Bill Gatton Automotive Group

The Bill Gatton Family of Dealerships, headquartered in Bristol, Tennessee, presently consists of nine franchises spread among five dealerships. Four are located in Bristol and Johnson City and one in Austin, Texas. Prior to the restructuring of General Motors in 2009, it operated five additional Saturn dealerships in Tennessee and Alabama. The Gatton Family of Dealerships was established in 1967, when its owner C. M. (Bill) Gatton acquired the Chevrolet-Cadillac franchise in Bristol. Since that time, it has also become a franchise dealer for the Acura, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Suzuki brands. It was one of the first retail automobile groups to use TV extensively in its early advertising. In 1970, the company teamed up with Jackson Brown, a young advertising executive in Nashville, and together they produced a series of commercials using the Company's owner which were extremely popular, and which made "Wild Bill Gatton" a household name in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. These ads proved also to be very effective for business, and in 1976, the dealership in Bristol sold over 2000 new Cadillacs and Chevrolets. Brown went on to become known as the author of the bestselling "Life's Little Instruction Book." In 1985, Gatton established the "Bill Gatton Foundation." Personally and through the Foundation's charitable gifts in excess of $35,000,000.00 have been made and/or committed to various charitable institutions, including several institutions of higher learning which bear his name.

Benefits of Doing Business in Tennessee

The people of Tennessee have a strong work ethic. Generally, state and local governments are business friendly and pro-active in seeking new business and industry. Without a state income tax, employees and firms seeking to relocate find the Tennessee tax environment attractive.

Company Statistics

Contact Information

Bill Gatton Automotive Group
1000 West State Street
Bristol, 37620
423-764-5121
http://www.billgattonautos.com