Bale Chevrolet
Bale Chevrolet is the oldest auto dealer in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Chevy franchisee is currently located at 13101 Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock, with satellite operations in Sherwood and Pine Bluff.
Bale opened as a Ford Motors distributor at the corner of Markham and Arch streets in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1912. The founder was Hardin Bale. Bale became a Chevrolet dealer in 1929. The company moved to the intersection of West Broadway and Second Street in 1931. When Hardin Bale died in 1948 the company presidency moved to William "Gene" Bale and the vice presidency moved to John Bale Sr.. John Bale Sr. assumed the presidency after the death of his brother Gene in 1975. John Sr.'s son John Bale Jr. became president upon his retirement in 1981. The vice presidency went to son Gene Bale.
Bale moved to 13101 Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock in the late 1980s.
References
- Larry Ault, "John Hardin Bale Sr. (obituary)," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, December 21, 1995.
- "Idea Advanced on Bale Building," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, May 24, 1988.
