Western Auto Company History

George Pepperdine, founder of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., founded Western Auto Supply Company. Although the business began as a mail-order firm, it grew to include more than 1,200 retail stores.

Early Years

Pepperdine founded Western Auto in 1909 in Kansas City, Mo., to provide automobile parts to independent mechanics and the general public. The company opened its first retail store in 1921.

1950s and 1960s

The company expanded its products in the 1950s and 1960s to include guns, hand tools and small appliances.

1970s and 1980s

By the 1970s, Western Auto was competing with other catalog retail stores including Sears and J.C. Penney. Sears Roebuck bought Western Auto in 1987.

1990s

Western Auto sponsored NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip from 1991 to 1997. The company also sponsored Al Hofmann's NHRA funny car in the mid-1990s. Advance Auto Parts bought Western Auto in 1998.

Today

The building in Kansas City, Mo., where Western Auto began has been converted to loft condominiums. However, the company's sign still sits atop the building and shines every night.

References

• Western Auto Stocked Many Metallic Items
• George Pepperdine