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A Bachman Subura Review from Louisville Cars

Bachman Subaru
1851 Embassy Square
Louisville, KY 40299

The history of Bachman Auto Group actually began in 1924 when Elwood Priestley became an Oldsmobile dealer in Madison, W.Va. He drove his cars up and down the “hollers” of West Virginia showing people the exciting new form of transportation that was sure to change their lives. He and his wife, Margaret, had five daughters and Elwood trained each of their husbands in the car business. His own business grew as he added Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Buick to his Oldsmobile franchise.

One of his son-in-laws, Joe Holland, a native of Benton, Kentucky, entered the automobile business in 1952. Joe had played basketball for the University of Kentucky and was a key contributor on their 1948 NCAA Championship team. He married Betty Priestley in 1947 and while playing in the NBA for the Indianapolis Olympians had worked in the off season for his father-in-law. In 1955, Betty and Joe moved to South Charleston, W. Va. to work for Rhodes-Walker Chevrolet, and in 1957 Joe became a partner in Rhodes-Holland Chevrolet. He bought out Mr. Rhodes in 1962 and Joe Holland Chevrolet was established. It has consistently ranked among the leaders in Chevrolet sales in West Virginia and has since added Isuzu, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Chrysler franchises.

The third generation of this automobile family began when Joe’s and Betty’s daughter Teresa worked in the office or on the switchboard of Joe Holland Chevrolet during her tenure at George Washington High School. After graduating with a business degree from the University of Kentucky, she married Steve Bachman. Originally from Carroll, Ohio, Steve graduated from Louisville’s Westport High School and then attended the University of Kentucky, where he graduated with a degree in accounting. After passing the CPA exam, he worked for Coopers & Lybrand CPA’s in Louisville, Ky. In 1976 Joe Holland offered Steve and Teresa the opportunity to learn the automobile business by working for him in South Charleston, W. Va. They trained in various capacities throughout the Chevrolet dealership for nine years while saving for a dealership of their own.

In April 1985 Joe was informed that there was a large Chevrolet dealership on the market in Louisville, Kentucky. It had been out of business for several months after failing twice under previous management. Steve immediately went to Louisville to assess the possibilities, and by August 1985 Bachman Chevrolet was a reality. Joe Holland was the majority stockholder, Steve Bachman was named Dealer/President, and Teresa was Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer of the new corporation.

Bachman Chevrolet opened its doors on October 7, 1985 with 35 employees. Located on 11 acres in eastern Jefferson County, the dealership has been growing ever since. The main building has over 63,000 square feet under roof plus two additions to the parts warehouse in 1994 and 2001, making it over 115,000 square feet of space. In 2000 the Bachman’s brought in the addition of Oldsmobile, Subaru and Volkswagen franchises, changing the company name to Bachman Auto Group. Oldsmobile joined the Chevrolet location on Hurstbourne Lane, and Bachman Subaru-Volkswagen operated from their temporary location on Bardstown Road, growing in both sales and customer satisfaction.

A brand new Volkswagen marketplace sales and service facility opened at the Hurstbourne Lane location in May, 2002, showcasing the Volkswagen product. About the same time, a unique Subaru facility also opened on the Bachman property. The spring of 2002 brought another exciting change to the Bachman Auto Group family when Steve Bachman was named the exclusive “Hummer” dealer for the Louisville market area. With 5 new car franchises, the Used Car Department has also expanded tremendously to respond to customer demands, offering a large selection of previously owned import and domestic cars and trucks.

Currently, Bachman Auto Group has over 225 employees. Year in and year out, each of its brands ranks at the top of Kentucky in overall sales and customer satisfaction rankings. Bachman Chevrolet ranks in the top 50 dealerships in the nation in Corvette sales, and even more impressive, due to its large whosale parts operation, ranks in the top 20 among all General Motors dealers in parts sales.

