Austin “Ford” Wilson is one of the biggest sources of energy at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo. He bounces all over the dealership, from the service department to the sales floor to everywhere in between. If you have visited the dealership sometime over the last few years, the odds are high Wilson was involved in some capacity.
“Officially, my business card says aftermarket manager,” Wilson said. “Unofficially, I do a whole lot of stuff. I run our rental department, I’m being trained as a sales manager – I want to learn everything, and I’ve always been like that.”
Cars have always been a big part of his life - his middle name is literally Ford, and his dad built classic Mustangs. He joined the Currie Motors Ford of Valpo team in July of 2020, leaving a fast food gig alongside a co-worker.
“We both came here for jobs at about the same time,” Wilson said. “He only lasted two weeks, but I stuck with it. The day of my interview was actually the day they were hosting their sales training class. It only comes around every four or five months. They told me I could start that day, so I walked right upstairs, started training, and never looked back.”
Wilson started out in sales, dabbling in other responsibilities here and there as they came up. He particularly admired the aftermarket department, which handles upgrades to vehicles such as window tints, bed linings, lifts, and much more. He’d fill in for the previous aftermarket manager on their days off, and when the position became fully available, he was among the first to jump at the chance to fill the spot.
“Ultimately, when he left, the job became mine,” Wilson said. “I call it the hybrid position. I’m working in sales every day, but I’m constantly in the service department while things are being installed and asking questions about how to get things done and how long a job might take.”
He credits the culture at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo for helping him both start his career in 2020 and make the transition to management.
“I want to shout out all of the management staff - I don’t want to leave anyone out, and I love all of those guys,” he said. “It’s a brotherhood. The friendships that I’ve formed here will last the rest of my life.”
Wilson is quick to name his favorite part of his work: seeing customer’s reaction when the job is done.
“It’s about the look on their face when they see their prized possession,” he said. “Everybody loves their car, especially when it’s a brand new vehicle and we do something crazy to it. We take a Mustang somebody bought and put a supercharger on it, or we ceramic coat somebody's car and make it beautiful for the next five years.”
His team recently wrapped up work on what might have been Wilson’s favorite project yet.
“A gentleman bought an Expedition from us that had a lot of chrome trim on it,” he said. “We blacked it all out, it was one of the coolest Expeditions I’ve ever seen. Just seeing his reaction to it made it so much more worth it. He was over the moon, telling all his friends about it and taking pictures. It was just a great time.”
To learn more about Currie Motors Ford of Valpo, visit fordofvalpo.com.
