When Mr. Clyde Guy began selling cars, they looked like “a bathtub with a couple of seats and a little four-cylinder engine,” as described by his son Eddie Guy.
Humble Beginnings
Clyde Guy was the picture of the “American Dream.” He was born in Alabama in 1904 and faced many challenges of the time. He had to drop out of school in the 7th grade to help support his widowed mother and four siblings. Sadly, his mother passed away a year later, and the orphaned children were separated and sent to live with different relatives. Clyde worked multiple jobs just to make ends meet. In 1923, at the age of 19 with five dollars in his pocket, he boarded a train in Alabama headed to Roswell, NM to change climates as advised by his doctor.
Clyde worked odd jobs until Mr. H.A. Lowery gave him a job working in the parts department at Lowery Auto Co., a Chevrolet Agency in Roswell. This position would springboard his career and ultimately begin the family legacy of Guy Chevrolet Co. In 1925, Mr. Lowery decided to open a Chevrolet dealership in Artesia, a small town boasting a population of 2,500 people, and he sent Clyde there to work around the shop as a handyman.
Mr. Guy lived in the company’s garage and started taking courses in salesmanship. Along the way, he began selling cars in addition to his other duties. In 1928, the manager of the Artesia dealership was let go, and Clyde, at the age of 24, was placed in the position of manager until another one was found. He was told his managerial duties would only last a few weeks; however, Mr. Lowery was so impressed with Clyde that he gave him interest in the company and kept him on as the manager of the Chevrolet dealership. Over time, Clyde bought more interest in the company and began implementing his own successful ideas.
In his years of service, Clyde won many awards and, at one point, was ranked the number three Chevy dealership in the USA. Although he was an extremely successful businessman, he found more pleasure in giving back to the community of Artesia. He supplied vehicles to different school organizations such as FFA and the Driver’s Education program. Clyde was often seen giving both time and money to the local Little League. These examples are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of the different ways he served the people and organizations of Artesia. Mr. Clyde Guy passed away in 1997, and the legacy became the responsibility of his son Eddie Guy.
Second and Third Generations
Clyde not only owned a Chevrolet franchise, but was also a Malco distributer and had a full-service filling station outside of his dealership. This is where his son Eddie got his start in the family business. At the age of eight, Eddie filled gas tanks and cleaned vehicle windows while standing on old Coke crates. Eddie said he worked every summer at Guy Chevrolet, and he was often seen working alongside the men in the service department as he got older. Eddie always knew he would be involved with the family business, and he began working full-time at Guy Chevrolet after finishing college in 1974. He worked several years in the service department before being called up into sales. Since then, Eddie has worked in whatever department needs his time the most, which of late has been the service department.
Eddie remarked that he did not think any of his children would join the family business. However, after graduating from college, his daughter Dani Kuykendall called him and asked if he had any work she could do at Guy Chevrolet while she was in transition between graduating and starting a career. Dani began working in the service department and found she enjoyed her job and the customers. She managed the service department for two years before Eddie pulled her up into sales where she has been thriving since.
Looking Back and Heading Forward
The building that houses Guy Chevrolet Company has seen many changes since 1925, as has the abilities and luxuries of the vehicles. For generations, customers have counted on the Guy family for dependable sales and service with the GM line.
Eddie reflected that there have been many challenges in being a small-town dealership because GM typically caters to the larger dealerships. One of his main challenges throughout the years has been getting the merchandise the company needs due to the “turn and earn” GM policy. (Dealerships must sell a model to be able to purchase another one of that model.) This is one of many reasons for Artesians to stay loyal and buy local. Having a dependable dealership and service department in a rural town is a luxury we can all appreciate and enjoy.
As a returning Guy Chevrolet customer, my family has personally experienced the joys of working with Eddie and Dani, and we have seen the loyalty and the dependability of their service and sales. It is a pleasure to congratulate the Guy family on 100 years of business, and we wholeheartedly wish them a good many more.
Article written by Amy Scroggin and originally published in Focus on Artesia 2025 Fall edition.
Amy Scroggin
Amy has a bachelor's degree in education and a master’s degree in counseling. Her life is driven by her faith, her daughters, and her husband, Scott. She enjoys a good book, traveling, being outdoors, cooking, finding adventure, and spending time with family. Amy has felt called to work with children of all ages most of her life.
