Soul of 78: Ronnie Waldrop: Owner of Waldrop Motors

Words by Justin Hunter | Image by Ryan McGill

Ronnie Waldrop’s no-pressure, no-gimmicks attitude toward used car sales have taken the anxiety out of purchasing a vehicle for thousands of people in Walker County and the Southeast. Ronnie built his dealership, Waldrop Motors, on selling quality used vehicles at a reasonable price.

Waldrop’s journey began 40 years ago with a simple request from his dad. “My father had the dealership before me, and it was called Waldrop Motors. That’s my dad on the right-hand side,” he says, pointing to a small black-and-white newspaper advertisement pinned to the corkboard above his desk.

After two or three years, Ronnie’s dad asked his son if he wanted to join him. At the time, Ronnie was 25 years old and doing masonry work; ultimately, he believed helping with a car dealership was better than laying rock.

It’s no small coincidence that Waldrop found his way into the business. Born in 1958 in Wayne County, Michigan, during the tail end of Detroit’s auto manufacturing “Golden Age,” Ronnie’s childhood was split between the Motor City and Walker County. He graduated from Curry High School and went directly into the workforce—or what he calls “the school of hard knocks.”

“I think I got into the car business at the right time,” Waldrop reflects. “You know, it was pretty lean for the first four or five years, living paycheck to paycheck. That was tough. I had to learn the whole industry on my own because when my dad got out of the car business he didn’t look back. I started slow and grew the dealership over the past 40 years. I can now say it was worth it, through hard work and dedication.”

Waldrop is an old-school salesman, nostalgic for the 1980s and ‘90s when customers would kick tires, pop hoods, and negotiate with him on price. “The internet really changed the used car business in favor of the consumer, which isn’t a bad thing,” he says. “It challenges those of us in the car business.”

Waldrop prefers the days of the fast-paced and in-person auto auctions where cars were driven through six to eight lanes as dealers cast bids on them. He is now adapting to the modern age of online auctions and customers who are willing to shop around for the perfect price.

“I’ve found my niche in the local car market,’ he says. “Cars priced in the $10,000-$15,000 range are my bread and butter. Over time, you figure out what vehicles are the best sellers, and you go from there.”

Even as the industry has changed over the past 40 years, Waldrop lives by the mantra of doing the next right thing and treating every customer with respect, regardless of whether or not they purchase a vehicle.

“I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon,” Ronnie says. “So, if you’re in the market for a used vehicle, come by and see me on Viking Drive in Jasper.” 78