Spindrift March 2, 2023

SPEAKER

The speaker of the day was Dave Robins, ECNH member and co- owner of Theodore Robins Ford, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary party at its dealership on February 7th. Dave’s grandfather, Theodore, was the founder of the franchise, which he obtained in 1923. Dave showed a video of the history which was shown at the celebration. Theodore got his start in the automotive business with a Model T repair shop in the Balboa Fun Zone area of Newport Beach.

In 1928, he moved the franchise to a parcel in Newport Beach across the street from where the Crab Cooker now stands. In 1965 it moved to its present 10-acre location on Harbor
Blvd. in Costa Mesa.

Dave Robins

Mary Robins Philpot, daughter of Theodore I, presented some of her family background on the video, and was also physically present at the celebration. Her brother, Theodore Robert Robins II (“Bob”), became the second-generation owner of the franchise in 1976 when Theodore I passed away.

After the move to Costa Mesa, Theodore I became a recognizable fixture in the local community, and was seen driving his Model T all around town. The vehicle still sits in the dealership showroom. Bob had his father’s work ethic, having worked in all aspects of the business, including sweeping
floors and driving parts delivery vehicles at age 14. Bob married his wife, Virginia, in 1957, and they had 3 children: Sarah, Jim, and David. Bob was aphilanthropist and was active with the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa Chambers of Commerce, Newport Harbor High School Alumni, Hoag Hospital, and Segerstrom Center for the Arts, among many others. When Bob Robins passed away in 2016, brothers Jim and Dave, the 3rd family generation, took over the business. Because of the extensive family involvement with the business over the years, passing a generational baton has been relatively seamless. Moreover, there are two more generations of potential owners in the Robins family that are up and coming.

Notably, Jim and Dave set aside $100 per car sold at the dealership over the last year and accumulated $125,000 which was donated back to local community organizations in need. These organizations were formally recognized at the event, and presented with their awards, which ranged from $5,000 to $50,000.

At the present time, because of pandemic and supply chain issues, the cost to purchase both new and used automobiles is up. Ford Motor Company is focusing on production of electric vehicles and is second only to Tesla globally in their manufacture. Although it appears that the future of the auto industry is with electric vehicles, there currently is inade- quate infrastructure, including insufficient generation of electricity to the grid, resulting in rolling blackouts; and the need for more efficient recharging stations.

The most popular Ford vehicle in demand is the Bronco,
followed by any of the electrics. Dave estimates that the franchise has sold approximately 100,000 vehicles over the years, having had to endure a number of hurdles, such as the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 recession, and the pandemic, during which auto sales were disrupted.

Currently, Dave noted that sales of electric vehicles will require a commitment for the franchise to put in electric recharging sta- tions. Currently, it is probably more expensive to fully charge an electric vehicle than a gas vehicle, but the market is constantly fluctuating.

Tesla has a recharge adapter which fits into other chargers, but vehicles other than Tesla cannot charge their vehicles into a Tesla recharger. There is no plan at the present time other than what Tesla has been doing to strategically construct accessible re- charging stations so that electric vehicles can be recharged quickly and efficiently on longer trips. Much work still needs to be done.

RAFFLE – Ken Dufour and Shirley Lashmett again won the raffle this week.

ED NOTE: Stay dry! Stay healthy! Stay safe!