My family has been in the car business since 1960. My grandfather, Chalmers Godwin, was born in Summerton, SC and graduated from Clemson A&M with an agriculture degree in the late 1940's. During college he left school and volunteered to serve in WWII. He spent three years as a member of General Eisenhower's royal guard in Northern Africa and Italy. After his graduation from Clemson, he became an agriculture teacher in Branchville, SC. After just a couple of years teaching he decided that was not the career for him and he went to work for McLaughlin Ford in Sumter, SC. After several years as General Manager, he was asked to join as part owner. He then received an opportunity from Ford Motor Company to purchase the Ford dealership in Winnsboro, SC in 1972 and reopened it as Godwin Ford. My father, Ed Godwin, was sixteen at the time and was very interested in the car business. He started working for my grandfather as a salesman and at 19 became manager. Godwin Ford stayed open for a little more than a decade, but shut its doors in 1982 at the height of the recession. My father continued to work for various Ford stores until he decided to open an independent dealership, Godwin Motors Inc., in Columbia. SC in October of 1985. Godwin Motors hit the ground running and has never looked back. My father put in very long hours for many years ensuring his business would succeed. Twenty-six years later I think we can say he did a good job!
