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Guest host Brandon Boyd interviewed someone near and dear to his own heart for Tuesday’s segment of Town Talk, his father Charles Henry Boyd. Many in the community may know Charles as the owner of Charles Boyd Chevrolet Buick GMC in Henderson.
Born in Henderson in 1949, Charles, with the exception of his years in college, has called Vance County home all of his life. “Henderson has always been home,” he said. “It’s been a great life. Vance County has been so very good to us; a great place to live and to work.”
A child in the 50s and a teenager in the 60s, Charles said he has many memories of good times spent with his three brothers, family and friends. “I have memories of going downtown, going to the Embassy and going to the Stevenson Theatre. You could take about 15 cents to spend your evening and have a great time.”
Interested in cars since he was old enough to remember, Charles said he spent his younger years going with his father and brothers to tobacco warehouses to prospect vehicles, and later working after school “polishing cars, cleaning hubcaps and washing engines” at the used car lot.
Brandon Boyd (left) and Charles Boyd (right) pictured with one of their classic cars.
“Me and my three brothers, Maurice, Glenn and Jerry, have always had a passion for cars,” said Charles. “My father started off in farming and then went into the used car business.”
That passion continues today with Charles and his brothers collecting classic cars. “We collect cars, which is a great pastime, and we share the thrills in finding these cars and reselling them,” Charles stated. “We try to find cars that have been stored, that don’t have many miles; we like originality. It’s an enjoyment when you find something and think there’s not another one like it in the world. It’s not what you end up with; it’s the chase of finding something.”
Charles continued, “The car business has been a great part of my life. It’s been good to me and my family. Vance County has supported us in so many ways. We try to give everybody a fair and honest deal. My dad was known for being honest and looking out for customers, and that’s what we try to do.”
After starting out at Boyd Auto Sales on Garnett Street and selling his first used car at 11, Charles rented an available used car lot on Raleigh Road upon graduating Atlantic Christian College. According to Charles, rent was $75 a month, and the lot had no bathroom or running water.
“Today, we have a facility that’s state-of-the-art; we’ve come a long way,” Charles said. “It’s not what we’ve done, but what Vance County has done for us.”
Charles Boyd Chevrolet Buick GMC is located at 250 Ruin Creek Road in Henderson, NC.
To hear the interview with Charles and Brandon in its entirety, including more on growing up in Henderson and the car business, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.