Family revives Fox auto legacy
Stanley Fox Jr. stands in front of the used-car dealership he recently opened in the former Domino’s Pizza location on North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
The owner is Stanley Fox Jr., whose grandfather opened the first Fox Motor Company in Clinton in April 1944.
Fox opened the small used-car business on Oct. 1 in a building that had been vacant for 13 years, but previously housed a Domino’s Pizza store.
He was sales manager at Clinton’s Fox Toyota until the family sold that business to an out-of-state investor in March 2021. His father, Stanley Fox Sr., and his father’s brother, Ronnie Fox, and sister, Becky Fox Grubb, owned the Toyota dealership, and the family previously also operated a Chevrolet dealership in Clinton.
Since leaving Fox Toyota, Stanley Fox Jr. worked as manager at Odessa Auto Auctions in Lenoir City for three years, but decided this year that he wanted to go into business for himself, he said.
“I got lucky,” he said last week. “A friend of mine bought this building, and when I saw that, I decided it would make a good car lot.”
He made some modifications to the parking lot and building, obtained the required state and local licensing, and now offers a selection of “older model, low-mileage cars under $15,000,” he said.
“I don’t do any financing, and I plan to keep 10 to 15 cars in stock,” he said.
“I also offer a vehicle locating service, so anyone who wants to find a specific used vehicle can come by, and I will locate one for them,” Fox said.
He’s working by himself for now, but hasn’t ruled out having other family members getting involved in his new business, he said.
“We had nine family members working at Fox Toyota when we sold it,” he said.
The Fox Motor Company is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon, Fox said.
“I will open Saturdays by appointment only,” he added.
The business telephone number is 865-228-1258.