History of Thornhill Automotive Group
Thornhill Automotive Group started with Thornhill GM Superstore, currently located in the southern coalfields of Chapmanville, West Virginia, but the GM franchise had a relative past before it was owned by Wally Thornhill. The original GM dealership was started back in 1963 under the name of Milne Pontiac in Logan, West Virginia (about 15 miles south). Ironically, Wally’s father, Morris Thornhill was a skilled auto body repairman and technician at this very store.
Wally shared his father’s same talents and as a teen they would work together in the evenings in their family garage. After being at college for two years, the economy changed and Wally returned home to open his own auto body repair business, Superior Auto Body, at the age of 19. This was a lucrative business for 20 years, but Wally always dreamed of having his own dealership.
By this time, Milne Pontiac’s owners had passed and it was now Honeycutt Pontiac, Buick, GMC. Mr. Honeycutt had been in the business for a long time and was looking for a new energy for his dealership, which is what Wally was able to bring to the business. He sold his auto body shop and became an investor with the intent to one day run the business.
Within a year as partner in 1996, a new state of the art store was built on a major highway (our current location) and sales were turned from 200 units to 600 units per year. In just two years Wally became the full owner and dealer principal of Thornhill Pontiac, Buick, GMC. In 1998, Wally purchased the Chevrolet and Oldsmobile franchises, and combined them with the existing store to become one of the top dealers in the state, Thornhill GM Superstore.
With much success the Thornhill Auto Group grew from there. In 2005, Wally purchased the Ford-Lincoln-Mercury dealership located just half a mile from the GM Superstore on US Route 119, now Thornhill Ford Lincoln. With a growing used car business in 2008, Wally opened a small pre-owned car lot, Thornhill Factory Outlet, located in Logan at the Fountain Place Mall. This location has grown as it serves customers into the Williamson and Pikeville, Kentucky areas.
After the dismissal of the Oldsmobile, Mercury, and Pontiac franchises, the group was looking to grow more. The “Big Three on Corridor G” soon became the “Big Four on the Corridor” in 2010, with the purchase of the Suzuki vehicle franchise. The upscale designed facility of Thornhill Suzuki is located beside of Thornhill GM Superstore right off of US Route 119 South. Around the same time, our state-of-the-art Cummins Engine service facility was built beside Thornhill Ford to service our medium-duty Ford customers. This is the only Ford medium-duty service center in Southern and Central West Virginia.
Continuing to build off his success, Wally Thornhill added both Thornhill Acura (2011, Charleston, WV) and Thornhill Mitsubishi (2012, Chapmanville, WV) stores and two Thornhill Factory Outlet Pre-owned locations. In 2015 he sold the Acura franchise due to location, but most recently opened Thornhill Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram of Logan during the summer of 2019, Thornhill Auto Outlet in Belfry, Kentucky fall of 2019, and Thornhill Collision Center winter of 2020. All of these are managed under Thornhill Automotive Group.
As the group has grown, Wally has always been dedicated to this business and is loyal to its many customers and the communities of Southern West Virginia. In recent years he has been nominated three times for the Ford “Salute to Dealer”, the 2011 & 2020 “TIME Dealer of the Year” nominee, the 2012 Who’s Who in West Virginia Business Award, and President of the West Virginia Automobile and Truck Dealers Association. Wally currently serves as a board member of the NADA (National Auto Dealers Association) National DEAC Board.
Thornhill Automotive Group continues to be an active supporter for the community with involvements in many groups including: WE-Can Program, P.I.E.C.E.S., American Cancer Society, City of Chapmanville, Kiwanis Club, Chief Logan Recreational Center, All Area School Academics & Sports Programs, Local Churches, Kairos Prison Ministry, Youth Sports Programs, Veterans and Wounded Warriors, and many more. They continue to be a proud sponsor of both Marshall and West Virginia Universities participating in their WHEELS programs and the University of Pikeville. Throughout the year, Thornhill Auto Group participates in numerous canned-food, clothing, and toy drives, and in October they share their support for Breast Cancer Awareness with PINK Fridays at Thornhill.