John A. Spitzer
1917-1992
Company: Spitzer Autoworld, Elyria, Ohio
Brilliant moves: In the 1940s, Spitzer was among the first dealers to recondition trade-in vehicles before selling them. He also saturated TV with commercials.
John A. Spitzer's introduction to auto retailing came in 1939. His father assigned the new Ohio State graduate to shut down a money-losing DeSoto dealership in Grafton, Ohio, so the proceeds from the closing could go into the family's hardware business.
