Company Profile
History
1911
Sewell begins life as a car dealership. And general store. And movie theater. And livery stable (Nobody is sure yet whether cars will catch on).
1929
The Great Depression hits. The three banks in which Carl Sewell Sr. has cautiously placed his money all close on the same day. Rather than give up, he heads to the tiny town of Crane in the newly discovered West Texas oilfields. The move pays off - he starts a successful car business and meets his future wife, Louise.
1941
Despite the nation's hard times, the Sewell business thrives in West Texas, thanks to Carl Sr.'s philosophy of service. But Dallas is calling and Carl and Louise decide to bring the Sewell way of serving customers back to the area where it all started.
1957
Through the 40's and 50's, Sewell builds a loyal following with Lincoln-Mercury and Ford dealerships. Then the Sewell Village Cadillac sign is installed at Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road. The dealership that defines service and the Marque that defines luxury are together at last.
1972
On May 5, Carl Sewell Sr. dies - but not before selling a Cadillac earlier that day. His legacy of leadership passes to his cousin, John, and his son, Carl Sewell Jr. Carl Sr.'s principles of service live on. Customers become repeat customers. They send their friends. Soon, Sewell Village Cadillac is outgrowing its home.
1980
Sewell is on the move, opening a Cadillac dealership in San Antonio and, in Dallas, heading for bigger quarters: 8.6 acres on Lemmon Avenue, across from Love Field. Sewell's unique brand of obsessive service remains consistent throughout. Customers love it.
1989
By decade's end, a new luxury marque is born. Sewell is selected as one of North America's charter Lexus dealers. Dallas' first Lexus dealership opens on Lemmon Avenue, and north Texas streets and highways are filled with new cars bearing twin badges, "Lexus" and "Sewell."
1990
Carl Sewell shares his service secrets and creates an international bestseller, Customers for Life. Carl's book sells over 1 Million copies and is still in print (and as an e-book) today.
1994
The Sewell family welcomes three new additions: GMC, Pontiac and Oldsmobile. Lemmon Avenue has never looked better.
1998
Sewell expands into Cowtown with the acquisition of Hillard Lexus in Fort Worth. Meanwhile, back in Dallas, Sewell acquires the Rodger Meier dealerships, bringing INFINITI and another Cadillac location into the family.
2002
Sewell INFINITI, a member of the family since 1998, is ready for more room and a more prominent place at the corner of Lemmon and University in Dallas.
2004
The Sewell service philosophy expands to Grapevine, Texas, with the opening of Sewell Cadillac of Grapevine near DFW International Airport.
2009
Inspired service meets high-performance luxury in Houston. Sewell INFINITI of North Houston opens in a newly acquired showroom on I-45.
2010
Sewell expands in Houston by acquiring Audi North Houston, bringing sophisticated service to a sophisticated brand. In Dallas, Sewell opens its first Subaru dealership at Lemmon and Lovers next to Love Field.
2011
Sewell celebrates 100 years in business by unveiling its latest Cadillac dealership in West Houston. In Dallas-Fort Worth, Sewell INFINITI of Fort Worth joins the Sewell family with a Fort Worth showroom.
2016
An era of unprecedented growth begins with the opening of the first of four new stores. Sewell opens a second Houston-area Audi dealership southwest of Houston in Sugar Land and the first Sewell Mercedes-Benz dealership in the energy corridor in West Houston.
2017
Sewell opens two new stores in Dallas-Fort Worth. The first Sewell BMW dealership opens in the growing community of Grapevine just west of DFW airport, and a new Audi dealership opens in McKinney by year's end.
2020
In July of 2020, Sewell expands into Austin and acquires Land Rover North Austin. Located at Highway 45 and Parmer Lane, the dealership had been newly constructed in February the same year.
2021
In October 2021, Sewell brings their legacy of outstanding service to even more Dallas-Fort Worth area BMW owners through the acquisition of Classic BMW. With the acquisition, Sewell returns to Plano and serves MINI customers once again at MINI of Plano. Sewell BMW MINI of Plano is set on 24 acres at Dallas North Tollway and Spring Creek Parkway.
2023
Sewell was honored to be selected by INEOS Grenadier as one of only 19 charter dealerships in the United States. In October 2023, Sewell opened its world-class Sewell INEOS Grenadier dealership in Plano.
2024
In November 2024, Sewell opened their second INEOS Grenadier location in San Antonio, Texas. The store is a 4,100 square foot facility on a property that is heavily tree-laden, which will give the dealership a park-like atmosphere.
Sewell Is People
Our associates succeed together because they motivate and inspire each other. No matter the department or individual, we provide an unparalleled customer service experience through teamwork and dedication. Our commitment to this level of customer service was established over a century ago and continues to guide us today.
Our Facilities
Nicer for a Reason
We build exceptionally nice facilities because we judge ourselves not against other car dealerships but against all the other fine retail and service organizations that serve our customers. It is important to us that you enjoy your experience and feel the respect and appreciation you deserve. See how we are expanding the Sewell experience while maintaining the same value for outstanding facilities.
SPONSORSHIPS
Sewell is proud to give back. Please visit the link below to submit your sponsorship request, which will be given careful consideration and reviewed by our corporate office.
We're Happy to Share Our Service Secrets
Carl Sewell Sr. may have written the book on service, figuratively speaking, back in the early 1900s, but it took his son, Carl Sewell, decades later, to write the book on service literally. He did it in response to the untold hundreds of visitors, callers, and correspondents who asked how a car dealership, of all things, could be one of the most effective service companies in the world. The principles work in any industry - a fact that made Customers for Life an international bestseller. It is in 19 languages so far. Want to read it for yourself?
