Those two dealerships are not the only two that he owned in the region. The group also owns and operates Planet Ford and Martin Chevrolet.
Martin’s family said as good as a businessman as Martin was, one of the best in the nation, he was an even better person.
Brian Martin said, “I loved him. He was my hero. He was the best. I loved working here and coming to work with his name on the building.”
Brian Martin is the used car sales manager at Saturn of Dayton North. He said he uncle is a person that cannot be replaced.
“Not only in Ohio, but in Kentucky, Iowa and California, he touched a lot of lives and a lot of people respected him,” Brian Martin said.
Martin, a self-made man, began his career in the car business as a lot technician and then kept moving up to sales before deciding to go out on his own.
In addition to 17 car dealership that he owned, he also owned two Harley-Davidson dealerships at the time of his death.
Investigators said Martin died while riding his motorcycle with three friends. Police in Kentucky said a 54-year-old woman, driving a truck, pulled out to pass on a two-lane road, crossed a double yellow line and hit and killed Martin and one other man.
A third man is listed in critical condition at a hospital near Bowling Green, Ky. Police arrested Mickey Mosher, 54, for manslaughter, driving under the influence and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Brian Martin said, “(It) makes me angry. I hope she realizes what she has done and that she gets help. I hope the law gives her the extreme because she affected a lot of lives.”
Martin started his auto career in the Dayton area working locally from the late '60s through much of the '70s before moving on. In fact, many of his family members still live in the Dayton and Springfield areas.
Martin was named Black Enterprise Magazine’s Auto Dealer of the Year in 1997, and consistenly ranked in the top five minority auto-dealer owners in the nation.
Visitation for Cornelius Martin will be held Wednesday from 12-9 p.m. at J.C. Kirby & Son in Bowling Green and Thursday beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green. His funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday at Living Hope.
Expressions of sympathy for Cornelius Martin can be sent to the following: WKU Foundation/Martin Scholarship Fund 1906 College Heights Blvd. Bowling Green, KY 42101-9977
WKU Foundation/Gail Martin Lecture Series 1906 College Heights Blvd. Bowling Green, KY 42101-9977