The shiny glimmer of the words etched in glass on Nissan’s award of appreciation to Blackburn Motor Co. added some light to a past year fraught with more struggles than James E. “Brother” Blackburn Jr. can remember.

“It’s absolutely been more challenging,” Blackburn said, noting the high interest rates of the late-1970s as a shrinking bellwether compared to the nationwide credit crisis that has taken a toll on the housing and car-buying markets.

“It’s been a lot more widespread than that was. It’s been a challenge getting across that financing is still available. But, when times are slow, that’s the time to buy,” Blackburn said.

Customers will have a measure of incentive to stick with the longtime Vicksburg automotive fixture, as it was awarded by Nissan North America Inc. for 40 years of association with the brand — an exclamation point of sorts for the oldest Nissan dealer in Mississippi and the fourth-oldest in the carmaker’s central U.S. region.

“This is a big deal,” said Bryan Connor, dealer operations manager from Nissan’s regional office in Dallas, who presented the hardware to Blackburn and his son, general manager Jeb Blackburn.

James E. “Black” Blackburn Sr. was chief operating partner of the dealership when it took on the Datsun brand of vehicles on May 5, 1969. The brand was noted for small, economical vehicles such as the 510 sedan and the 720 pickup. Datsun was phased out by Nissan Motor Co. as a brand name for its U.S. fleet by the mid-1980s. 

“What really put it on the map was the small truck,” Brother Blackburn said. “We installed the A/C and the radio.”

The Blackburns credit two major events with the continued success of its Nissan dealership — the 2006 move of its Nissan and Chrysler dealerships to its 8-acre spread on North Frontage Road from its original location on Washington Street and the 2003 opening of Nissan’s $930 million manufacturing plant in Canton.

“Making that kind of commitment for Mississippi was a real turnaround,” Brother Blackburn said.

Another 40 years in Vicksburg is a distinct possibility due to a long list of loyal customers and adherence to basic customer service, Jeb Blackburn said.

“We’ve kind of honed back in on our heritage,” he said, “because a lot of dealerships are going to the wayside.”

The company was assured this week its Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships would survive a nationwide round of closures by Chrysler LLC. While nearly 800 will be closed if approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Blackburn Chrysler Dodge Jeep will stay open as Chrysler plans a partnership with Italian carmaker Fiat.

Blackburn credited the decision to the Vicksburg dealer offering more than one brand under the same roof.

*

Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com