Blog > 25th Anniversary Celebration & Contest

25th Anniversary Celebration & Contest

It’s our 25th Anniversary and to celebrate we are giving away $5000 in our Facebook contest.

Why? Well, it is another chance for us to give back to the community and say thanks for a great 25 years.


Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln was founded here in Nanaimo in 1997, when Steve Marshall bought Meyers Holland Motors from Ralph Holland. Ralph was retiring from the auto business and he already had a great relationship with Steve Marshall. When Steve Marshall got his Ford dealership in Campbell River, it was Ralph who mentored Steve on the art of running a dealership.

Some Unique Moments to Reflect On

Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln still stands in its original place, but Steve Marshall made some additions and expansion to the site. He also purchased Auto Smile, the auto detailing and customizing department, and made it part of the dealership. Previously, it was off site, and Steve convinced the previous owner, Harold Hanson, to join his team. They also became very good friends and still are to this day. Harold is now retired and his grandson, Scott Hanson, is still part of the Auto Smile team.

Steve Marshall holds an interesting set of records as a Ford dealer. He was the youngest man to become a dealer when he purchased Steve Marshall Ford in Campbell River in 1966, and the oldest man to become a dealer when he purchased Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln in Nanaimo in 1997. While Ford was reluctant to give a licence to someone at his age, he was able to do so as long as he had a legacy plan in place. It was an easy fix and an obvious choice. That person has been around the dealerships since she was 11 and she shared her father’s passion for the auto industry, his daughter Ann Marie Clark.

While Mr. Marshall may have had many applicants, with more experience, interested in the GM position, he made the decision to give it to his daughter, Ann Marie, because she loved the car business as much as he did and in 1999 Ann Marie became General Manager.

Of course he was there to mentor her, just like Ralph Holland was when Steve got his first Ford dealership. Today, the Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln family, led by Ann Marie Clark, nurtures the store’s fun loving and relaxed family atmosphere while professionally taking care of our guests beyond their expectations.

Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln has always been a huge part in supporting our community, from volunteering at smaller, local events to larger fundraisers, such as the SPCA ($39,600), Island Crisis Care Society ($23,600), Give & Go annually, collected funds for the John Barsby Community of Schools’ Angel Fund ($14,400), Haven Society ($12,600) and NUKO ($12,700).

Our vision is to build strong, lifelong relationships by maintaining our teams’ involvement and autonomy in taking care of our guests to create a better experience with our store, while continuing to be a meaningful contributor within the community.

So for our 25th Anniversary we are having a Facebook contest. Follow the link to the entry site and all you have to do is post a picture of you and your vehicle in the comments and you are in for a chance to win $5000. In the spirit of giving to the community $2500 will go to the winner and another $2500 to the local charity of their choice.

Good luck on your entry, and here’s to another 25 years!

Win $5,000

Post an image of yourself with your vehicle in a comment on our Facebook post about the contest, tag a friend in another comment if you’d like some bonus entries!

Enter to Win $5,000 for our 25th Anniversary