Royal Buick , 4400 N Dale Mabry Hwy,

Royal Buick Opal 4400 N Dale Mabry Hwy. Circa late 1970s. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

Tampa Mercedes-Benz. 4400 N Dale Mabry Hwy. 2023. © Chip Weiner

Royal Buick was established in 1969 when John Williamson and Ralph Ghioto acquired the dealership at 4400 N Dale Mabry Blvd. from the estate of J.C. “Jack” Faircloth, the former owner of Faircloth Buick. At the time, Williamson and Ghioto already operated five other dealerships in the area.

In the 1970s, Royal Buick sponsored a Little League team known as the Royal Buick Wildcats. Among its young players was future Major League Baseball star Wade Boggs, who got his start on the team.

The dealership’s reputation took a hit in 1990 when 19 current and former employees were indicted on federal bank fraud charges. That June, a bookkeeper was convicted of lying to a grand jury investigating the scheme. The following year, six former employees were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud a Tampa bank by falsifying auto loan applications. Although Ghioto was not charged, he rebranded the dealership in 1992, changing the name to Century Buick and Century Isuzu.

Century remained at the Dale Mabry location until 2007, when it moved operations to Hillsborough Avenue, taking over the former site of the Hillsboro 8 Theater. That same year, Tampa Mercedes-Benz relocated to the original Dale Mabry property, where it continues to operate today.

Royal Buick Opal 4400 N Dale Mabry Hwy. Circa late 1970s. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

1973 Buick Apollo in front of the Royal Buick dealership. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

1973 Buick Apollo in front of Tampa Stadium. Circa 1973. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

Royal Buick salesmen. Circa late 1970s. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

Royal Buick 1973 Opel Manta Luxus WEDU Auction. Circa 1973. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection