Soul of 78: Bryan Colburn

Sales Manager, Price Auto Sales

Words by Terrell Manasco | Image by Ryan McGill

Bryan Colburn has always liked people. At Winfield High School in the 1990s, he was a popular guy with friends in every social group.

Now the sales manager at Price Auto Sales, Bryan got his start in the car business at Crump Nissan in 1995, after running into car manager Joe South at a gas station. And that’s also where Bryan met Tony Price.

Whenever Crump Nissan needed a vehicle appraised, Tony was the guy. The two became friends, and when Tony purchased the Chevrolet dealership in Winfield in 1996, he offered Bryan a job.

“He didn't have a salesman position for me, but he said, ‘I will find something for you to do,’” Bryan remembers.

Bryan began in the cleanup department. Soon, he was promoted to cleanup manager. Later, he filled in for the parts department manager who was on medical leave and was the service department manager until a sales position opened.

None of this, he says, was happenstance. “Tony had plans for me as a young man that I didn't see,” Bryan says. “He was teaching me the car business from the ground up.”

Bryan planned to sell cars until he turned 50, retire, and open a restaurant. He’d gained experience in the restaurant industry by working at the Boar's Butt Restaurant in Winfield throughout high school. But life tossed him a curve ball when his three-year-old daughter began suffering from seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Bryan felt the restaurant business could offer more freedom for weekly doctor visits, and he knew the Boar’s Butt owner well, so he took a break from the car business. 

Three years later, Bryan was back. While selling cars for Jasper Ford, he ran into Tony Price at a car sale. When Bryan returned to Price Auto Sales in 2017, his mentor had big plans for him. “His health was down,” Bryan says. “He wanted someone to carry this on after he passed.”

Price Auto Sales specializes in “Buy Here-Pay Here,” so vehicles are usually priced under $15,000. Each vehicle is inspected carefully before it’s parked on the lot. “We run them through the shop and do an inspection; we try to fix everything we find wrong,” Bryan says.

Tony passed away in 2020 and Bryan does his best to carry on his legacy. And although he’s much busier now—traveling to auctions three days a week—he still has lots of friends. 78