ASHLAND — According to Maurice T. Topping, co-owner of the former Topping Motors in Ashland, it took three days to drive back to Ashland from Racine, Wisconsin to pick up an automobile they had ordered.
That was in 1904 when the automobile dealership first got its start. Mr. Topping reported the trip also nearly wore out a set of tires because of horrible road conditions.
Topping started the business in 1904 with his brother, Roger, after some help and encouragement from their father, William. The dealership, which originally sold Mitchells, eventually became the prominent Ford dealership in town in 1912. It was located on Fourth Street at the Topping Manufacturing Co. which manufactured door hangars and farm hardware.
William was a well-educated businessman in Ashland having graduated from the United States Naval Academy and then becoming interested in manufacturing.
The Toppings were not the first Ford dealer in Ashland though. Bert Richards owned the first dealership on Second Street where part of the Ashland Professional Building stands today.
By 1909, the business was prospering and the brothers built a building at the corner of Union and Fourth Streets. It was eventually added onto several times as the business continued to grow.
The Topping brothers were business savvy in that they seemed to know which automobile manufacturers would be most lucrative. They sold Mitchells until 1912, Buicks until 1913 and then were forced into choosing between Buick or Ford so they chose Ford.
Raymond Freer then took over the Buick dealership in Ashland.
Early Ford vehicles sold by the Toppings were partially built in Detroit and shipped to Ashland via boxcar. The dealership then finished the assembly of each vehicle. Model T’s were highly popular from 1913 until about 1927 and were nicknamed the “Tin Lizzie.” The vehicle was coined the common man’s car. In 1914, Ford offered every buyer a $50 rebate if their sales in 1915 topped 300,000.
There were 308,218 cars sold that year and Ashlanders shared in the $15,410,650 Ford mailed out to their customers. The sales stunt is still considered one of the greatest events in automobile sales history and was fostered by Henry Ford’s belief that everyone ought to own a Ford.
Women loved Fords and Topping Brothers sold a lot of their vehicles because they were the first major car manufacturer to place the driver in the left front seat. This allowed women to step out of the car from a high leather passenger seat directly onto wood boardwalks as Ashland streets were still unpaved.
By 1928, the Model T was out and the Model A was in. Topping Brothers sold the Model A in high volume because they were equipped with sliding gears, a three-speed transmission and four-wheel brakes.
There were 28 workers employed at Topping Brothers in 1965. By then, they were selling Falcons, Thunderbirds, Fairlanes and Mustangs. Topping Brothers survived well into the 20th century with Roger’s son, Jack, eventually becoming co-owner and president.
