The Sames family history is the story of the automobile business in Laredo. Sames Motor Co is the oldest automobile dealership in the state of Texas and one of the oldest in the nation, being established in 1910.
W.J. Sames came to Laredo in 1890. His wife to be, Virginia Wright's family arrived in Laredo in the 1870s; her father having been stationed at Fort Macintosh. W.J. was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1866. In 1887, he set out for Cuba to sell life insurance, moved to the Yucatan to work on the Mayan digs, and then on to Mexico City where he fell ill. He was sent to Laredo to convalesce and, while there, met his future wife, Virginia, and decided to stay.
He began work as a commission sales agent for a local commodity broker, and, with another agent, J.R. Moore, eventually bought the business and formed Sames & Moore Company. The business flourished and in 1910 they decided to take on a sideline selling Ford automobiles. That business became Laredo Auto Sales and sold the first vehicles in Laredo.
In 1925, the partners decided to split up, with Sames taking the automobile business and Moore the wholesale business. In order to commemorate their long and successful partnership, they built the Sames-Moore Building, which was opened in 1927 and still stands today in downtown Laredo.
Over the years, the auto business flourished and at one time, Sames had dealerships in Laredo, Mirando City, Hebbronville, and Alice, Texas. Harry E. Sames was W.J.'s son and ran the dealerships from 1940 until his death in 1956. Harry E. Sames Jr. then took over the operations and ran the dealership until 1981 when his son, Harry (Hank) Sames III took over as general manager. In 2010, Hank's daughter Evelyn Sames took over the dealership, making her the 5th generation of Sames who have operated the business. It was also the year that the dealership turned 100 years old. Hank's nephew Richard Sames has also recently joined the group and is learning the business.
Sames Auto Group has been in expansion mode since Hank and Evelyn have run the business. In the late 1980s, the company bought the Laredo Honda dealership and in 2016 built a new location for Honda on the loop. In the early 2000s, the Sames grew into Corpus Christi and bought a Ford dealership there. The next expansion was the establishment of a Kia dealership in Laredo. Sames then invested in Austin with a
Driving Texans for over 108 years is the passion of the Sames Team. Commitment to customer satisfaction by providing
At Sames Kia, we are proud to represent the Sames legacy! We strive to carry the top inventory of new Kia vehicles in the Laredo and Zapata, TX regions, like the Kia Telluride, as well as a great selection of used vehicles, a high quality service center, a convenient parts service, and an expert finance team. If you have any questions about our dealership, please feel free to give us a call, or stop by our Kia dealership in Laredo, TX.
At Sames Mazda, we are proud to represent the Sames legacy! We strive to carry the top inventory of new Mazda vehicles in the Laredo, Encinal and Zapata, TX regions, like the Mazda CX-5, as well as a great selection of used vehicles, a high quality service center, a convenient parts service and a friendly and knowledgeable finance team. If you have any questions about our dealership, please feel free to give us a call, or stop by our Mazda dealership in Laredo, TX.
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