Our History

The Linhart Company is a management group whose mission is to create operationally efficient automobile dealerships and related services. Linhart has two main operating divisions: Dominion Short Pump, Inc. (Dominion Chevrolet, Dominion Buick and Dominion Pontiac-GMC) and Dominion Southpark, Inc. (Dominion Chevrolet-Buick-Cadillac, Dominion Nissan and Dominion Kia). Collectively these nine franchises are referred to as the Dominion Auto Group.

Franchised automotive sales and service is primarily a family business in Central Virginia. Our dealerships represent a long and prestigious history of continuous family service to the automotive needs of six decades of customers.

DOMINION LEADERSHIP

Charles F. Johnson (1897-1993) was a pioneer in the auto industry. He was the leading salesperson in both 1918 and 1919 for the Dayton Electric Light Company (later purchased by General Motors and its name shortened to Delco Electronics).

Mr. Johnson owned 38 franchises in his lifetime, the majority of which he sold to his general managers. He was a very resourceful businessman: When new vehicles were unavailable during World War II, he took the train to Boston, purchased vehicles from departing servicemen being shipped overseas, and drove them back to his dealerships for resale.

In addition to his automobile interests, Mr. Johnson was an inventor and sportsman. He built high-speed tournament fishing boats in his Daytona Marine and Boat Works Complex and twice set the non-stop open sea record from Miami to New York. His 1,700-acre farm in North Florida produced a prize species of Black Angus cattle on feed he developed at his on-site mill.

Mr. Johnson remained an avid seaman, helping to found the National Oceanographic Society of which he was Chairman Emeritus.

Vernon P. Linhart (1920-1979) was the nephew by marriage of Mr. Johnson. A Lutheran minister by training, Vernon Linhart left the ministry in 1951 and joined Utility Body Company, a Johnson national truck body firm later purchased by General Motors.

Linhart sold trucks throughout Ohio, Michigan and Indiana to Chevrolet dealers and became Utility’s #1 salesman.

In 1957, Johnson selected Linhart as a dealership management candidate and trained him at five Johnson dealerships. In 1959 Linhart was assigned to Richmond as General Manager of Dominion.

Under Linhart’s leadership Dominion became the #1 Chevrolet dealership in Central Virginia, establishing sales records of 2,655 new and 1,200 used vehicles that still remain today as Dominion’s best one-year performance by a single franchise.

J. Theodore (Ted) Linhart, son of Vernon Linhart, joined Dominion full-time in 1971 after 11 summers working in various departments while in high school and college. After Vernon Linhart’s death in 1979, Ted Linhart became Dominion’s third President.

Ted Linhart and his management team are responsible for the creation of The Linhart Company and its mission, vision and values.