Interesting... Ron Tonkin dealerships sold to Spokane company | OregonLive.com I wonder if the Ferrari dealership was included in the sale?
I wonder if it includes the Ron Tonkin collection as well as the dealerships? Probably not, and if not, then who / what entity owns it? If the sons are cashing out, maybe the collection will go on the block one of these days?
My guess is no way, thinking the estate as in Ed and Brad would like to keep that intact. But you just never know in a situation like this. If the collection goes, thinking one person buys it all private deal out of the public eye ? They may have had inquiries already.
Ed and Brad own the collection, as far as I know. I've inquired about a few cars that they have, and the answer has always been that they're not interested in selling. The collection is not housed at the dealership (other than a few cars here and there, mostly in for service!), so there is no reason that they should be connected.
No. Ferrari and the RTGT were not included in the sale: Tonkin sale doesn?t affect TD | The Dalles Chronicle
Im glad..i bought a car at RTGT, and drove it back, always liked them....glad to see they will still be around... QUOTE=Zarathustra;145102420]No. Ferrari and the RTGT were not included in the sale: Tonkin sale doesn?t affect TD | The Dalles Chronicle[/QUOTE]
I can see why they kept RTGT (and I imagine the buyer probably didn't want it), but why keep the other dealerships?
Is there a listing of what cars were held in the collection over the years? Reason that I ask, my 328 was sold new by RTGT in '86 and was traded / bought / placed on consignment into RTGT's inventory from 1990 to 1998. I have service records from that time, during which the car is listed as part of their inventory, specifically as "PC189A". Eight years seems to be a long time as "inventory" and, admittedly, I have wondered whether the car might have been part of the collection or RT's personal use for a period of time. Whatever, the car now has nearly 75,000 miles, is reliable, and brings a smile to my face every time I drive it (which is regularly).
There has definitely been some blurring of the line between "inventory" and "collection" over the years. Ron had my old Boxer for a number of years as well, same for my 365GT. But in both cases, I think they were always for sale, he just couldn't get the number he wanted.
"His personal favorites were a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS and a 1985 288 GTO, the last of that model to roll off the assembly line. Founder Enzo Ferrari made sure Tonkin received that last car after hearing his first wife, Nancy Tonkin, had died." Great story that I had not heard before! I was in Portland in '93 and remember going by there and he had a new F40 in the showroom.
He had the 330 since new. It's the car he ordered to get the dealership. It's nickname is "baby" but I don't know the story behind that.
I just got a job at Tonkin Wilsonville Nissan, and my service manager and I were talking about the sale. I know that RTGT, Tonkin Subaru, and I think there was another dealership that were excluded from the sale. Although the remaining dealerships have been sold, they're still going to bear the Tonkin name for the forseeable future. I'm proud to start working under the name, it's eventually my goal to go work at RTGT, as my love for Ferrari's runs pretty deep.
