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Long Beach officials try to keep iconic car dealer from uprooting
LONG BEACH — Long Beach officials are trying to keep an iconic car dealer from moving to another municipality, it was reported today.
Cal Worthington Ford is in negotiations with the city and the Chamber of Commerce in an effort to keep the dealership at its location in the northeast part of Long Beach, the Press-Telegram said.
Worthington is famous for six decades' worth of corny car commercials, in which he often promised to stand on his head to get customers to drop buy.
The dealership has generated more than $20 million in sales revenue for Long Beach, Worthington has said.
Municipal officials are in confidential negotiations with the dealership to see what its needs are, said Jerry Miller, a former Long Beach city manager who is leading a Chamber of Commerce effort to keep the sales tax
revenues and jobs in Long Beach.
The city has already lent Worthington $200,000 to rebuild a massive electronic sign to lure potential customers off the San Diego (405) Freeway, the newspaper reported.
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