In December 1924, George W. Bohn opened the Bohn Motor Company in New Orleans in its temporary location on Carrollton Ave. A year later, their newly constructed showroom designed by Emile Weir opened on Washington Ave. and Broad St. as a Ford agency.
Within a year of opening, Bohn Ford was setting sales records, earning them a silver trophy from the Ford Motor Co. George credited not only his location as the exact geological center of the city, but also their high quality of autos and excellent customer service.
In 1929, the Bohn Motor Company had its first expansion, moving its used car department to the corner of Melpomene and Claiborne. A second used car lot was added ten years later at 2425 Canal St. High sales and awards continued to be regular occurrences at Bohn Motor Co. for many decades, and in 1966, they moved their headquarters from the Broad St. building to the larger property at 401 N. Carrollton Ave.
George had four sons: George, Jr., Robert, Donald and Richard (Dick). All four of them joined the family business, working for Bohn Motor Co. Dick married Constance Claverie in 1947, and the following year left Bohn Motor Co. and opened a Ford dealership on the West Bank with new father-in-law, Al. Claverie Motors, Inc. opened at 240 Derbigny St. in Gretna in May 1948 with Dick as vice-president.
In 1954, after Claverie retired, Dick Bohn took over the company and renamed it Dick Bohn Ford. He opened a few more locations in Gretna and Westwego before moving the whole operation to 1900 Franklin St. in Gretna in 1956. Soon after that, his brother Donald joined as a partner in the business. After Dick died, Don Bohn Ford opened in Harvey, and after his retirement in 1987, his sons took over, renaming it Bohn Brothers.
Multiple generations have carried on the Bohn auto dealership name in the Greater New Orleans area and the businesses are still active today, known collectively as the Bohn Auto Group professionally, but the Bohn Zone colloquially.
