Automotive brand loyalty is huge, and one of the many places where we see it is in the pickup truck realm. I recently did a deep dive into some newspaper archives and came across the above advertisement published in 1992 by a dealership called Crum Motors in Inez, Kentucky. Of course, I loved the vibe because it features a Ford F-Series truck like my “OBS” F-250.
Inez, located in the eastern part of the state, is only about 10 miles from the West Virginia line. The community sits along Highway 40, and even today, it remains a small establishment with a strong sense of belonging. As of the 2020 census, the population of Inez was just 546.
The city’s motto is “Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future.” It’s fitting that this story came about when I was learning about some of the area’s past.
Crum Motor Sales, often called Crum Motors, was a longstanding Ford dealership that operated as a fixture of Martin County. The site was constructed in 1947 along Main Street by Curtis Crum. Opening day took place on Saturday, September 20, with available products including Goodyear tires, high-compression gasoline, Sinclair motor oils, and spark plugs. The original fire engine for the community’s volunteer fire department was housed by Crum at one point in time.
The Paintsville Herald newspaper ran a story that mentioned Crum in July 1953, saying, “Which reminds me of Ford dealer Curtis Crum’s wrecker service for automobiles in distress. Irvin told me that Curtis had a sign on his towing truck which said ’23-hour service.’ When asked, ‘Why not 24-hour service?’ Curtis replied that he always takes an hour for lunch.”
Following is one of the photos that has circulated around the Internet, most likely taken sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
The oldest Google Street View imaging goes back to October 2007, and by that time, the building had already been re-branded as Mountain City Ford. However, if you look closely at the top, there remained a placard that said “1947 — Curtis Crum.” Based on some searching, Mountain City is also now closed, even though the signage was still up as of August 2025 when these photos were captured.
By the way, there were some other versions of that same playful newspaper advertisement. Slight typo on the spelling of “Lincoln” here:
And I’d love to go back in time and buy a new-ish Ford Taurus SHO.
In addition to being an enduring part of the Inez community’s economy, Crum Motors also helped fuel the fires of passion in Ford enthusiasts. I wonder what the historic building’s next phase will be after it celebrates its 80th birthday next year.
