History of Ramsey Pontiac Corporation

In December of 1946, G.C. Sumner and J.D. Ramsey incorporated Sumner Pontiac. The company was located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa at 519 4th Street. The founders committed the company to fair dealing and customer service, a commitment that remains to this day. The Pontiac Franchise has been in the top 3% of sales in the nation for many years and have won nearly every award obtainable.

In the summer of 1970, John S. Ramsey started with the dealership. The Subaru franchise was added later that decade. During this period our name evolved from Sumner Pontiac to Sumner-Ramsey Pontiac and eventually to Ramsey Pontiac Corporation.

Over the years we have sold many makes and models: Isetta(bmw), Vauxhaul and Peugeot. to mention a few. At our East side location we also sold Champion and Twinkle Twilight Travel Trailers. At which time we were the biggest Twinkle Twilight Travel Trailer Dealer in the World! Don't ask how many we sold...

Tom Carey started with the dealership in January of 1988. The next year we acquired the Mazda and Porsche franchises as well as began construction of a new facility on Hickman Road in Urbandale. In November 1989 the new facility opened.

We continue to grow and expand in our constant effort to best serve our customers. In October 1997, we opened our Used Vehicle Center. This new showroom is dedicated to displaying cars and trucks in a pleasant and attractive environment. In 2005, we expanded our collision center and added a public car wash. We hope you will stop by and visit us!

In 2007, Ramsey Auto Center acquired the GMC truck line from Holmes GMC and acquired Buick from Benson Buick.  In July 2007 Ramsey purchased the Benson facility where our Mazda sales and Mazda/Subaru parts and service are currently located.  A new Subaru showroom is currently under construction.