Steve and Teresa Bachman have grown their business based on the Biblical principle: You must treat others the way you would want to be treated. That philosophy covers employees as well as customers. A business depends on its people to be honest with customers, always do the best job possible and when mistakes are made to rectify them as quickly and fairly as possible. The growth of Bachman Chevrolet has proved this to be sound business philosophy.

OUR OWNERS

During the past 23 years, Steve has served in various capacities on the board of the Greater Louisville Automobile Dealers Association. In 1992 he was chosen as a TIME magazine Dealer of the Year nominee. He has served as Vice-President and President of the Kentuckiana Chevrolet Dealer Advertising Association, as well as on the GM National Parts Advisory Council. He is a member and has served on the Board of the Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association. Teresa oversees and manages the Bachman Auto Group marketing strategy and continues to plan, coordinate, write, and appear in the dealerships commercials. She currently represents Bachman Chevrolet on the Chevrolet Local Marketing Group.

Personally, Steve’s and Teresa’s lives have been full raising four children and participating in the community. Steve and Teresa believe in giving back to the community through their time and resources. Since 1986, Steve has been a vital part of the volunteer coaches at Lyndon Recreation softball and baseball leagues, where Teresa also coached, and he coached basketball at the YMCA for several years. Steve has served on the board of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Louisville and even has chaired the sports auction. In his spare time, Steve plays golf and runs. Teresa is a past member of the Junior League of Louisville, past board member of Wednesday’s Child, and participated in the Prison Fellowship Ministries. Teresa and Steve both served on the board of Young Life.

The entire family is active at Southeast Christian Church where Steve is a deacon serving on the finance and oversight committee. Teresa works on various ministry programs as well as serving on the board of the Southeast Outlook newspaper and the Living Word book and tape ministry. In the past two years, Steve and Teresa have had three children get married and this past April became grandparents for the first time.

The employees from Bachman Auto Group are also active in the community in various ways. In addition to their individual commitments, as a group, they raise money and food to support needy families at Christmas and throughout the year.

Bachman Auto Group also stays active in the community by sponsoring various clubs in the area including:

River City Corvette Club Fall City Corvette Club

Generations Camaro Club Derby City Oldsmobile Club

Volkswagen Club of Louisville

Purchasing a vehicle from Bachman Auto Group helps support many local organizations and school activities:

Dunn Elementary, Louisville Male High School, Christian Academy of Louisville, Seneca High School,
Jeffersontown High School, Ballard High School, Eastern High School, South Oldham High School, Home of the Innocence, St. Matthews Little League, Youth for Christ, Jeffersontown Little League, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Lyndon Recreation, Boy Scouts of America, Middletown Recreation Association, Coaches for Cancer, Cabbage Patch Settlement House, Young Life, University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, American Diabetes Association, Jewish Community Center and many more.
More About Bachman Subaru – a Louisville and New Albany Subaru & Used Car Dealership

Bachman Subaru is proud to serve the Louisville – New Albany region with quality Subaru vehicles. With models like the Impreza, Outback, Forester, Legacy and Tribeca, we have something for every taste and need. Come visit us at 1851 Embassy Square, Louisville, KY 40299 to see our vehicles and take one for a test drive.

If you’re looking for a used car in Louisville, we can assist you there as well. Visit our inventory page to see our large collection of pre-owned vehicles.

Bachman Subaru is not just your Louisville – New Albany area Subaru dealership; we also provide a full line of services dedicated to our Kentucky customers. From Subaru car repairs performed by expert mechanics, to OEM Subaru auto parts, to car loans in Louisville, Bachman Subaru is the smart choice for your automotive needs.

Contact Information

Hours
* Monday: 9:00AM-9:00PM
* Tuesday: 9:00AM-9:00PM
* Wednesday: 9:00AM-9:00PM
* Thursday: 9:00AM-9:00PM
* Friday: 9:00AM-9:00PM
* Saturday: 9:00AM-6:00PM
* Sunday: Closed

Louisville Cars
7301B New LaGrange Rd
Louisville KY 40222