Bill Askew Motors

(The following are my memories and are told as truths. Your memories may vary) Spending time back in my hometown of Plymouth always brings back old memories. Whether it is time on the river, eating at Little Man or riding by the ball park, the memories flood back into my mind at every turn. I was able to spend the night at my parents last night in order to leave this morning for a hunting club work day in Beaufort County. Driving down Highway 32 I passed a house I have passed many times in my 44 years. It was the house of Bill Askew, a used car dealer there in town. Now when I say he was a used car dealer, he was not the stereotypical used car dealer. As I remember, he was always eager to help and if you had a car in mind, he would either find it for you or let you go with him to “the sale” to be able to pick out your own. His used car lot was a piece of property adjacent to his house that was always lined up with 5, 6 or 7 cars. To my recollection, every car my parents and I had until I graduated high school came from Bill Askew. I can see him in my mind, sporting his gray “G.I” haircut, sitting at the counter on the green bar stools working out a deal on a “new” car for our family. Today, however, there were no cars, no customers and no building where he kept countless records of sales and what not on that lot. Mr. Bill passed away sometime back and I am sure that I have passed by since, but today the emptiness of that lot seemed to strike me. Its not like there are no places to buy and sell cars anymore, Plymouth has Feyer Ford that will sell you a new or used car but Bill Askew was the “old school” used car dealer. The man that would buy a few cars to resale and put a little extra change in his pocket. There are very few of these “home used car lots” left around. These lots have given way to the big dealer in small towns...much like other small businesses. So tonight, here is a toast to Bill Askew Motors...used car salesman and memory maker for a little boy in a small town.