Indusry Leader Ron Tonkin Dies

[BVB]

Portland auto magnate Ron Tonkin dead at 82 | OregonLive.com

bought few cars from the family. anyone remember how his nephew Alan died? in the 80"s?

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[nwo]

That is sad news.

Alan died in a boat accident on The Columbia in 1982.

I remember the dealership, and the commercials from back then. Good memories.

 

[JackThompson]

That's one crooked dealership.

 

[BVB]

the boating accident, good story. parasailing, parafoil as they called it back then, under the I-205 bridge. WOW

 

[teflon6string]

That's one crooked dealership.

Hardly unique in that world.

 

[Dunerunner]

R.I.P. Ron!! I too remember the Ron Tonkin Chevrolet commercials from when I lived in Portland in the early to mid 60's.

 

[spectra]

That's one crooked dealership.

Gee anyone remember Scott Thomason....

 

[jbett98]

Tonkin owned a warehouse next to the SE Portland shop I worked at. He had a really nice collection of vintage sport cars displayed inside.
I was friends with the guy who detailed the exotic cars at the Gran Turismo dealership and was given a private tour one day.
They're was a really cool room suspended above the cars below. It had slanted mirrored windows that you could see out, but not in.
White fur type carpet, exotic furniture, custom bar. You get the picture. My guess is that Ron entertained special guests up there.
My favorite car was the yellow convertible Daytona Ferrari.
His son died on the river because he was drunk and forgot to buckle his harness properly, then fell out of it from over 150' in the air.

 

[sheepdip]

Alan Tonkin was Marv Tonkins son not Ron Tonkins.I was working at Marv Tonkin Ford at the time. it is now called Courtesy Ford.

 

[3MTA3]

RIP Ron, and welcome to the great Pre-Owned lot in the sky...

 

[clambo]

Never as colorful or as well remembered as Friendly Chevrolet out in Lake Oswego and my have we got a deal for you! Its a 1974 Chevrolet pickup with 4 wheel drive, 454 engine, air conditioning, and yes, 4 on the floor! Only $2999 ! Beloved sponsors of a good period in history as well as Portland Wrestling.

 

[DMax]

Gee anyone remember Scott Thomason....

Was that the pervert that got arrested back in early 90s? Or wrong guy?

 

[jbett98]

That's the guy.

 

[erudne]

I was at the old Red Lion about 1987 and saw a Ferrari parked there, it was Old man Tonkin with a woman in her 20's

 

[3MTA3]

If I had a Ferrari that would be me right now... Go, Ron, go!

 

[Trlsmn]

I still remember this controversy, funny what you can get away with when you have money

Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search

 

[jbett98]

I worked at a commercial glass shop in the NE Gateway district when I was 17 yrs old and Ron Tonkin's dealerships gave the shop a steady amount of auto glass repair work.
One day, I was asked to drive a new Ferrari from the Gran Turismo showroom to our shop, because some vandals had shot a bullet through the showrooms plate glass window and into the driver side windshield of a Ferrari.
I rode a motorcycle to work that day, and had a full face helmet on hand, so the car wouldn't have to be towed to our shop.
The general manager balked at letting me drive the car, but finally relented when my boss promised to follow me to our shop in his service van.
I never got out of first gear, but I did manage to get the rpm's up to near red line between stop lights.
It was like going to sports car heaven for a teenager.

 

[clambo]

Scott Thomason......wow. Im not reall sure exactly what happened there but it reminds me of Jack And The Beanstalk. Except instead of trading the family fortune for some beans it was essentially traded for the *** of a young Asian fellow.

 

[teflon6string]

I worked at a commercial glass shop in the NE Gateway district when I was 17 yrs old and Ron Tonkin's dealerships gave the shop a steady amount of auto glass repair work.
One day, I was asked to drive a new Ferrari from the Gran Turismo showroom to our shop, because some vandals had shot a bullet through the showrooms plate glass window and into the driver side windshield of a Ferrari.
I rode a motorcycle to work that day, and had a full face helmet on hand, so the car wouldn't have to be towed to our shop.
The general manager balked at letting me drive the car, but finally relented when my boss promised to follow me to our shop in his service van.
I never got out of first gear, but I did manage to get the rpm's up to near red line between stop lights.
It was like going to sports car heaven for a teenager.

My brush with sexy autos was not quite as exotic as the Ferrari. I worked at Dick Niles Lincoln Mercury in 1972, moving cars, etc. Rode out to Techtronix Beaverton to drop off a customer and bring his DeTomaso Pantera back in for servicing. The owner didn't trust my Allman Brothers roadie appearance and made a big deal out of checking the odometer when he handed me the keys. Back at the dealership, I asked the sales manager what a Pantera might be worth. "It's out of your league kid, ten-seven."

 

[skywag]

I bought my new 1967 Corvette from his competition. Phil Fields Chevrolet. "Fields Chevytown," on Grand Avenue.