Chester Luby

Dealer scored when he won rights to distribute Datsuns in 22 eastern states. But Nissan bought back the rights before the company took off in the 1970s.

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Jeff Mortimer
Automotive News
May 19, 2008 - 12:01 am ET

In 1958, Nissan Motor Co. divided the United States between two distributors. The eastern 22 states went to car dealer Chester Luby.

The decision could have been a gold mine for Luby. But it was not to be.

He and his father and their wives had visited Japan to work out the contract, and he was well positioned. The Luby family had been selling cars since the 1920s and owned dealerships in Boston, Cleveland, Florida and New York.

Chester Luby

Earliest Nissan involvement: 1958
Role: Exclusive Datsun distributor for eastern United States
Key influence: Helped build early Datsun dealership network in 22 states

Nissan, disappointed with the dealership operations, bought back the distributorship in the mid-1960s, when Luby estimated the 22 states had a couple hundred dealerships.

Luby happily moved on, building successful businesses in credit life insurance and warranty services before retiring in 2006.

You can reach Jeff Mortimer at (Unknown address).

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