Erwin M. Weil

Born December 5, 1932 and raised in Chicago, Illinois Erwin M. Weil passed away May 17, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. For more than 50 years he bought, sold, and traded automobiles in the Greater Chicago area. He was the owner of Weil Oldsmobile which would later become Weil Cadillac-Hummer in Libertyville. His slogan, "a beautiful place in the country" was an iconic local catch-phrase.

Tall, strikingly handsome, clever, and remarkably perceptive his reputation for "car sales integrity" was legendary. Balancing his discriminating tastes for the finer things in life was an affection for only the cheapest white tequila or a bottle of Dom Perignon. A self-made man, Erwin started his career washing and delivering cars as a porter at a small neighborhood car lot on Western Avenue. Within a short period of time he became the top salesman at Grossinger's for three years in a row and eventually bought his first used car lot. Later, as a Dodge dealer he was soon "elevated" to the ranks of Oldsmobile. During the 1970's, Weil was the largest Oldsmobile dealer in the world. Within the industry he was referred to as "El Mundo - The World". Later he moved on to Cadillac and Hummer in Libertyville.

During an interview published July 10, 2003 in the Chicago Tribune, he described the noble art of selling as meeting a person's needs, "You need to be careful, because cars are an extension of our personalities. You can't step on somebody's dream. When I had the Western Avenue lot, I would talk with younger buyers to learn exactly what they needed. But I wouldn't tell a kid not to buy a specific car. I might make an attempt to taper or shape a sale if I felt he was unsure of his (or her) budget or whatever. I'd show options and ask, `Would this one work for you just as well?'"

Having served in Korea, Erwin M. Weil was a U.S. Army Veteran, and proud American. He is survived by his wife Sarena Weil and his five children, Julia Campoverde, Garry Weil, Steven Weil, Adam Weil, and Nicholas Weil. Erwin adored his Mastiff Dog, Jason. For those who would like to participate please donate to Friends of Rescued Mastiffs http://mastiffrescue.org/donate/