Looking Back / John H. Thompson

John (Jack) H. Thompson died on December 8, 2020. He was 89 years old. Known for his love of cars, Jack desired to open a car dealership but was turned down by every manufacturer he courted. However, he heard of a new car manufactured in Japan called a Toyota, so in 1969 he opened the first Toyota dealership in the country. Over the years he acquired and sold numerous auto dealerships but kept the Toyota, Lexus and BMW franchises, and to it he added the Thompson Collision Center and Thompson Detail Center. He was one of the founding members of Old York Road Sports Car Club and was very active with SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). His impressive collection of vintage race cars is known worldwide. He also purchased the Black Bass Inn, Lumberville General Store and Golden Pheasant Inn. He also was involved in many community and charitable organizations and was passionate about land conservation.