Rick Situation, automotive sales legend, dies at 77 from cancer

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rick Scenario, the Akron native whose dealerships bought vehicles to motorists all in excess of Northeast Ohio and whose title was a common sight on Television and on license plates, has died at 77.

On Sept. 21, Situation, who was the CEO and founder of The Rick Situation Automotive Group, died peacefully at his residence surrounded by spouse and children right after a limited bout with an intense form of cancer, in accordance to a relatives consultant.

Recognized as a productive retail pioneer of new car or truck makes in the United States, Scenario started off offering Honda vehicles in Akron in 1972, wherever he became the premier volume dealer in the nation all through his 1st thirty day period of enterprise. He nevertheless retains the environment report for selling the most Honda automobiles in a solitary month—1,222.

A job that spanned many years started out with a newspaper route at age 9. At 14, he purchased a used car, fastened it and offered it from his parent’s driveway in Akron. At 19, he operated his first made use of car or truck whole lot by himself, Moxie Motors in Akron. In 1965, he saw the need for bikes, so he opened up the to start with Toyota keep in 1966.

In 1970, a hearth broke out in 1 of his support departments. When he tried using to set it out, an explosion occurred, creating third-diploma burns on considerably of his physique. He escaped via a compact window and a customer drove him to the hospital. It took him months to recover, so he turned his clinic home into his place of work, wherever he held meetings and sales calls.

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Valerie Zucker.

Rick Case’s first car dealership in Akron.

His result on the car or truck industry is nonetheless felt now. When Hyundai was failing in the U.S. sector in 1996, he introduced the notion of a 10-yr 100,000-mile warranty. He mentioned at the time that if he didn’t do anything to strengthen product sales and get client self confidence, the car or truck manufacturer would depart the U.S. This thought later on became a regular guarantee for a lot of producers.

Situation did things big. He built the world’s largest dealerships. He developed the only 8-story dealership wherever the showroom elevator took the purchaser to the specified floor exhibiting the certain design they wanted.

He gave back through numerous organizations. In 1981, he arrived up with “Rick Case Bikes for Kids” application. The local community would drop off their outdated bikes at his dealerships, the place his group would take care of them and produce them to organizations that would give them to children in time for the holidays.

Scenario is survived by his wife of 40 several years, Rita, whom he met during a Honda conference in 1977. He leaves driving two sons and two daughters-in-legislation, a daughter and son-in-regulation, and five grandchildren. His spouse and children explained he will be remembered for his constructive electricity.

“Rick had the most remarkable intellect for problem-resolving,” explained Rita Scenario in a assertion. “He set his ambitions so large, most could not desire that massive. His get the job done ethic and passion to thrive was pretty intense and always had me chasing to keep up. He always treated me as his equivalent and authorized me to share in his highlight of results. Allow there be no question, Rick made, built, and operated his corporation with a solitary passion to be the greatest and ideal. He put in hrs every single working day educating himself on the newest information about the vehicle market and I discovered from him every single day. I will skip our morning conferences and sharing our ‘to-do record.’ He explained to me he had no question I could continue our organization success without having him. I rely on his confidence in me and will make him proud as will our children. He was a excellent husband and loving father. I will overlook him so a great deal he was certainly one of a kind and always so favourable. I am so happy of him and thankful to have shared 40 a long time with these kinds of a particular, caring, and supportive spouse.”

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Valerie Zucker.

The Rick Situation Spouse and children.

Donations
A private ceremony will be held for immediate spouse and children with a “celebration of life” in the foreseeable future. Memorial donations can be produced to the Rick Scenario Academic Scholarship Fund benefiting the Boys & Girls golf equipment of Broward County, Fla.

Address: 877 N.W. 61st Street #100
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 33309

If you would like to ship the relatives a individual concept and/or any images of Rick, ship them to spouse and [email protected].