dealer principal in 2006.
“I had to train and qualify for the position,” McCullough said. “I never thought I’d be doing this – I was raising a family and doing some interior design work, as that was my background.”
Maclin Ford has grown up with the city of Calgary. Of the long history, McCullough said nothing has changed in how the business is run.
“We’ve been through the ups and the downs, but we’ve always had a family touch,” she said. “We’re blessed that generations of Calgarians have continued to purchase vehicles from us.”
Over those 100 years in business, McCullough said Calgary’s automotive landscape has continued to evolve.
“There’s a very large number of franchises with all different makes now,” McCullough said. “It’s a far more competitive market, with new technologies and an expanded range of products offered.
“The other shift we’ve seen is the start of mega-dealers, some with 10 to 30 facilities. We are only one, and continue to be family-owned and operated.”
Maclin Ford is currently in its fourth location, having started out at 15 Ave. and 1 St. S.W. In 1920, the facility moved to 215 11 Ave. S.W., where Maclin Ford stayed until 1960.
That year, Maclin was the first auto facility on the busy Macleod Trail. It relocated there at 61 Ave. S.W., directly across from what became Chinook Centre mall.
But, in the 1980s, Danny McCullough helped found Calgary’s first auto mall at Glenmore and Deerfoot Trails. There, in 1987, he built a facility that was one of Canada’s most modern. With continuous updates, that’s where Maclin Ford remains.
“The future looks bright,” Shelley McCullough said. Of the family’s 100-year association with Ford, she added, “The new F-150 just won truck of the year (at the 2015 Detroit auto show), and all of the Ford product looks great. I’m proud to be a Ford dealer – always have been, and always will be.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067, gregwilliams@shaw.ca, or visit gregwilliams.ca.
